**National Climatic Data Center**

**DATA DOCUMENTATION**

**FOR**

**DATASET 3102 (DSI-3102)**

**Panama Canal Watershed-Hourly Climatological Data**

**October 10, 2003**

National Climatic Data Center

151 Patton Ave.

Asheville, NC 28801-5001 USA

**Table of Contents**

[Topic Page Number]{.underline}

1\.
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3

2\. Element Names and Definitions**:**
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3\. Start
Date\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.... 4

4\. Stop
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5\.
Coverage\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...
4

6\. How to order
data\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\... 5

7\. Archiving Data Center.
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8\. Technical
Contact\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\... 5

9\. Known Uncorrected
Problems\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\... 5

10\. Quality
Statement\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\..... 5

11\. Essential Companion Data Sets\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\.....
5

12\.
References\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...\...
5

**1. [Abstract]{.underline}:** Panama Canal Watershed-Hourly
Climatological Data is historical dataset DS-3102 archived at the
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). These files contain daily
summaries of the hourly climatological data for approximately 30
stations within the Panama Canal Watershed. Parameters include
temperature, dew point, pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction,
solar radiation and evaporation. This dataset also includes a separate
file which contains 15-minute precipitation from the 1972-1973 time
period. The hourly wind direction was calculated by the station firmware
sampling the wind direction every 20 seconds. All other parameters were
sampled at the same 20 second interval and an average was computed. The
daily averages were calculated from the hourly data. The daily wind
direction was computed using vectoral analysis to eliminate the problem
of 359 degrees and 0 degrees representing north.

**2. [Element Names and Definitions]{.underline}:**

**15-min Precipitation File**

  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------
  **Columns**           **Parameters**

  3-4                   Station ID number

  7-8                   Year

  11-12                 Month

  16-17                 Day

  20-23                 Hour

  28-30                 \*Rainfall (inches)
  --------------------- -------------------------------------------------

\*Rainfall for the 15-min time period ending at the hour/minute of the
respective data record.

\- 2400 represents the time period between 2345 and midnight.

\- 0015 represents the time period between midnight and 15 minutes past
the hour of midnight.

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

**Hourly Climatological Data**

FIELD 01 IS THE STATION NUMBER: 65=COCO SOLO; 54=GATUN; 63=BALBOA FAA

FIELD 02 IS THE YEAR: 1985

FIELD 03 IS THE MONTH: 1=JAN

FIELD 04 IS THE DAY: 1

FIELD 05 IS THE WIND SPEED AVERAGE IN MPH: 5.8 MILES PER HOUR

FIELD 06 IS THE WIND SPEED MAXIMUM IN MPH: 19.5 MILES PER HOUR

FIELD 07 IS THE WIND SPEED MINIMUM IN MPH: 0.2 MILES PER HOUR

FIELD 08 IS THE WIND DIRECTION (FROM WHERE IT COMES) IN DEGREES BEING

359 = FROM THE NORTH

90 = FROM THE EAST

180 = FROM THE SOUTH

270 = FROM THE WEST

THUS, 308.3 IS A WIND COMING FROM THE WEST NORTH WEST

FIELD 09 IS THE AIR TEMPERATURE AVERAGE IN DEGREES F: 79.3

FIELD 10 IS THE AIR TEMPERATURE MAXIMUM IN DEGREES F: 91.7

FIELD 11 IS THE AIR TEMPERATURE MINIMUM IN DEGREES F: 71.3

FIELD 12 IS THE AVERAGE DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES F: 67.1

FIELD 13 IS THE MAXIMUM DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES F: 72.3

FIELD 14 IS THE MINIMUM DEW POINT TEMPERATURE IN DEGREES F: 63.8

FIELD 15 IS THE AVERAGE BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IN INCHES OF MERCURY: 29.84

FIELD 16 IS THE MAXIMUM BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IN INCHES OF MERCURY: 29.89

FIELD 17 IS THE MINIMUM BAROMETRIC PRESSURE IN INCHES OF MERCURY: 29.77

FIELD 18 IS THE AVERAGE RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN %: 67.9 %

