List of METAR/TAF Abbreviations

$

maintenance check indicator
-
light intensity

+
heavy 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

APRNT
apparent

APRX
approximately

ATCT
airport traffic control tower

AUTO
automated report

B
began

BC
patches

BKN
broken

BL
blowing

BR
mist

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

CG
cloud-ground lightning

CHI
cloud-height indicator

CHINO
sky condition at secondary location not available

CIG
ceiling

CLR
clear

CONS
continuous

COR
correction to a previously disseminated report

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

FAA
Federal Aviation Administration

FC
funnel cloud

FEW
few clouds

FG
fog

FIBI
filed but impracticable to transmit

FIRST
first observation after a break in coverage at manual station

FROPA
frontal passage

FRQ
frequent

FT
feet

FU
smoke

FZ
freezing

FZRANO
freezing rain sensor not available

G
gust

GR
hail

GS
small hail and/or snow pellets

HZ
haze

IC
ice crystals, in-cloud lightning

ICAO
International Civil Aviation Organization

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

METAR
aviation routine weather report

MI
shallow

MOV
moved/moving/movement

MT
mountains

N
north

N/A
not applicable

NCDC
National Climatic Data Center

NE
northeast

NOS
National Ocean Service

NOSPECI
no SPECI reports are taken at the station

NW
northwest

NWS
National Weather Service

OCNL
occasional

OFCM
Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology

OVC
overcast

OHD
overhead

P
greater than

PE
ice pellets

PK WND
peak wind

PNO
precipitation amount not available

PO
dust/sand whirls (dust devils)

PR
partial

PRESFR
pressure falling rapidly

PRESRR
pressure rising rapidly

PWINO
precipitation identifier sensor not available

PY
spray

R
right (with reference to runway designation)

RA
rain

RVR
Runway Visual Range

RVRNO
RVR system not available

RWY
runway

S
south

SA
sand

SCSL
stratocumulus standing lenticular cloud

SCT
scattered

SE
southeast

SFC
surface

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

SPECI
an unscheduled report taken when certain criteria have been met

SQ
squalls

SS
sandstorm

SW
southwest

TCU
towering cumulus

TS
thunderstorm

TSNO
thunderstorm information not available

TWR
tower

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

VRB
variable

VV
vertical visibility

W
west

WG/SO
Working Group for Surface Observations

WMO
World Meteorological Organization

WND
wind

WSHFT
wind shift

Z
zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time