Section III. Observed Weather

A) Category Information 

	Mean Cloud Cover [0Z-0Z]

Enter the average cloud cover for the forecast period in the range of 0 and 8

   Clear = 0
   Overcast = 8 

The actual average cloud cover will be averaged from the hourly METAR Code, however;
the hourly METAR Code gives; Clr, Few, Sct, Bkn, or Ovc, therefore, the following cloud
coverage will be assigned the following number.  

   Clr = 0 (Clear)
   Few = 2 (Few)
   Sct = 4 (Scattered)
   Bkn = 6 (Broken)
   Ovc = 8 (Overcast) 


Scoring: |Forecasted - Actual| = Error

 	Forecasted - Your forecasted mean cloud cover
        Actual     - The actual mean hourly cloud cover
        Error      - Points given by the difference of forecasted and actual and will be 
	             added to your Total Score

Example:

  Forecasted = 5
  Actual     = 7

  Error = |5-7| = 2 Points

B) Category Information:

	Wind Direction [0Z]
	Wind Direction [12Z]
     
Enter the wind direction in units of whole degrees
   e.g.,  Northeast wind enter as, 45
          South wind enter as, 180
          North wind enter as, 0 or 360
          Southwest wind enter as, 225
          etc.

Scoring:  SUB{|Forecasted - Actual|/10.0} = Error

	Forecasted - Your forecasted wind direction at the forecast time
        Actual     - The actual wind direction at forecast time
        Error      - The points given by the mathematical equation above that will be
                     added to your Total Score   

Note: A special subroutine (SUB) is used to correctly find the error

Example:

      	Forecasted = 45
	Actual     = 345

 Error = SUB{|45-345|/10.0} = 6 Points  


C)  Category Information:

	Wind Speed (kts) [0Z]
        Wind Speed (kts) [12Z]

Enter the wind speed in whole units of knots

Scoring:  |Forecasted - Actual|/2.0 = Error

	Forecasted - Your forecasted wind speed at the forecast time
        Actual     - The actual wind speed at the forecast time
        Error      - The points given by the mathematical equation above that will be
                     added to your Total Score

Example:

	Forecasted = 15
        Actual     = 23

 Error = |15-23|/2.0 = 4 Points