Moon The Loon Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 SPECI CYFC 051204Z AUTO 34006KT 1 3/4SM -SN OVC017 M12/M14 A2991 RMK VIS VRB 1-3 ICE SLP132= What does "ICE" mean? Can't find the definition anywhere. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deicer Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 'ICE' refers to ice pellets. No holdover time for that, so you just have to wait until it stops. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 Why are those things written in secret code? Why not in plain English? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 1 hour ago, Moon The Loon said: SPECI CYFC 051204Z AUTO 34006KT 1 3/4SM -SN OVC017 M12/M14 A2991 RMK VIS VRB 1-3 ICE SLP132= What does "ICE" mean? Can't find the definition anywhere. I believe this is a measurement of the thickness of ice on the indicator. This part - 1-3 ICE is in the "remark section" - exact same place where you typically see FROIN. In this case the "remarks" are visibility variable and ice to a thickness of 1-3 on the indicator. This is also where you might see something like "CB ALQDS" (thunderstorms all quadrants) or "FQT LTGICCCCG" (frequent lightning in cloud, cloud to cloud, cloud to ground) The observation site has an "indicator." which is similar to a "representative surface". Think of it like a rain gauge but for non-liquid precip. The only thing I can't find is the units for the measurement - probably millimeters. The code for ice pellets is "PL" and it would appear immediately following the visibility. In the above example -SN means "light snow." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 1 hour ago, conehead said: Why are those things written in secret code? Why not in plain English? It's to keep out the riff-raff. You want to be in the club, you have to learn the secret language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsplat Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 2 hours ago, deicer said: 'ICE' refers to ice pellets. No holdover time for that, so you just have to wait until it stops. There is no holdover time for ice pellets, but in Canada at least you can still operate. It's a different mode of Type III and IV based on 'allowance times' where the fluid can keep the pellets suspended such that they slough when the fluid does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest1 Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 2 hours ago, Seeker said: It's to keep out the riff-raff. You want to be in the club, you have to learn the secret language. Or cheat.... Here is an online decoder. Metar Decoder | Online Aviation Calculators (e6bx.com) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
conehead Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 13 minutes ago, Kargokings said: Or cheat.... Here is an online decoder. Metar Decoder | Online Aviation Calculators (e6bx.com) Thanks. I think it’s silly though, one shouldn’t require a decoder to understand critical information such as weather conditions. I’m serious. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest1 Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 26 minutes ago, conehead said: Thanks. I think it’s silly though, one shouldn’t require a decoder to understand critical information such as weather conditions. I’m serious. There is an easy solution if the metar has been issued by Nav Canada. You can chose a plain language version AWWS - METAR / TAF Selection Page (navcanada.ca) and for the US you can chose a decoded version: AWC - METeorological Aerodrome Reports (METARs) (aviationweather.gov) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 1 hour ago, conehead said: Thanks. I think it’s silly though, one shouldn’t require a decoder to understand critical information such as weather conditions. I’m serious. Pilots learn to understand the shorthand. It's not really that hard once you do it a few times - the format is always the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted February 5, 2022 Author Share Posted February 5, 2022 7 hours ago, deicer said: 'ICE' refers to ice pellets. No holdover time for that, so you just have to wait until it stops. I don't believe it refers to ice pellets as that notation would be in the clouds and weather section, not the remarks. Even the decoder referred to by Kargokings above doesn't elaborate: ICE Not decoded! So the mystery remains... Perhaps, as Seeker suggests, it replaces the term FROIN (Frost On the Indicaator). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tango Foxtrot Posted February 6, 2022 Share Posted February 6, 2022 (edited) Not fair. I wanted to like Seeker's post, but there's no icon Edited February 6, 2022 by Tango Foxtrot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.O. Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 On 2/6/2022 at 6:22 AM, Tango Foxtrot said: Not fair. I wanted to like Seeker's post, but there's no icon Same here! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vsplat Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 Would this document be related? https://www.navcanada.ca/en/aiceng202125.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moon The Loon Posted February 8, 2022 Author Share Posted February 8, 2022 15 hours ago, Vsplat said: Would this document be related? https://www.navcanada.ca/en/aiceng202125.pdf Perfect Vsplat - mystery solved! I remember seeing that AIC but forgot about it. One falls behind very quickly when every day is Saturday ("Retired)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeker Posted February 8, 2022 Share Posted February 8, 2022 48 minutes ago, Moon The Loon said: Perfect Vsplat - mystery solved! I remember seeing that AIC but forgot about it. One falls behind very quickly when every day is Saturday ("Retired)! Nope, I do not think this solves your "mystery". Sure, the abbreviation was changed from ICG to ICE but this appears to be only for SIGMETs, AIRMETs and TAFs - read it again. In the METAR that initiated this thread the term ICE appears in the RMK (remarks) section and appears to be describing a "thickness" with the "1-3". I stand by my interpretation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Say Again, Over! Posted February 11, 2022 Share Posted February 11, 2022 According to the MET section of the AIM, Table 8-3 part of article 8.5.4 read: Currently, remarks are limited. When visibility is variable, the remark VIS VRB followed by the limits will appear, e.g. VIS VRB 1-2. When icing is detected, ICG, ICG INTMT or ICG PAST HR will appear. Remarks on precipitation amount, rapid changes in pressure and the location of lightning may also appear. We also know that it ICG has been changed to ICE according to the AIC. So the RMK sections speaks of variable visibility of 1 - 3 SM and a mention that icing was detected. Voilà! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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