Appendix E: Abbreviations, Acronyms, and Initialisms | Aviation Weather Handbook

Appendix E reference entries, page E-1.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
14 CFR	Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations
3D	Three Dimensional
A	Arctic
AAG	Alaska Aviation Guidance
AAWU	Alaska Aviation Weather Unit
AC	Advisory Circular
AC	Convective Outlook
ACARS	Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
ACFJ	Australia, Canada, France, and Japan
ACSL	Altocumulus Standing Lenticular
ADS-B	Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast
AFD	Aviation Forecast Discussion
AFIS	Automatic Flight Information Service
AGL	Above Ground Level
AIM	Aeronautical Information Manual
AIREP	Aircraft Report
AIRMET	Airmen’s Meteorological Information
ALP	Airport Location Point
AMDAR	Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay
AP	Anomalous Propagation
app	Application
ARTCC	Air Route Traffic Control Center
ASI-AD	Aviation Safety Inspector—Aircraft Dispatch
ASOS	Automated Surface Observing System
ATC	Air Traffic Control
ATCSCC	Air Traffic Control Systems Command Center

Appendix E reference entries, page E-2, part 1.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
ATCT	Airport Traffic Control Tower
ATIS	Automatic Terminal Information Service
AWC	Aviation Weather Center
AWIPS	Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
AWOS	Automated Weather Observing System
AWRP	Aviation Weather Research Program
AWW	Airport Weather Warning

Appendix E reference entries, page E-2, part 2.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
°C or C	degrees Celsius or Celsius
c	Continental
cA	Continental Arctic
CAPE	Convective Available Potential Energy
CAT	Clear-Air Turbulence
Cb	Cumulonimbus
CCSL	Cirrocumulus Standing Lenticular
CERAP	Central Radar Approach
CH	Certificate Holder
CIP	Current Icing Product
CIT	Convectively Induced Turbulence
CIWS	Corridor Integrated Weather System
cm	centimeter
C-MAN	Coastal-Marine Automated Network
CME	Coronal Mass Ejection
CMO	Certificate Management Office
CONUS	Contiguous United States
CoSPA	Consolidated Storm Prediction for Aviation
cP	Continental Polar
CPHC	Central Pacific Hurricane Center
CRC	China-Russian Federation Consortium

Appendix E reference entries, page E-3.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
cT	Continental Tropical
CWA	Center Weather Advisory
CWSU	Center Weather Service Unit
dBZ	decibels of Z
DH	Decision Height
DO	Director of Operations
DOC	Department of Commerce
DOD	Department of Defense
DOT	Department of Transportation
E	East
ECFP	Extended Convective Forecast Product
EDR	Eddy Dissipation Rate
EF	Enhanced Fujita
EFB	Electronic Flight Bag
ENE	East-Northeast
ESE	East-Southeast
ETA	Estimated Time of Arrival
EUV	Extreme Ultraviolet
EWINS	Enhanced Weather Information System
°F or F	degrees Fahrenheit or Fahrenheit
FA	Area Forecast
FAA	Federal Aviation Administration
FACA	Area Forecast for Caribbean
FAGX	Area Forecast for Gulf of America
FB	Wind and Temperature Aloft Forecast
FIP	Forecast Icing Product
FIR	Flight Information Region
FIS	Flight Information Services
FIS-B	Flight Information Service-Broadcast
FL	Flight Level

Appendix E reference entries, page E-4.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
FOC	Flight Operations Center
fpm	feet per minute
FSS	Flight Service Station
ft	foot
g	gram
GA	General Aviation
GCR	Galactic Cosmic Rays
GFA	Graphical Forecasts for Aviation
GFS	Global Forecast System
GNSS	Global Navigation Satellite System
GOES	Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellites
GPS	Global Positioning System
GTG	Graphical Turbulence Guidance
GTG-N	Graphical Turbulence Guidance Nowcast
HEMS	Helicopter Emergency Medical Services
HF	High Frequency
HF COM	High Frequency Communications
Hg	Mercury
HIWC	High Ice Water Content
hPa	hectopascal
hr	hour
HRRR	High Resolution Rapid Refresh
IAP	Instrument Approach Procedure
IATA	International Air Transport Association
ICAO	International Civil Aviation Organization
IFR	Instrument Flight Rules
IMC	Instrument Meteorological Conditions
in	inch
inHg	inches of mercury
IR	Infrared

Appendix E reference entries, page E-5.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
ITCZ	Intertropical Convergence Zone
ITWS	Integrated Terminal Weather System
J	joule
J/g	joules per gram
J g⁻¹ K⁻¹	joules per gram Kelvin
J/kg	joules per kilogram
K	Kelvin
kg	kilogram
kg/m	kilogram per meter
kg/m³	kilogram per cubic meter
K-H	Kelvin-Helmholtz
km	kilometer
km/h	kilometers per hour
kt	knot
kW	kilowatt
LAA	Local Airport Advisory
LAMP	Localized Aviation MOS Program
lb	pound
LCL	Lifted Condensation Level
LFC	Level of Free Convection
LI	Lifted Index
LIFR	Low Instrument Flight Rules
LLWAS	Low-Level Wind Shear Alert System
LLWS	Low-Level Wind Shear
LRNS	Long-Range Navigation System
m	Maritime
m	meter
m³	cubic meter
mA	Maritime Arctic
mb or mbar	millibar