FIELD 19 IS THE MAXIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN %: 83.6 %

FIELD 20 IS THE MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY IN %: 45.9 %

FIELD 21 IS THE TOTAL SOLAR RADIATION IN LANGLEYS: 576.06

FIELD 22 IS THE WIND PASSAGE FOR THE DAY: 138.5 MILES

FIELD 23 IS THE DAILY EVAPORATION IN INCHES: 0.2215

\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_

Below is a list of 3 letter Identifiers, ID#, Station name, Latitude and
Longitude and Elevation (meters):

STA ID \# Name Lat Long Elev (m)

=============================================================

ACL 50 Agua Clara 9° 22\' 79° 42\' 460

ALA 55 Alhajuela 9° 12\' 79° 37\' 40

FAA 63 Balboa FAA 8° 58\' 79° 33\' 12

BHT 60 Balboa Heights 8° 57\' 79° 33\' 30

BCI 04 Barro Colorado 9° 10\' 79° 50\' 34

CDL 51 Candelaria 9° 23\' 79° 31\' 98

CAN 21 Los Cañones 8° 57\' 80° 04\' 104

CAS 30 Las Cascadas 9° 03\' 79° 41\' 47

CHI 53 Chico 9° 16\' 79° 30\' 104

CHR 48 El Chorro 8° 58\' 79° 59\' 42

CNO 59 Caño 9° 04\' 79° 49\' 33

CNT 52 Ciento 9° 18\' 79° 44\' 38

CRI 56 Cristobal 9° 21\' 79° 55\' 11

CSO 65 Coco Solo 9° 22\' 79° 53\' 1

DHT 06 Diablo Heights 8° 58\' 79° 34\' 10

EMH 64 Empire Hill 9° 03\' 79° 40\' 61

ESC 14 Escandalosa 9° 25\' 79° 35\' 480

GAM 16 Gamboa 9° 07\' 79° 42\' 34

GAT 54 Gatun 9° 16\' 79° 55\' 25

GTW 09 Gatun West 9° 16\' 79° 56\' 35

GUA 46 Guacha 9° 10\' 79° 56\' 29

HHI 41 Hodges Hill 9° 03\' 79° 39\' 70

HUM 43 Humedad 9° 03\' 80° 02\' 31

LMB 70 Limon Bay 9° 21\' 79° 55\' 3

MLR 42 Monte Lirio 9° 14\' 79° 51\' 34

PEL 45 Peluca 9° 23\' 79° 34\' 107

PMG 61 Pedro Miguel 9° 01\' 79° 37\' 34

RAI 44 Las Raíces 9° 06\' 79° 59\' 34

RPD 66 Río Piedras 9° 17\' 79° 24\' 150

SAL 47 Salamanca 9° 18\' 79° 35\' 82

SMG 49 San Miguel 9° 25\' 79° 30\' 520

SRO 08 Santa Rosa 9° 11\' 79° 39\' 50

**3. [Start Date]{.underline}:** 19720101

**4. [Stop Date]{.underline}:** 19981231

**5. [Coverage]{.underline}:**

a\. Southernmost Latitude: 8.57S

b\. Northernmost Latitude: 9.25N

c\. Westernmost Longitude: -80.04W

d\. Easternmost Longitude: -79.30E

**6. [How to Order Data]{.underline}:**

Ask NCDC's Climate Services about the cost of obtaining this data set.

Phone: 828-271-4800

FAX: 828-271-4876

E-mail: [**NCDC.Orders@noaa.gov**](mailto:NCDC.Orders@noaa.gov)

**7. [Archiving Data Center]{.underline}:**

Archive Branch

National Climatic Data Center

151 Patton Avenue

Asheville, NC 28801

**8. [Technical Contact]{.underline}:**

National Climatic Data Center

151 Patton Avenue

Asheville, NC 28801

**9. [Known Uncorrected Problems]{.underline}:** None.

**10. [Quality Statement]{.underline}:** None.

**11. [Essential Companion Datasets]{.underline}:** None.

**12. [References]{.underline}:** None.