The additive data, supplemental data, remarks about RVR, and runway conditions as used in the METAR/SPECI code at shore stations are NOT used by shipboard  observers. Q28. Q29. Q30. Q31. REVIEW  QUESTIONS What column on CNMOC Form 3141/3 is used to record remarks? What column is used to record sea surface temperature? What column is used to recordsea wave height? What publication provides detailed instructions for  taking  and  recording  ship  observations aboard U.S. Navy ships? SYNOPTIC CODES LEARNING  OBJECTIVES:  Identify  the manuals that provide instruction on encoding and  decoding  land  and  ship  synoptic observations. Explain the meaning of each code figure in the land and ship synoptic code. Describe the code used to relay reports from moored coastal observation buoys. Where the METAR/SPECI codes are designed to report  aviation  weather,  the  Synoptic  code  is specifically  designed  to  include  data  for  use  in analyzing the current overall weather situation. It is a numerical code that consists mostly of groups of five digits,  specifically  designed.  to  permit  automatic loading of computer data bases. The Synoptic reports are transmitted by selected stations worldwide at 0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z, and 1800Z—the  "Synoptic  Hours"—with  the  reports generally  called  "Main  Synoptic"  reports.  Significant reports called "Intermediate Synoptic" reports may be transmitted  at  the  "Intermediate  Synoptic"  hours: 0300Z, 0900Z, 1500Z, and 2100Z. Although  the  Synoptic  code  transmitted  by  land stations and by ships report many of the same weather elements by using the same symbolic groups, there are some differences in the way the station is identified. There are also different types of data that are only reported by land stations, just as there is some data that is  only  reported  by  ships. The primary reference manual used to encode weather  elements  observed  during  an  aviation  hourly weather observation at land stations into land Synoptic codes is the Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 2 (FMH-2),  Surface Synoptic Codes.  This  publication describes which elements are encoded, and also covers supplemental data, which is added to the International code form as Regional data in WMO Region IV — North America, (and U.S. stations in WMO Region V —  Central  and  Southern  Pacific,  including  Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippines). It also includes National Data, which is added to the code in the United States. The  primary  reference  used  when  encoding weather  observations  into  the  ship  Synoptic  code  is NAVMETOCCOMINST  3144.1,  United  States  Nary Manual for Ship'.s Surface Weather Observations, although the FMH-2 also provides guidance on the ship Synoptic code. The publications that are most useful in decoding Synoptic reports received from overseas stations are the WMO Publication 306, Manual on Codes, Volume 1, International Codes, and Volume 2, Regional Codes and National Coding Practices. The International Codes provides symbolic formats for all of  the  International  codes,  an  alphabetical  listing  of each symbolic element, with an explanation of each code  element  and  reference  to  the  appropriate  code table, as well as a section providing all of the WMO code tables. In the following text, we discuss the land Synoptic code, the ship Synoptic code, and the code used to relay reports from moored coastal observation buoys. Most of the applicable code tables are listed in Appendix IV. First, let's consider the land Synoptic code. LAND SYNOPTIC CODE In addition to reporting surface aviation hourly observations, many Navy and Marine Corps land stations, both in the United States and overseas, also report Synoptic weather observations in WMO Code FM 12-XI SYNOP. Table 3-5 provides a breakdown of the symbolic code format of the land Synoptic code. Only those groups considered significant are included in a report. If the type of data the code group requires is not normally available at a station, the entire group is not reported. A solidi (forward-slash /) is used in place of each   number   that   is   normally   reported,   but   is unobservable  because  of  weather  conditions  or equipment failure. 3-12