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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