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Weather > METAR/TAF Abbreviations > Flashcards

METAR/TAF Abbreviations Flashcards

1
Q

Patches

A

BC

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2
Q

Blowing

A

BL

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3
Q

Mist

A

BR

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4
Q

Drift

A

DR

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5
Q

Dust Storm

A

DS

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6
Q

Dust

A

DU

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7
Q

Drizzle

A

DZ

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8
Q

Funnel Cloud

A

FC

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9
Q

Fog

A

FG

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10
Q

Smoke

A

FU

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11
Q

Freezing

A

FZ

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12
Q

Hail

A

GR

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13
Q

Small Hail / Snow Pellets

A

GS

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14
Q

Haze

A

HZ

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15
Q

Ice Crystals

A

IC

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16
Q

Shallow

A

MI

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17
Q

Ice Pellets

A

PL

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18
Q

Dust devil / sand swirl

A

PO

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19
Q

Partial

A

PR

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20
Q

Spray

A

PY

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21
Q

Rain

A

RA

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22
Q

Sand

A

SA

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23
Q

Snow Grains

A

SG

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24
Q

Showers

A

SH

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25
Q

Snow

A

SN

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26
Q

Squalls

A

SQ

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27
Q

Sand Storm

A

SS

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28
Q

Thunderstorm

A

TS

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29
Q

Unknown Precipitation

A

UP

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30
Q

Volcanic Ash

A

VA

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31
Q

In the vicinity (5-10 miles)

A

VC

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32
Q

BC

A

Patches

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33
Q

BL

A

Blowing

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34
Q

BR

A

Mist

vis. ≥ 5/8SM (or ≥ 1000m)

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35
Q

DR

A

Drift

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36
Q

DS

A

Dust Storm

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37
Q

DU

A

Dust

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38
Q

DZ

A

Drizzle

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39
Q

FC

A

Funnel cloud(s)

e.g., tornado or waterspout

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40
Q

FG

A

Fog

Fog, vis. < 5/8SM (or ≥ 1000m)

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41
Q

FU

A

Smoke

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42
Q

FZ

A

Freezing

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43
Q

GR

A

Hail

diam. >/= 5mm (0.25”)

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44
Q

GS

A

Small Hail/Snow Pellets

diam. < 5mm (0.25”)

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45
Q

HZ

A

Haze

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46
Q

IC

A

Ice crystals

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47
Q

MI

A

Shallow

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48
Q

PL

A

Ice Pellets

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49
Q

PO

A

Dust devil/ sand swirl

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50
Q

PR

A

Partial

(covering part of the sky)

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51
Q

PY

A

Spray

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52
Q

RA

A

Rain

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53
Q

SA

A

Sand

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54
Q

SG

A

Snow Grains

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55
Q

SN

A

Snow

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56
Q

SQ

A

Squalls

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57
Q

SS

A

Sand storms

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58
Q

TS

A

Thunderstorm

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59
Q

UP

A

Unknown precipitation

(automated only)

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60
Q

VA

A

Volcanic ash

61
Q

VC

A

In the Vicinity (5-10 miles)

62
Q

SH

A

Showers

63
Q

TSGR

A

Thunderstorms with hail

64
Q

SHRA

A

Showers of rain

65
Q

BLSA

A

Blowing sand

66
Q

MIFG

A

Shallow fog

67
Q

BCFG

A

Patches of fog

68
Q

FZRA

A

Freezing rain

69
Q

NCD

A

No cloud detected

70
Q

-

A

light

71
Q

+

A

heavy

+ can also mean a well-developed dust storm, sandstorm, whirl, dust devil, tornado, or waterspout.

72
Q

BLW

A

Below

73
Q

MOD

A

Moderate

74
Q

WI

A

Within

75
Q

A01

A

Reported by automated observation equipment that CANNOT distinguish between rain and snow.

76
Q

A02

A

Reported by automated observation equipment that CAN distinguish between rain and snow.

77
Q

A02A

A

A02A denotes an automated observation augmented by a human observer. Absence of these indicators denotes a manual report by a human observer.

78
Q

DSNT

A

Distant (> 10 miles)

79
Q

SKC or CLR

A

Sky clear

0/8 coverage

80
Q

FEW

A

Few

Trace - 2/8 coverage

81
Q

SCT

A

Scattered

3/8 - 4/8 coverage

82
Q

BKN

A

Broken

5/8 - 7/8 coverage

83
Q

OVC

A

Overcast

8/8 coverage

84
Q

SLP034

SLP502

A
  1. 4
  2. 2

sea level pressure in millibars (or hectopascals) to the nearest tenth. To decode, place a “10” or “9” before the first digit (use a 9 if the 3-digit value is 500 or more), and place a decimal point before the last digit.

