Toward developing a quality control system for rawinsonde reports

"Results of investigations indicate that many of the problems that prevent rawinsonde data from reaching the user can be rectified by proper quality control procedure. Methods have been developed to test the effectiveness of quality control, and these have resulted in significant improvements in data usage in NMC. Typically, data utilization from U.S. moving ships in the Pacific was increased from 35% to 95% in less than 3 years; from the NWS Pacific Region, data procurement and use more than doubled between 1968 and 1972; and improvements in data from conterminous U.S. stations could be projected to indicate an increase of 5,000 additional observations being processed annually at NMC. Data quality can be improved and sustained only while active monitoring and deficiency notification programs are in operation. When such programs are terminated, data quality deteriorates to original levels. An effective program to adequately control data quality must involve integrated functions at data sources, communications centers, processing centers, and, most importantly, headquarters elements."