The standard procedures for verification of surface variables are defined in the Manual on the Global Data-processing and Forecasting System: Annex IV to the WMO Technical Regulations (available from WMO library at https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&id=12793), appendix 2.2.34.

ECMWF in the capacity of LC DNV collects and archive the scores. Data are exchanged in an ASCII-based format which is simple but flexible and is similar to the format used WMO exchange of domain-averaged upper-air scores.

Resources

• The format of the reports of the station-based verification scores.
• The procedures for the exchange of (surface) verification reports.
• The remarks on the implementation of the surface verification reports at ECMWF.
• Answered Questions on the surface verification exchange

Data format

VBar-delimited format

yyyymm | time | forecast_step | station_id | latitude | longitude | station_elevation | parameter | level | period | score | event | sample_size | mean_value

where

• yyyymm 
• time
forecast_step 
• station_id
• latitude
  
• longitude
  
• station_elevation
• parameter
• level
• period
• score
• event
• sample_size
• mean_value