[GEMPAK #MCT-577433]: Surface Data File in CSV Format

> Full Name: Bill Bauman
> Email Address: address@hidden
> Organization: NASA
> Package Version:
> Operating System:
> Hardware:
> Description of problem: Is it possible for GEMPAK to read a CSV formatted 
> file containing local surface observations and if so, are there any special 
> formatting requirements? I have been able to manually create space-separated 
> surface data files per the tutorial example but it would be easier for me to 
> automate creation of CSV files. I have attached an example CSV file with 
> surface wind tower data from the Kennedy Space Center wind tower network.
> 
> 



Hi Bill,

There is a section of the GEMPAK workshop tutorial that covers importing 
surface data into GEMPAK sf file format, this is probably the document you 
mentioned. It requires a station table be created if the data are not tied to 
existing surface stations.

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/gempak/tutorial/importing_data.html

There is no easy way to convert a CSV file to a GEMPAK surface station file, 
you will need to create a script to re-format your file.  I've done something 
similar with importing the NCAR surface station table to GEMPAK format in 
Python:

https://github.com/mjames-upc/gempak-stations

If you go this way, you'll have to use rjust() on your strings to get the 
formatting correct: 
https://github.com/mjames-upc/gempak-stations/blob/master/stations.py#L49


Michael James
Unidata Program Center
Boulder, CO


Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: MCT-577433
Department: Support GEMPAK
Priority: Normal
Status: Open