| $ | 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 | AO1 | automated station without precipitation discriminator |
| AO2 | automated station with precipitation discriminator | ALP | airport location point |
| APCH | approach | APRNT | apparent |
| APRX | approximately | ATCT | airport traffic control tower |
| AUTO | fully 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 |
| cd | candela | 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 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 | 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 |
| FRQ | frequent | FROPA | frontal passage |
| FT | feet | FU | smoke |
| FZ | freezing | FZRANO | freezing rain sensor not available |
| G | gust | GR | hail |
| GS | small hail and/or snow pellets | HLSTO | 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 | OVR | over |
| P | indicates greater than the highest reportable value | PCPN | precipitation |
| PL | ice pellets | PK WND | peak wind |
| PNO | precipitation amount not available | PO | dust/sand whirls (dust devils) |
| PRES | pressure | 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), 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 | 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 | 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 |
| WSHFT | wind shift | Z | zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time |
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