APPENDIX A.   ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

The abbreviations and acronyms included in this appendix are defined in accordance with how they are used in this order.

$

ASOS maintenance check indicator

-

light intensity

+

heavy intensity

/

indicator that runway visual range data follows; separator between temperature and dew point data

ACFT MSHP

aircraft mishap

AFSS

Automated Flight Service Station

ALDARS

Automated Lightning Detection and Reporting System

AO1

automated station without precipitation discriminator

AO2

automated station with precipitation discriminator

AOMC

ASOS Operations and Monitoring Center

ASI

altimeter setting indicator

ASOS

Automated Surface Observing System

AT AP

at airport

ATCS

Air Traffic Control Specialist

ATCT

Airport Traffic Control Tower

AUTO

automated report

AWOS

Automated Weather Observing System

B

began

BC

patches

BKN

broken

BL

blowing

BR

mist

C

Celsius, center (with reference to runway designation)

CA

cloud-air lightning

CB

cumulonimbus cloud

CC

cloud-cloud lightning

CG

cloud-ground lightning

CHI

cloud-height indicator

CHINO

sky condition at secondary location not available

CIG

ceiling

CLR

no clouds detected at, or below, design limit of ceilometer (automated system)

CONS

continuous

COR

correction to a previously disseminated report

DA

density altitude

DASI

Digital Altimeter Setting Indicator

DIR

direction

DOC

Department of Commerce

DOD

Department of Defense

DOT

Department of Transportation

DR

low drifting

DS

duststorm

DSNT

distant

DU

widespread dust

DZ

drizzle

E

east, ended

F

Fahrenheit

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FBO

fixed base operator

FC

funnel cloud

FCM-H1

Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather Observations and Reports

FEW

few clouds

FG

fog

FIBI

filed but impracticable to transmit

FROPA

frontal passage

FRQ

frequent

FSS

Flight Service Station

FT

feet

FU

smoke

FZ

freezing

FZRA

freezing rain

FZRANO

freezing rain sensor not available

G

gust

GR

hail

GS

small hail and/or snow pellets

H

hour

Ha

field elevation

Hp

station elevation

hPa

Hectopascal

HZ

haze

IC

ice crystals, in-cloud lightning

ICAO

International Civil Aviation Organization

KT

knot

L

left (with reference to runway designation)

LAST

last observation before a break in coverage at a manual station

LAWRS

Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Station

LLWAS

Low Level Wind Shear Alert System

LOC

location

LST

Local Standard Time

LTG

lightning

LWR

lower

M

minus, less than, missing

METAR

aviation routine weather report

MF1M-10C

Meteorological Form 1M-10C

MI

shallow

MID

midnight

MOV

moved/moving/movement

MSL

mean sea level

MT

mountains

N

north

NA

not applicable

NCDC

National Climatic Data Center

NE

northeast

NFCT

Non-Federal control tower

NF-OBS

Non-Federal Observer/Observation

NGRVR

New Generation Runway Visual Range

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOSPECI

no SPECI reports are taken at the station

NOTAM

Notice to Airmen

NW

northwest

NWS

National Weather Service

OBS

observer, observation

OCNL

occasional

OFCM

Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology

OHD

overhead

OID

operator interface device

OT

operator terminal

OVC

overcast

P

greater than

PK WND

peak wind

PL

ice pellets

PNO

precipitation amount not available

PO

dust/sand whirls (dust devils)

PR

partial

PRESFR

pressure falling rapidly

PRESRR

pressure rising rapidly

PREWX

present weather

PWINO

present weather information not available (automated system)

PY

spray

R

right (with reference to runway designation)

RA

rain

RMK

remark

RVR

Runway Visual Range

RWY

runway

S

south

SA

sand

SAWRS

Supplementary Aviation Weather Reporting Station

SCT

scattered

SE

southeast

SFC

surface

SG

snow grains

SH

shower(s)

SKC

sky clear (manual observation)

SLP

sea-level pressure

SLPNO

sea-level pressure not available

SM

statute miles

SN

snow

SNINCR

snow increasing rapidly

SPECI

aviation selected special weather report

SQ

squalls

SS

sandstorm

SW

southwest

TAF

aerodrome forecast (terminal)

TCU

towering cumulus

TRACON

Terminal Radar Approach Control

TS

thunderstorm

TSNO

thunderstorm information not available

TWR

tower

UP

unknown precipitation

USCG

United States Coast Guard

UTC

Coordinated Universal Time

V

variable

VA

volcanic ash

VC

in the vicinity

VDU

Video Display Unit

VFR

visual flight rules

VIS

visibility

VISNO

visibility at secondary location not available

VRB

variable

VV

vertical visibility

W

west

WMO

World Meteorological Organization

WND

wind

WSHFT

wind shift

WSOH

NWS Observing Handbook

Z

zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time