Section: 4.6.0 Loading Surface Data

Next: Surface Point Observation Displays

4.6.0 Loading Surface Data

METAR and Synoptic data can be accessed in the IDV from ADDE servers. The data available is hourly, each hourly file having all station observations at that time.

Open the Surface Data Source Chooser

If other displays and data are already loaded, select the Edit->Remove All Displays and Data menu item or the icon in the toolbar to clear them out.
Open the Data Source Chooser.
In the Data Source Chooser click on the Point tab.
In the Server: entry box, select the remote ADDE server adde.ucar.edu.
In the Data Type: entry box, select the choice Surface (METAR) Data.
Click on Connect.
The IDV will connect to the ADDE server at adde.ucar.edu and download metadata about available METAR data. Select Absolute times to see a list of data times that you can get from this server.
The bottom time in the list, the most recent time, should be highlighted. If it is not, click on it.
Hold down the shift key and click on the time one above the bottom, so that two times are selected.
You could also select Use relative times and select Most recent 2 times.
If the entry box Station Model: does not show METAR, select METAR.
Click the Add Source button at the bottom of the selector window.
Because the Create Display checkbox is on in the chooser the IDV automatically creates a point data plot.

Unidata IDV Workshop for version 2.5 > Accessing and Displaying Data > Point Observations