METAR ABBREVIATIONS http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/afss ...

METAR ABBREVIATIONS

METAR/TAF LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS



$

maintenance check indicator

+

heavy intensity

ACC altocumulus castellanus

ACSL AO2 APCH APRX AUTO BC BL C CB CC cd CHI CIG CONS DOC DOT DS DSNT

altocumulus standing lenticular cloud automated station with precipitation discriminator approach approximately fully automated report patches blowing center (with reference to runway designation) cumulonimbus cloud cloud-cloud lightning candela cloud-height indicator ceiling continuous Department of Commerce Department of Transportation duststorm distant

DZ FAA FEW FIBI

FMH-1

drizzle Federal Aviation Administration few clouds filed but impracticable to transmit Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather Observations & Reports (METAR)

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/

ACFT MSHP AO1 ALP APRNT ATCT B BKN BR CA CBMAM CCSL CG CHINO CLR COR DOD DR DSIPTG DU DVR E FC FG FIRST

light intensity indicator that visual range data follows; separator between temperature and dew point data.

aircraft mishap

automated station without precipitation discriminator airport location point apparent airport traffic control tower began broken mist cloud-air lightning cumulonimbus mammatus cloud cirrocumulus standing lenticular cloud cloud-ground lightning sky condition at secondary location not available clear correction to a previously disseminated observation Department of Defense low drifting dissipating widespread dust dispatch visual range east, ended, estimated ceiling (SAO) funnel cloud fog first observation after a break in coverage at manual station

FMH2

Federal Meteorological Handbook No.2, Surface Synoptic Codes

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12/24/2008 7:48 AM

METAR ABBREVIATIONS

FRQ frequent

FT

feet

FZ

freezing

G

gust

GS

small hail and/or snow pellets

HZ

haze

ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization

INTMT intermittent

L

left (with reference to runway designation)

LST Local Standard Time

LWR lower

max maximum

MI

shallow

MOV moved/moving/movement

N

north

NCDC National Climatic Data Center

NOS National Ocean Survey

NOTAM Notice to Airmen

NWS National Weather Service

OFCM Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology

OVC overcast

P

indicates greater than the highest reportable value

PL

ice pellets

PNO precipitation amount not available

PRES pressure

PRESFR pressure falling rapidly

PWINO precipitation identifier sensor not available

R

right (with reference to runway designation), runway

RTD Routine Delayed (late) observation

RVR Runway Visual Range

RY runway

SA

sand

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FROPA FU FZRANO GR HLSTO IC INCRG KT LAST LTG M METAR min MT N/A NE NOSPECI NW OCNL OHD OVR PCPN PK WND PO PR PRESRR PY RA RV RVRNO S SCSL

frontal passage smoke freezing rain sensor not available hail HLSTO hailstone ice crystals, in-cloud lightning increasing KNOTS last observation before a break in coverage at a manual station lightning minus, less than routine weather report provided at fixed intervals minimum mountains not applicable northeast no SPECI reports are taken at the station northwest occasional overhead over precipitation peak wind dust/sand whirls (dust devils) partial pressure rising rapidly spray rain reportable value RVR system values not available snow, south stratocumulus standing lenticular cloud

12/24/2008 7:48 AM

METAR ABBREVIATIONS

SCT scattered

SFC surface

SH

shower(s)

SLP sea-level pressure

SM statute miles

SNINCR snow increasing rapidly

SPECI an unscheduled report taken when certain criteria have been met

SS

sandstorm

SW snow shower, southwest

TS

thunderstorm

TWR tower

UP

unknown precipitation

V

variable

VC in the vicinity

VISNO visibility at secondary location not available

VRB variable

W

west

WMO World Meteorological Organization

WSHFT wind shift

SE SG SKC SLPNO SN SP SQ STN TCU TSNO UNKN UTC VA VIS VR VV WG/SO WND Z

Return To METAR Introduction and menu Return to Fairbanks AFSS Home Page



southeast snow grains sky clear sea-level pressure not available snow snow pellets squalls station towering cumulus thunderstorm information not available unknown Coordinated Universal Time volcanic ash visibility visual range vertical visibility Working Group for Surface Observations wind zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time

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ASOS User's Guide Manual, Appendix C

KEY TO DECODE AN ASOS (METAR) OBSERVATION

METAR KABC 121755Z AUTO 21016G24KT 180V240 1SM R11/P6000FT -RA BR BKN015 OVC025 06/04 A2990 RMK AO2 PK WND 20032/25 WSHFT 1715 VIS 3/4V1 1/2 VIS 3/4 RWY11 RAB07 CIG 013V017 CIG 017 RWY11 PRESFR SLP125 P0003 60009 T00640036 10066 21012 58033 TSNO $

TYPE OF REPORT STATION IDENTIFIER DATE/TIME REPORT MODIFIER WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED

VISIBILITY RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE WEATHER PHENOMENA

SKY CONDITION TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT ALTIMETER

METAR: hourly (scheduled) report; SPECI: special (unscheduled) report.

METAR

Four alphabetic characters; ICAO location identifier.

KABC

All dates and times in UTC using a 24-hour clock; two-digit date and four-digit time; always appended with Z to indicate UTC.

121755Z

Fully automated report, no human intervention; removed when observer signed-on.

AUTO

Direction in tens of degrees from true north (first three digits); next two digits: speed in whole knots; as needed Gusts (character) followed by maximum observed speed; always appended with KT to indicate knots; 00000KT for calm; if direction varies by 60? or more a Variable wind direction group is reported.

21016G24KT 180V240

Prevailing visibility in statute miles and fractions (space between whole miles and

fractions); always appended with SM to indicate statute miles; values ................
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