Although the ASOS at Rochester had some isolated problems, it performed with as much accuracy as desired. A malfunctioning dew point sensor was found during this study, and was corrected. During preliminary tests and the period covered by this study, the most persistent problem involved the visibility measurements. By knowing that the visibilities around three miles had the greatest error, visibility users can take that into consideration for aviation purposes. Documentation of ASOS's weaknesses should help technicians and engineers focus on what needs to be improved.
Meteorologists greatly value data obtained from surface observations.
The development of ASOS has increased the number of observations manyfold. These observations can improve weather forecasting and provide vital information to the aviation user community, provided the strengths, weaknesses, and limitations of ASOS are understood. His comments and expertise saved time and was much appreciated. National Weather Service Observing Handbook No. 7, Surface Observations. National Weather Service Engineering Handbook No. 8, Surface Equipment.