METAR ABBREVIATIONS

http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/afss/metar%20taf/metcont.htm

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

drizzle
Federal Aviation Administration
few clouds
filed but impracticable to transmit
Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather
FMH-1
Observations & Reports (METAR)
1 of 3

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

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

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

aircraft mishap

12/24/2008 7:48 AM

METAR ABBREVIATIONS

FRQ
FT
FZ
G
GS
HZ
ICAO
INTMT
L
LST
LWR
max
MI
MOV
N
NCDC
NOS
NOTAM
NWS
OFCM
OVC
P
PL
PNO
PRES
PRESFR
PWINO
R
RTD
RVR
RY
SA
2 of 3

frequent
feet
freezing
gust
small hail and/or snow pellets
haze
International Civil Aviation Organization
intermittent
left (with reference to runway designation)
Local Standard Time
lower
maximum
shallow
moved/moving/movement
north
National Climatic Data Center
National Ocean Survey
Notice to Airmen
National Weather Service
Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology
overcast
indicates greater than the highest reportable value
ice pellets
precipitation amount not available
pressure
pressure falling rapidly
precipitation identifier sensor not available
right (with reference to runway designation), runway
Routine Delayed (late) observation
Runway Visual Range
runway
sand

http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/afss/metar%20taf/metcont.htm

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
SFC
SH
SLP
SM
SNINCR
SPECI
SS
SW
TS
TWR
UP
V
VC
VISNO
VRB
W
WMO
WSHFT

scattered
surface
shower(s)
sea-level pressure
statute miles
snow increasing rapidly
an unscheduled report taken when certain criteria have been met
sandstorm
snow shower, southwest
thunderstorm
tower
unknown precipitation
variable
in the vicinity
visibility at secondary location not available
variable
west
World Meteorological Organization
wind shift

http://www.alaska.faa.gov/fai/afss/metar%20taf/metcont.htm

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

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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3 of 3

12/24/2008 7:48 AM

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

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

METAR

STATION IDENTIFIER

Four alphabetic characters; ICAO location identifier.

KABC

DATE/TIME

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
AUTO

REPORT MODIFIER

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

WIND DIRECTION AND SPEED

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 21016G24KT
180V240
a Variable wind direction group is reported.

VISIBILITY

Prevailing visibility in statute miles and fractions (space between whole miles and
fractions); always appended with SM to indicate statute miles; values <1/4 reported as
M1/4.

1SM

RUNWAY VISUAL RANGE

10-minute RVR value in hundreds of feet; reported if prevailing visibility is one mile or
RVR 6000 feet; always appended with FT to indicate feet; value prefixed with M or P to
R11/P6000FT
indicate value is lower or higher than the reportable RVR value .

WEATHER PHENOMENA

RA: liquid precipitation that does not freeze; SN: frozen precipitation other than hail; UP:
precipitation of unknown type; intensity prefixed to precipitation: light (-), moderate (no
sign), heavy (+); FG: fog; FZFG: freezing fog (temperature below 0C); BR: mist; HZ:
haze; SQ: squall; maximum of three groups reported; augmented by observer: FC (funnel
cloud/tornado/waterspout); TS (thunderstorm); GR (hail); GS (small hail; <1/4 inch);
FZRA (intensity; freezing rain); VA (volcanic ash).

-RA BR

Cloud amount and height: CLR (no clouds detected below 12000 feet); FEW (few); SCT
(scattered); BKN (broken); OVC (overcast); followed by 3-digit height in hundreds of
feet; or vertical visibility (VV) followed by height for indefinite ceiling.

BKN015 OVC025

Each is reported in whole degrees Celsius using two digits; values are separated by a
solidus; sub-zero values are prefixed with an M (minus).

06/04

Altimeter always prefixed with an A indicating inches of mercury; reported using four
digits: tens, units, tenths, and hundredths.

A2990

SKY CONDITION

TEMPERATURE/DEW POINT
ALTIMETER

REMARKS ON REVERSE SIDE

REMARKS IDENTIFIER: RMK

TORNADIC ACTIVITY: Augmented; report should include TORNADO, FUNNEL CLOUD, or WATERSPOUT, time begin/end, location, movement;
e.g., TORNADO B25 N MOV E.

RMK

TYPE OF AUTOMATED STATION: AO2; automated station with precipitation discriminator.