85
Q

NOSIG

A

no significant changes in reportable weather elements are expected during the 2 hours following the reported observation.

86
Q

WSHFT45

A

Wind SHiFT at 45 minutes past the hour

87
Q

VIS N 2

A

VISibility in the Northern sector is 2 statute miles

88
Q

VIS 2 RWY 11

A

VISibility is 2 statute miles at RunWaY 11

89
Q

VIS 1V2

A

VISibility is Variable between 1 and 2 miles

90
Q

ACC W

A

AltoCumulus Castellanus clouds West

Altocumulus Castellanus clouds are typically accompanied by moderate turbulence as well as potential icing conditions. For these reasons, flight through Altocumulus Castellanus clouds is often best avoided by aircraft.

91
Q

ACSL SW-S

A

AltoCumulus Standing Lenticular clouds SouthWest through South

avoid flying near lenticular clouds because of the turbulence of the rotor systems that accompany them

92
Q

CB W MOV E

A

CumulonimBus clouds

West MOVing East

93
Q

CBMAM DSNT S

A

CumulonimBus MAMmatus clouds to the DiStaNT South

94
Q

CCSL OVR MT E

A

CirroCumulus

Standing Lenticular clouds OVeR

MounTain(s) to the East

95
Q

CONS LTGCA

A

CONtinuouS (more

than 6 flashes per minute)

LighTninG, Cloud to Air

96
Q

FROPA

A

due to FROntal Passage

97
Q

FRQ

A

FReQuent (1-6 flashes per

minute for lightning)

98
Q

IR

A

Ice on Runway

99
Q

LSR

A

Loose Snow on Runway

100
Q

LTGCA

A

LighTninG, Cloud to Air

101
Q

LTGCC

A

LighTninG, Cloud to Cloud

102
Q

LTGCG

A

LighTninG, Cloud to Ground

103
Q

LTGIC

A

LighTninG, In-Cloud

104
Q

OCNL

A

OCcassioNaL (less than 1

flash per minute for lightning)

105
Q

PK WND 28045/1955

A

PeaK WiND

280 at 45 knots occurred at 1955Z

106
Q

PK WND 34050/38

A

PeaK WiND 340

at 50 knots occurred at 38 minutes

past the hour

107
Q

PRESRR / PRESFR

A

PRESsure Rising Rapidly /

PRESsure Falling Rapidly

108
Q

PSR

A

Packed Snow on Runway

109
Q

RAB20SNB20E55

A

RAin and SNow Began at 20

minutes past the hour, Ended at 55 min past

110
Q

RCR01

A

Runway Condition Reading – values 00

to 25; higher values better for flight ops

111
Q

RCRNR

A

RCR-equipped, but No Report; or Base

Operations closed

112
Q

RSC

A

Runway Surface Condition as determined

by Airfield or Operations Manager

113
Q

RVRNO

A

RVR-equipped, but NO report

114
Q

SFC VIS 2 1/2

A

SurFaCe VISibility is 2 ½ statute

miles; remarked when (lower) tower visibility is

reported in METAR body

115
Q

SLP015

A

Sea Level Pressure is 1001.5 millibars

116
Q

TCU OHD

A

Towering CUmulus clouds OverHeaD

117
Q

TCU W

A

Towering CUmulus clouds to the West

118
Q

TSB05E30

A

ThunderStorm Began at 05 minutes

past the hour and Ended at 30 min past

119
Q

TWR VIS 1

A

ToWeR VISibility is 1 statute mile;

remarked when (lower) surface visibility is

reported in METAR body

120
Q

VIRGA

A

VIRGA at the station; precipitation

observed but not reaching the ground

121
Q

VIRGA DSNT NE

A

VIRGA to the DiStaNT

NorthEast

122
Q

VIRGA SW

A

VIRGA to the SouthWest

123
Q

VIS 1V2

A

VISibility is Variable between 1 and 2 miles

124
Q

VIS 2 RWY 11

A

VISibility is 2 statute miles at

RunWaY 11

125
Q

VIS N 2

A

VISibility in the Northern sector is 2

statute miles

126
Q

WR

A

Wet Runway

127
Q

WSHFT45

A

Wind SHiFT at 45 minutes past the hour

128
Q

TAF

A

(Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)

is a weather forecast at an airport or military base for a specific period

(usually 24 hours).

129
Q

AMD

A

(Amended Aerodrome Forecast)

is issued because the previous version is no longer representative of the current or expected weather. The amended TAF supersedes the previous TAF.Always refer to the date/time group at the end of the TAF to determine the most current forecast.

