Predictive Services - Fire Weather - ASOS Defined
The Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS) is an automated observing system being sponsored by the
Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service (NWS) and the Department of Defense (DOD).
ASOS provides weather observations which include: temperature, dew point, wind, altimeter setting,
visibility, sky condition, and precipitation. 569 FAA-sponsored and 313 NWS-sponsored ASOSs are
installed at airports throughout the country.
Automated observing systems are designed to provide the pilot, and other users, airport weather
observations "When they need it and where they need it." The observing systems work nonstop, updating
observations every minute, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. By providing information on the
atmosphere, at increasing locations, these systems are designed to improve the safety and efficiency
of aviation operations as well as being the key to improving forecasts and warnings.
A basic strength of automated observing systems is that critical aviation weather parameters are measured
where they are needed most; i.e., the runway touchdown zone on the airport.
The automated observing system routinely and automatically provides computer-generated voice directly
to aircraft in the vicinity of airports, using FAA VHF ground-to-air radio or apended to the ATIS
broadcast. In addition, the same information is available through a dial-in telephone and most of the
data is also provided on the national weather data network.
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FBK RAWS station, air temperature: -31F Reading taken at: 2009-11-21 17:00 AP2 RAWS station, air temperature: -30F Reading taken at: 2009-11-21 17:00 |
