National Weather Service - Contractions -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- about ABT chance CHC above ABV change CHG above clouds ACLD cirrus CI above ground level AGL clear CLR above sea level ASL clear or scattered clouds abundant ABNDT and visibility>10 miles CAVU accompany ACPY cloud CLD across ACRS cloud top TOP active ACTV cold air mass K AMS adjacent ADJ cold front CDFNT advance ADVN cold front passage CFP advection ADVCTN complete CMPLT advisory ADVY complex CMPLX affect AFCT condition COND after AFT considerable CSDRBL again AGN continental air mass C AMS ahead AHD continue/continuously CONT air mass AMS convective CNVTV all quadrants ALQDS converge CNVG aloft ALF correction COR along ALG cover CVR altocumulus AC cumulonimbus mamma CBMAM altocumulus castellanus ACCAS cumulus CU altostratus AS cumulus fractus CUFRA amend AMD cyclogenesis CYCLGN amount AMT cyclone CYC anticyclone ACYC Arctic air mass A AMS deep DP around ARND deepening DPNG arrival ARR dense DNS arrive ARR depth DPTH at or above AOA deteriorate DTRT at or below AOB develop DVLP available AVBL dew point DWPT diffuse DFUS backing BCKG diminish DMSH base of overcast BOVC direction DRCTN become BCM dissipate DSIPT before BFR dominant DMNT begin BGN downdrafts DWNDFTS behind BHND downslope DWNSLP below BLO downstream DNSTRM better BTR drift DRFT between BTWN duration DURN beyond BYD during DURG blizzard BLZD dust D blowing dust BD blowing sand BN east E blowing snow BS eastbound EBND border BDR easterly ELY boundary BNDRY eastern ERN break BRK eastward EWD breaks in overcast BINOVC effect EFCT brief BRF elevation ELEV broken BKN elsewhere ELSW build BLD embedded EMBDD buildup BLDUP ending ENDG enhanced ENHNCD ceiling CIG entire ENTR center CNTR especially SPCLY central CNTRL except XCP -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- exclude EXCLD jet stream JSTR expect XPC extend EXTD knots KTS extensive EXTSV extreme EXTRM falling FLG large LRG farther FTHR later LTR feet FT latitude LAT flurry FLRY level LVL fog F lift LFT follow FLW light LGT foot FT lightning LTNG forecast FCST likely LKLY forming FRMG limited LTD forward FWD line LN freeze FRZ little LTL freezing drizzle ZL little change LTLCG freezing rain ZR local(ly) LCL frequent FQT long wave LGWV from FM low level wind shear LLWS front FNT lower LWR frontal passage FROPA frontal surface FROSFC mainly MNLY frontogenesis FNTGNS maintain MAINT frontolysis FNTLYS marginal MRGL frost FRST maximum MAX frozen FRZN mean sea level MSL further FTHR merging MEGG message MSG general GEN meteorological MET gradient GRAD metropolitan METRO gradual GRDL middle MID greater GTR mile MI ground GND miles per hour MPH ground fog GF millibars MB gusts G minimum MIN gusty GSTY minute MIN miscellaneous MISC hail A missing MISG heavy HVY moderate MDT high HI modify MDFY hour HR moisture MSTR however HWVR morning MRNG hundred HND mostly MSTLY hurricane HURCN mountain MTN move MOV ice pellets IP narrow NRW important IMPT Nat Met Center NMC improve IPV Nat Svr Stm Fcst Center NSSFC impulse IMPL National Weather Service NWS in the vicinity of INVOF nautical miles NM inch IN near NR increase INCR necessary NEC indicate INDC negative NEG inland INLD neg vorticity advection NVA instability INSTBY next NXT intense INTS night NGT intensify INTSFY nimbostratus NS intensity INTST no change NC inversion INVRN none NIL isolate ISOL normal NML -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- north N rapid RPD northbound NBND reason RSN northerly NLY recieve RCV northern NRN recommend RCMD northward NWD reference REF northeast NE region RGN northeasterly NELY relative RLTV northeastern NERN relative humidity RH northeastward NEWD release RLS northwest NW reliable RELBL northwesterly NWLY remain RMN northwestern NWRN replace RPLC northwestward NWRD report RPRT number NMBR represent/representative REP numerous NMRS require RQR retard RTRD obscure OBSC return RTRN occasional OCNL revise RVS occluded front OCFNT ridge RDG offshore OFSHR Rio Grande RIOGD original ORIG rising RSG other OTR Rockies (mountains) RCKY otherwise (SFD only) OTRW rotating ROTG outlook OTLK route RTE over OVR overcast OVC satellite STLT overnight OVNGT scattered SCT overrun OVRN sea level SL section SXN Pacific PAC several SVRL Panhandle PNHDL severe SVR partly PTLY severe local storms SELS passage PSG shallow SHLW patchy PTCHY shift SHFT pattern PAT short SHRT period PD shortwave SHRTWV persist PRST shower SHWR portion PTN significant SGFNT positive POS sleet SLT pos. vot. advection PVA slight SLGT possible PSBL slow SLO precede PRECD smoke K precipitation PCPN snow S predominant PDMT snow grains SG pressure PRES snow showers SW prevail PVL snowfall SNWFL primary PRIM solid SLD principal PRIN south S probability PRBLTY southbound SBND probable PBL southerly SLY prognosis/prognostic PROG southern SRN propagation PROPA southward SWD provide PRVD southeast SE southeasterly SELY quadrant QUAD southeastern SERN quarter QTR southeastward SEWD quasistationary QSTNRY southwest SW question QN southwesterly SWLY southwestern SWRN radiosonde observation RAOB southwestward SWWD radius RDS South Plains SPLNS ragged RGD spread SPRD rain R sprinkle SPKL rainshower RW squall line SQLN rainfall RNFL stability index SX -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- stable STBL widely WDLY stationary STNRY widespread WDSPRD storm STM will WL stratiform STRFM wind WND stratocumulus SC wind shift WSHFT stratus ST stratus fractus STFR yesterday YDA strong STG subside SBSD sufficient SUF SUFFIXES surface SFC synopsis SYNS able BL synoptic SYNOP al L system SYS ally,erly,ly LY ary,ery,ory RY temperature TEMP ance,ence NC tendency TNDCY der DR terrain TRRN ed,ied D thereafter THRFTR ening NG thick THK er,ier,or R thin THN ern RN thousand THSD ically CLY through THRU ive V throughout THRUT iest,est ST thunderstorm T iness,ness NS today TDA ing G tomorrow TMW ity TY tonight TNGT ment MT toward TWD ous US towering cumulus TCU s,es,ies S travel TVL tion,ation N tropical TRPCL ward WD tropopause TROP trough TROF unseasonable UNSBL unstable UNSTBL until TIL upper UPR upper winds UWNDS upslope UPSLP upstream UPSTRM upward vertical vlcty UVV valley VLY veer VR velocity VLCTY vertical motion VRT MOTN vicinity VCNTY visability VSBY vorticity VOT warm WRM warm front WRMFNT warm front passage WFP warning WRNG wave WV weak WK weaken WKN west W westbound WBND westerly WLY western WRN