130
Q

COR

A

(Corrected Aerodrome Forecast)

is a TAF that has been corrected. When a corrected TAF is issued, disregard previous TAFs.

131
Q

Time of issuance and valid time of following TAF:

TAF

KSTL 051130Z 051212 14008KT…

A

Civilian forecasters encode the date/time group differently from military forecasters. In a civilian TAF, two groupings follow the ICAO identifier: the date and time the forecast was prepared, then the date and the beginning/ending hours that the forecast is valid. In the KSTL example, 05 is the day of the month and 1130Z is the UTC time of issuance. 051212 indicates that the forecast is valid from 1200Z on the 5th day of the month to 1200Z on the 6th.

132
Q

TEMPO 1316 1 1/2SM BR

A

“Temporary condition between 1300Z and 1600Z of 1 1/2 statute mile visibility in mist.” Only the temporary changing conditions are included in TEMPO groups.

133
Q

FM 1600 16010KT P6SM NSW SKC

A

FM means “from” and indicates a rapid weather change where all data groups in the previous line are superseded. In this example, FM 1600 reads, “From 1600Z … ”

134
Q

BECMG 2224 20013G20KT 4SM SHRA OVC020

A

“becoming” or a “gradual change” in meteorological conditions and becomes the predominant group by the end time listed. In this example, BECMG 2224 reads “Becoming from 2200Z to 2400Z.”

135
Q

PROB40 0006 2SM TSRA OVC008CB

A

(civilian use only) represents a 40% probability or chance of conditions occurring along with associated weather conditions (wind, visibility, sky conditions).

136
Q

CAVOK

A

Overseas locations may use the contraction “CAVOK” (ceiling and visibility OK). CAVOK is used when there is no significant weather, the visibility is 10 km or greater, and the ceilings are greater than 5,000 ft.

137
Q

KBLV 051212 14005KT 8000 BR FEW030

KSTL 051130Z 051212 14008KT 5SM BR BKN030

A

In the military and at overseas locations, visibility is forecasted in meters.

In the CONUS, civilian TAFS forecast visibility in statute miles up to 6 statute miles, beyond which P6SM is used to indicate forecast visibility greater than 6 statute miles.

138
Q
A
139
Q

WS010/18040KT

A

“forecast wind shear at 1,000 feet above the station; wind at 1,000 feet is from 180 degrees (true) at 40 knots.”

140
Q

WSCONDS

A

there is not enough information available to reliably predict the height, direction and speed of the wind shear. WSCONDS is normally used beyond the first 6 hours of the TAF.

141
Q

29008KT 3200 -RA OVC030 620304 QNH2958INS

A

icing designator “6” following the cloud group (620304)

The next digit gives icing type and intensity (620304)

The next three digits give the base of the icing layer in hundreds of feet (620304).

The last digit provides the icing layer depth in thousands of feet (620304), so add this value to the base height to determine the top limit of the icing conditions.

“light rime icing (in cloud) from 3,000 to 7,000 feet.”

142
Q
A
143
Q

9999 NSW SCT040 520004 QNH2952INS

A

turbulence designator “5” follows the cloud or icing group (520004)

The next digit will determine the intensity (520004)

The next three digits will determine the base limit of the turbulence layer in hundreds of feet AGL (520004)

The last digit will determine the turbulence layer depth in thousands of feet (520004), so add this value to the base height to determine the top limit of the turbulence conditions.

“occasional moderate turbulence in clear air from the surface to 4,000 feet.”

144
Q

METAR

A

(Aviation Routine Weather Report) refers to a scheduled observation taken between 55-59 minutes past the hour (also referred to as a routine hourly observation).

145
Q

SPECI

A

(Special Report) refers to an unscheduled observation that met a predefined criteria (such as a change from VFR to IFR) and may be taken at 00-54 minutes past the hour. When SPECI criteria are met during the hourly observation time window (55-59 minutes past the hour), no special indication is made. The new weather conditions are encoded in a standard METAR report.

146
Q

M0600FT

A

Reads, “RVR is less than 600 feet.” (M = less than)

147
Q

P6000FT

A

“RVR is greater than 6,000 feet.” (P = greater than)

148
Q

R06L2000V4000FT

A

Reads, “RVR for 6 Left is variable between 2,000 and 4,000 feet.” “V” indicates that the RVR is variable between two thresholds.

149
Q

R32L/0300

A

At overseas locations, visibility is reported in meters, and FT is omitted from the RVR group.

“runway visual range for 32 Left is 300 meters.”

Weather (19 decks)

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