Predictive Services - Fire Weather - AWOS Defined

The Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS) is a suite of sensors, which measure, collect and disseminate weather data to help meteorologists, pilots and flight dispatchers prepare and monitor weather forecasts, plan flight routes, and provide necessary information for correct takeoffs and landings. AWOSs provide a minute-to-minute update that is usually provided to pilots by a VHF radio on a frequency between 118 and 136 MHz. AWOSs are categorized as either Federal or NonFederal. Federal AWOSs were purchased and are currently maintained by the FAA. NonFederal AWOSs are purchased and maintainted by state, local, and private organizations. The sensors measure weather parameters such as wind speed and direction, temperature and dew point, visibility, cloud heights and types, precipitation, and barometric pressure. The AWOS does not predict weather, but many send current information to weather offices where forecasts are produced using this information along with computer model outputs, satellite photos and radar images, to name a few.

Every hour on the hour, the AWOS data is made available to off-site users by those AWOSs on Service A (long line telephone communication) or satellite uplink. The aviation community, which is one of the l argest users of environmental data, is the major user of the AWOS information.

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