Federal Meteorological Handbook No. 1 APPENDIX B LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMSı $ 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 FMH-1 Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather Observations & Reports FMH-2 Federal Meteorological Handbook No.2, Surface Synoptic Codes 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 Note 1: The abbreviations, acronyms, contractions, and symbols included in this appendix are defined in accordance with their usage in this Handbook.