Appendix E reference entries, page E-6.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
MCS	Mesoscale Convective System
MDA	Minimum Descent Altitude
MEL	Minimum Equipment List
METAR	Aviation Routine Weather Report
mg/m³	milligrams per cubic meter
MHz	megahertz
mi	mile
min	minute
MIS	Meteorological Impact Statement
MOS	Model Output Statistics
mP	Maritime Polar
mph	miles per hour
m/s	meters per second
MSL	Mean Sea Level
mT	Maritime Tropical
MVFR	Marginal Visual Flight Rules
MWO	Meteorological Watch Office
MWT	Mountain Wave Turbulence
N	North
N/A	Not Applicable
NAM	North American Model
NAS	National Airspace System
NASA	National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NAVAID	Navigational Aid
NCEP	National Centers for Environmental Prediction
NCO	NCEP Central Operations
NCWF	National Convective Weather Forecast
NDFD	National Digital Forecast Database
NE	Northeast
NESDIS	National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

Appendix E reference entries, page E-7.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
NEXRAD	Next Generation Weather Radar
NextGen	Next Generation Air Transportation System
NHC	National Hurricane Center
nm	nanometer
NM	nautical mile
NNE	North-Northeast
NNW	North-Northwest
NOAA	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NOTAM	Notice to Airmen
NW	Northwest
NWP	Numerical Weather Prediction
NWS	National Weather Service
OAT	Outside Air Temperature
ODP	Obstacle Departure Procedure
OMO	One-Minute Observation
OPC	Ocean Prediction Center
OPMET	Operational Meteorological
P	Polar
PECASUS	Pan-European Consortium for Aviation Space Weather User Services
PGF	Pressure Gradient Force
PIC	Pilot in Command
PIREP	Pilot Weather Report
POES	Polar Operational Environment Satellite
POI	Principal Operations Inspector
Prog	Prognostic
psi	pounds per square inch
QA	Quality Assurance
radar	Radio Detection and Ranging
RCM	Radar Coded Message
RCO	Remote Communications Outlet

Appendix E reference entries, page E-8.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
RH	Relative Humidity
ROFOR	Route Forecast
RTMA	Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis
RVR	Runway Visual Range
S	South
s or sec	second
SAA	Special Activity Airspace
SAB	Satellite Analysis Branch
SAS	Safety Assurance System
SATCOM	Satellite Communications
SAW	Aviation Watch Notification Message
SE	Southeast
SFRA	Special Flight Rules Area
SI	International System of Units
SIC	Second in Command
SID	Standard Instrument Departure
SIGMET	Significant Meteorological Information
SIGWX	Significant Weather
SLD	Supercooled Large Drop
SLWC	Supercooled Liquid Water Content
SM	statute mile
SMS	Safety Management System
SO₂	Sulfur Dioxide
SPC	Storm Prediction Center
SPECI	Aviation Selected Special Weather Report
SRM	Safety Risk Management
SSE	South-Southeast
SSW	South-Southwest
STOP	Special Terminal Operation Procedures
SUA	Special Use Airspace

Appendix E reference entries, page E-9.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
SW	Southwest
SWPC	Space Weather Prediction Center
T	Tropical
TAF	Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
TCA	Tropical Cyclone Advisory
TCAC	Tropical Cyclone Advisory Center
TCF	TFM Convective Forecast
TCu	Towering Cumulus
TDWR	Terminal Doppler Weather Radar
TDZ	Touchdown Zone
TFM	Traffic Flow Management
TFR	Temporary Flight Restriction
TMS	Traffic Management System
TMU	Traffic Management Unit
TRACON	Terminal Radar Approach Control
TUTT	Tropical Upper Tropospheric Trough
U.S.	United States
UAT	Universal Access Transceiver
UCAR	University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
UTC	Coordinated Universal Time
VAA	Volcanic Ash Advisory
VAAC	Volcanic Ash Advisory Center
VAD	Velocity Azimuth Display
VAG	Graphical Version of the Volcanic Ash Advisory
VAR	Volcanic Activity Report
VCP	Volume Coverage Pattern
VEIA	Visibility Estimation through Image Analytics
VFR	Visual Flight Rules
VHF	Very High Frequency
VMC	Visual Meteorological Conditions

Appendix E reference entries, page E-10.
Abbreviation / Acronym	Meaning
VNR	VFR Flight Not Recommended
VOR	Very High Frequency Omni-Directional Range Station
Vᵣ	Rotation Speed
W	watt
W	West
W m⁻¹ K⁻¹	watt per meter-Kelvin
WADL	West African Disturbance Line
WAFC	World Area Forecast Center
WAFS	World Area Forecast System
WARP	Weather and Radar Processor
WFO	Weather Forecast Office
WIFS	WAFS Internet File Service
WMO	World Meteorological Organization
WNW	West-Northwest
WPC	Weather Prediction Center
WSP	Weather Systems Processor
WSR-88D	Weather Surveillance Radar—1988 Doppler
WSW	West-Southwest
Wx	Weather
yd	yard
Z or z	Zulu