Information AboutAsos |
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ASOS, AWOS, and AWSS units record Temperature , Visibility ( Haze or Fog ), Precipitation types and amounts, Wind direction and Speed , Humidity and Dewpoint , Barometric Pressure and Altimeter , Sky Cover and Ceiling , and Thunder . Freezing Rain is recorded with a vibrating wire, which stops vibrating as Ice accumulates. Regular reports are made at different intervals depending on the unit type. ASOS and AWSS units report hourly, usually a few minutes before the hour, with additional SPECI (special) reports when significant changes in weather occur during the hour, such as Rain changing to Snow , approaching thunder, or heavy rain. AWOS units report every 20 minutes, though this occasionally varies by a few minutes; they do not issue SPECIs. The Data helps meteorologists, Pilot s and flight Dispatch ers prepare and monitor weather Forecast s, flight routes, and provide necessary information for safe Takeoff s and Landing s. AWOSs are categorized as either "federal" or "non-federal". Federal AWOSs were purchased and are maintained by the FAA. Non-federal AWOSs are purchased and maintainted by State Government , Local Government , and private Organization s. The current information reported by ASOS, AWOS and AWSS units is used at weather offices where forecasts are produced, along with Computer Model outputs, Weather Satellite Photo s, and Weather Radar images, to name a few. Not all U.S. Government Weather Station s are NWS- or FAA-run. The Remote Automated Weather Station (RAWS) system is run by the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau Of Land Management and Monitored by the National Interagency Fire Center , mainly to observe potential Wildfire conditions. EXTERNAL LINKS
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