PEAK WIND: PK WND dddff(f)/(hh)mm; direction in tens of degrees, speed in whole knots, and time.
WIND SHIFT: WSHFT (hh)mm

AO2
PK WND 20032/25
WSHFT 1715

TOWER OR SURFACE VISIBILITY: TWR VIS vvvvv: visibility reported by tower personnel, e.g., TWR VIS 2; SFC VIS vvvvv: visibility reported
by ASOS, e.g., SFC VIS 2.
VARIABLE PREVAILING VISIBILITY: VIS vnvnvnvnvnVvxvxvxvxvx; reported if prevailing visibility is < 3 miles and variable.
VISIBILITY AT SECOND LOCATION: VIS vvvvv [LOC]; reported if different than the reported prevailing visibility in body of report.

VIS 3/4V1 1/2

VIS 3/4 RWY11

LIGHTNING: [FREQ] LTG [LOC]; when detected the frequency and location is reported, e.g., FRQ LTG NE.
BEGINNING AND ENDING OF PRECIPITATION AND THUNDERSTORMS: w'w'B(hh)mmE(hh)mm; TSB(hh)mmE(hh)mm
VIRGA: Augmented; precipitation not reaching the ground, e.g., VIRGA.
VARIABLE CEILING HEIGHT: CIG hnhnhnVhxhxhx; reported if ceiling in body of report is < 3000 feet and variable.
CEILING HEIGHT AT SECOND LOCATION: CIG hhh [LOC]; Ceiling height reported if secondary ceilometer site is different than the ceiling height
in the body of the report.
PRESSURE RISING OR FALLING RAPIDLY: PRESRR or PRESFR; pressure rising or falling rapidly at time of observation.
SEA-LEVEL PRESSURE: SLPppp; tens, units, and tenths of SLP in hPa.
HOURLY PRECIPITATION AMOUNT: Prrrr; in .01 inches since last METAR; a trace is P0000.
3- AND 6-HOUR PRECIPITATION AMOUNT: 6RRRR; precipitation amount in .01 inches for past 6 hours reported in 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC
observations and for past 3 hours in 03, 09, 15, and 21 UTC observations; a trace is 60000.
24-HOUR PRECIPITATION AMOUNT: 7R24R24R24R24; precipitation amount in .01 inches for past 24 hours reported in 12 UTC observation,
e.g., 70015.

RAB07
CIG 013V017
CIG 017 RWY11
PRESFR
SLP125
P0003
60009

HOURLY TEMPERATURE AND DEW POINT: TsnTaTaTasnT'aT'aT'a; tenth of degree Celsius; sn: 1 if temperature below 0C and 0 if temperature 0C
T00640036
or higher.
6-HOUR MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE: 1snTxTxTx; tenth of degree Celsius; 00, 06, 12, 18 UTC; sn: 1 if temperature below 0C and 0 if temperature
0C or higher.
6-HOUR MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 2snTnTnTn; tenth of degree Celsius; 00, 06, 12, 18 UTC; sn: 1 if temperature below 0C and 0 if temperature
0C or higher.
24-HOUR MAXIMUM AND MINIMUM TEMPERATURE: 4snTxTxTxsnTnTnTn; tenth of degree Celsius; reported at midnight local standard
time; 1 if temperature below 0C and 0 if temperature 0C or higher, e.g., 400461006.
PRESSURE TENDENCY: 5appp; the character (a) and change in pressure (ppp; tenths of hPa) the past 3 hours.
SENSOR STATUS INDICATORS: RVRNO: RVR missing; PWINO: precipitation identifier information not available; PNO: precipitation amount not
available; FZRANO: freezing rain information not available; TSNO: thunderstorm information not available; VISNO [LOC]: visibility at secondary
location not available, e.g., VISNO RWY06; CHINO [LOC]: (cloud-height-indicator) sky condition at secondary location not available, e.g., CHINO
RWY06.
MAINTENANCE CHECK INDICATOR: Maintenance needed on the system.

10066
21012

58033

TSNO
$

If an element or phenomena does not occur, is missing, or cannot be observed, the corresponding group and space are omitted (body and/or remarks) from that particular report, except for Sea-Level Pressure (SLPppp). SLPNO shall be reported in a METAR when the SLP is not available.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE - NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION - National Weather Service - Observing Systems Branch, 1325 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Maryland 20910

METAR\TA2\2-8-96