US METAR Abbreviations
The following are METAR abbreviations used in the United States, however some are used worldwide:
METAR and TAF Abbreviations and Acronyms:
| Abbreviation | Meaning | Abbreviation | Meaning | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $ | maintenance check indicator | (+) | heavy intensity | ||
| (-) | light intensity | / | indicator that visual range data follows; separator between temperature and dew point data. | ||
| ACC | altocumulus castellanus | ACFT MSHP | aircraft mishap | ||
| ACSL | altocumulus standing lenticular cloud | ALP | airport location point | ||
| AO1 | automated station without precipitation discriminator | AO2 | automated station with precipitation discriminator | ||
| APCH | approach | APRNT | apparent | ||
| APRX | approximately | ATCT | airport traffic control tower | ||
| AUTO | fully automated report | B | began | ||
| BC | patches | BKN | broken (5-7/8ths of the sky covered with cloud) | ||
| BL | blowing | BR | mist (from the word brume) | ||
| C | center (with reference to runway designation) | CA | cloud-air lightning | ||
| CB | cumulonimbus cloud | CBMAM | cumulonimbus mammatus cloud | ||
| CC | cloud-cloud lightning | CCSL | cirrocumulus standing lenticular cloud | ||
| cd | candela | CG | cloud-ground lightning | ||
| CHI | cloud-height indicator | CHINO | sky condition at secondary location not available | ||
| CIG | ceiling | CLR | clear sky | ||
| CONS | continuous | COR | correction to a previously disseminated observation | ||
| DOC | Department of Commerce | DOD | Department of Defense | ||
| DOT | Department of Transportation | DR | low drifting | ||
| DS | duststorm | DSIPTG | dissipating | ||
| DSNT | distant | DU | widespread dust | ||
| DVR | dispatch visual range | DZ | drizzle | ||
| E | east, ended, estimated ceiling (SAO) | FAA | Federal Aviation Administration | ||
| FC | funnel cloud | FEW | few clouds (1-2/8ths of the sky covered with cloud) | ||
| FG | fog | FIBI | filed but impracticable to transmit | ||
| FIRST | first observation after a break in coverage at manual station | FMH-1 | Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather Observations & Reports (METAR) | ||
| FMH2 | Federal Meteorological Handbook No.2, Surface Synoptic Codes | FROPA | frontal passage | ||
| FROIN | Frost On The Indicator | FRQ | frequent | FT | feet |
| FU | smoke (from the word fume) | FZ | freezing | ||
| FZRANO | freezing rain sensor not available | G | gust | ||
| GR | hail (from the word grèle) | GS | small hail and/or snow pellets | ||
| HLSTO | hailstone | HZ | haze | ||
| IC | ice crystals, in-cloud lightning | ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization | ||
| INCRG | increasing | INTMT | intermittent | ||
| KT | KNOTS | L | left (with reference to runway designation) | ||
| LAST | last observation before a break in coverage at a manual station | LST | Local Standard Time | ||
| LTG | lightning | LWR | lower | ||
| M | minus, less than | max | maximum | ||
| METAR | routine weather report provided at fixed intervals | MI | shallow | ||
| min | minimum | MOV | moved/moving/movement | ||
| MT | mountains | N | north | ||
| N/A | not applicable | NCDC | National Climatic Data Center | ||
| NE | northeast | NOS | National Ocean Survey | ||
| NOSPECI | no SPECI reports are taken at the station | NOTAM | Notice to Airmen | ||
| NW | northwest | NWS | National Weather Service | ||
| OCNL | occasional | OFCM | Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology | ||
| OHD | overhead | OVC | overcast (8/8ths of the sky covered with cloud) | ||
| OVR | over | P | indicates greater than the highest reportable value | ||
| PCPN | precipitation | PK WND | peak wind | ||
| PL | ice pellets | PNO | precipitation amount not available | ||
| PO | dust/sand whirls (dust devils) (from the word poussière) | PR | partial | ||
| PRES | Atmospheric pressure | PRESFR | pressure falling rapidly | ||
| PRESRR | pressure rising rapidly | PWINO | precipitation identifier sensor not available | ||
| PY | spray | R | right (with reference to runway designation), runway | ||
| RA | rain | RTD | Routine Delayed (late) observation | ||
| RV | reportable value | RVR | Runway visual range | ||
| RVRNO | RVR system values not available | RY | runway | ||
| S | snow, south | SA | sand | ||
| SCSL | stratocumulus standing lenticular cloud | SCT | scattered (3-4/8ths of the sky covered with cloud) | ||
| SE | southeast | SFC | surface (i.e. ground level) | ||
| SG | snow grains | SH | shower(s) | ||
| SKC | sky clear | SLP | sea-level pressure | ||
| SLPNO | sea-level pressure not available | SM | statute miles | ||
| SN | snow | SNINCR | snow increasing rapidly | ||
| SP | snow pellets | SPECI | an unscheduled report taken when certain criteria have been met | ||
| SQ | squalls | SS | sandstorm | ||
| STN | station | SW | snow shower, southwest | ||
| TCU | towering cumulus | TS | thunderstorm | ||
| TSNO | thunderstorm information not available | TWR | tower | ||
| UNKN | unknown | UP | unknown precipitation | ||
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time | V | variable | ||
| VA | volcanic ash | VC | in the vicinity | ||
| VIS | visibility | VISNO | visibility at secondary location not available | ||
| VR | visual range | VRB | variable | ||
| VV | vertical visibility | W | west | ||
| WG/SO | Working Group for Surface Observations | WMO | World Meteorological Organization | ||
| WND | wind | WS | wind shear | ||
| WSHFT | wind shift | Z | Zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time |
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