AEROGRAPHER'S MATE 3 & 2 



visible through breaks in overcast (HIR CLDS 

 VSB), towering cumulus (TCU) or other sig- 

 nificant types (See table 5-6 for cloud-type 

 contractions), obscuring phenomena at the 

 surface and aloft (K5 for smoke at the surface 

 hiding 5/10 of the sky, etc.), variable sky 

 condition (SCT V BKN, etc.), variable ceiling 

 (CIG 15V 20), or differing ceiling or sky con- 

 dition at a distance from the station (CIG 

 LWR OVR CITY, etc.). Remarks will be 

 entered in accordance with the priority out- 

 lined in FMH-1 chapter A-3. For more de- 

 tailed information, refer to that manual. 



VISIBILITY REMARKS. — When these re- 

 marks are not otherwise identified, they relate 

 to the same observation point as the visibility 

 value used in the body of the coded aviation 

 weather report. The most common type of 

 entries are as follows: 



1. VISIBILITY BY SECTORS: Enter sector 

 visibility when it differs from the prevailing 

 visibility and is less than 3 miles, or is 

 considered operationally significant when equal 

 to or more than 3 miles. Prefix each value 

 with the corresponding sector designator (e.g., 

 with prevailing visibility of 8 miles and sector 

 visibilities of NE 4, SW 8, and NW 2, enter 

 in remarks VSBY NE 4 NW2). 



2. VARIABLE VISIBILITY: When prevailing 

 visibility is variable and is less than 3 miles, 

 enter the range of variability separated by 

 "V"; e.g., "VSBY 1V2." 



3. RUNWAY VISIBILITY: Runway visibility 

 is entered in column 13 when the visibility 

 is less than 2 miles along the appropriate 

 runway, when prevailing visibility is less 

 than the highest instrument minimum for the 

 appropriate runway, or when runway visibility 

 is considered operationally significant. Refer 

 to FMH No. 1 for code format for column 13 

 entry. 



TOTAL SKY COVER (COL. 21). — At each 

 record (hourly) observation, enter as a whole 

 number of tenths of the total sky covered by 

 clouds and obscuring phenomena aloft, and 

 sky hidden by surface-based obscurations which 

 are visible at the station. 



TOTAL OPAQUE SKY COVER (COL. 36).— 

 Enter, as a whole number, the tenths of sky 

 that are hidden by clouds or obscuring phenom- 

 ena. This entry is similar to the entry for total 

 sky cover in column 21, except that sky cover 

 through which the sky is visible is disregarded 

 when determining the entry for total opaque 

 sky cover. Maximum entry is 10. 



Table 5-6. — Cloud types and contractions 



Cloud types 



Contractions 



Altocumulus 



Altocumulus castellanus 



Altocumulus (lenticular) 



Altostratus 



Cirrocumulus 



Cirrocumulus (lenticular) 



Cirrostratus 



Cirrus 



Cumulonimbus 



Cumulonimbus mamma (Mammatocumulus) 



Cumulus 



Cumulus Fractus 



Tower Cumulus 



Stratus Fractus 



Nimbostratus 



Stratocumulus 



Stratocumulus (lenticular) 



Stratus 



AC 



ACCAS 



ACSL 



AS 



CC 



CCSL 



CS 



CI 



CB 



CBMAM 



CU 



CUFRA 



TCU 



STFRA 



NS 



SC 



SCSL 



ST 



80 



