Automated extraction of wind data from archived ASOS (Automated Surface Observing System) weather reports

Wind loads for use in structural design are based in part on extreme value analysis of historical wind speed data for the location of interest. In some cases wind direction data are also required to characterize the directionality of the local wind climate. The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS), a network of about 1000 standardized weather stations throughout the United States, is a good source of such local wind speed and direction data. In order to facilitate more widespread use of ASOS wind data for structural engineering purposes, this paper presents procedures and software for (1) extraction of peak gust wind data from archived ASOS reports, (2) extraction of thunderstorm observations from archived ASOS reports, (3) classification of wind data as thunderstorm or non-thunderstorm to enable separate statistical analysis of these distinct types of winds, and (4) construction of data sets separated by specified minimum time intervals to ensure statistical independence. These procedures are illustrated using ASOS data from three stations near New York City over a period of about 20 years.