MANOBS - Manual of Surface Weather Observations, Seventh Edition, Amendment 19

478 Pages·2015·6.43 MB·English

by  Environment Canada

Meterological Service
Service métérologique
of Canada du Canada
MANOBS
Manual of Surface Weather Observations
Seventh Edition, Amendment 19
April 2015
Originating Authority: Monitoring and Data Services Directorate
ISBN: 978-1-100-25445-6
Cat. No.: En56-238/2-2015E-PDF
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Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Foreword
This manual prescribes the standard procedures of the Meteorological Service of Canada
for observing, recording and reporting weather conditions. It has been prepared in
accordance with internationally recommended procedures as established by the World
Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Amendments will be issued when warranted. All holders of the manual are responsible for
keeping their copies current. When amendments have been entered, this fact should be
recorded on the page headed Record of amendments.
Inquiries on the content of this manual should be directed to the Meteorological Service of
Canada through appropriate channels.
This supplement contains the amendments adopted by the Manual of Surface Weather
Observations (MANOBS) Working Group.
Important note: Amendment 19 will implement the following requirements:
A full element SPECI as specified in the WMO Manual on Codes Volume 1.I, International
Codes 2011 edition updated in 2012. FM 16-XII requires a full element SPECI.
Remove the standard for the reporting of Recent Weather (RE) phenomena in
METAR/SPECI to comply with ICAO Annex 3 Eighteenth Edition July 2013, Appendix 3
Section 4.8.1.1 removal of the requirement for Recent Weather (RE) phenomena where
METAR/SPECI are issued.
Inclusion of Observer Circulars OBS 1-2012, OBS 1-2013 and OBS 2-2013.
Update to Appendix "V" for the IFR Approach and Alternate Limits for Canadian
Aerodromes.

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Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

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Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Record of Revisions – MANOBS Amendment 19
Section Revision description
Miscellaneous corrections
1.8.3.1 Added subsection to section 1.8.3:
“Data from the Ceilometer shall be correlated with visual observations to
determine cloud amount and to ensure that the cloud height is representative
of the layer.”
3.9.5 Replaced the term “Visibility” with “Intensity”
5.1.3.1 Updated Maximum Correction Card
5.1.3.2
Revised to match Maximum Correction Card
5.1.3.3
7.7 Updated Beaufort Scale of Wind
10.2.8.8 Removed the wording:
“… or when the ceilometer is inoperative”
10.2.10.3 (7) Revised item seven to read:
“Additional phenomena and vicinity phenomena”
10.2.10.8 Added paragraph to section:
16.3.8.6.2 “When visibility is 7 SM or more and ice crystals (IC) are observed, IC shall be
reported as a remark in the METAR / SPECI.”
10.2.19.8.1 Removed sentence:
“It is very important to report CB in remarks when it is observed but it is not
the predominant cloud type.”
16.3.8.4 Changed proximity to vicinity in the heading and first sentence
16.4.4.11 Revised fourth point to read:
“Immediately upon learning of an aircraft accident, at or in the vicinity of the
weather observing station. The observer shall make an Accident Observation
unless a complete METAR has been issued subsequent to the accident. The
Accident Observation shall be as complete and accurate as possible, with
particular care being taken to include in “Remarks” any meteorological facts
that might relate to the accident, or which might be of significance to the
aircraft accident investigator.”
Appendix IV Removed

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Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Revision description
Section
Full element SPECI
10.3.4 Revised section to read:
“An observation shall be taken promptly to report changes which occur
between scheduled transmission times. A SPECI observation shall include
the following:
 Sky condition
 Visibility
 Weather and obstruction to vision
 Sea level pressure
 Temperature
 Dew point
 Wind
 Altimeter setting
 Clouds
 Remarks (if required)
 Runway Visual Range (RVR) (where available)”
10.3.7.1 Revised note to read:
“If any of the observed elements warrant a SPECI, as defined in Section
10.3.4 (Criteria for taking a SPECI), a SPECI shall be transmitted and
recorded on Form 63-2322.”
10.6 Added full element SPECI for all SP examples on Form 63-2322
Pilot Report (PIREP)
14.3.1(6) Revised to read:
“Low-level wind shear 1500 feet AGL and below.”
14.4.4 Changed ICAO documentation reference to “ICAO DOC 8643 – Aircraft Type
Designators”
14.4.15 Revised to read:
“A pilot report of low-level wind shear 1500 feet AGL and below will be
recorded in the Remarks (/RM) field of the PIREP and will be transmitted as
an Urgent PIREP.”
14.4.16 Inserted new sub-section: No turbulence or icing encountered

MANOBS– Manual of Surface Weather Observations vi
Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Revision description
Section
Wind Shear
10.2.19.6.4 Revised to read:
“Wind shear information on the existence of wind shear 1500 feet AGL and
below along the take-off path or approach path of runway significant to aircraft
operations shall be reported in Column 41 (Remarks) whenever available and
local circumstances so warrant. The information will be reported in the
following format: When wind shear is reported on take-off or landing on one
runway 1500 feet AGL and below it will be reported as: WS RWY DRDR
(Official Runway Designation); or, When wind shear is affecting all runways
1500 feet AGL and below, it will be reported as: WS ALL RWY”
16.3.12 Revised to read:
“Information on the existence of low-level wind shear along the runway takeoff
or approach path 1500 feet AGL and below that is considered significant to
aircraft operations shall be reported.”
Recent Weather
10.2.10.1 Removed Recent Phenomena from table listing weather and obstruction to
vision symbols for Column 32
10.2.10.3 (7) Revised item seven to read: “Additional phenomena and vicinity phenomena”
10.2.10.4 Revised to read:
“Record in Column 32 only those phenomena which are occurring at the
station, in the vicinity of the station, at the time of observation with the
following exceptions:”
Removed first part of second paragraph containing recent weather reporting
procedures.
10.2.19.4 Removed Remark RERA
10.6 Removed all references to recent weather phenomena from Form 632322
examples 1 and 2.
16.2 Removed reference to Recent Weather code REw’w’ from Symbolic form of
the Canadian METAR code.
16.3.12 Removed reference to: Recent Weather (RE) of operational significance
Removed reference to: List of Recent Weather (RE) phenomena in
16.3.12.1
Appendix III
16.3.12.2 Removed section 16.3.12.2
Appendix III Removed all references to recent weather (RE) phenomena

MANOBS– Manual of Surface Weather Observations vii
Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Revision description
Section
Sky Condition
10.2.18.1 Revised to read:
“When a layer consists of two or more types, e.g., SC and CU, the
predominating type by amount shall be recorded. If a cloud layer consists of
any amount of TCU or CB, the TCU or CB shall be reported as the
predominant type. However when an individual layer of cloud is composed of
Cumulonimbus (CB) and Towering Cumulus (TCU) with a common cloud
base, the type shall be reported as Cumulonimbus only.”
10.2.19 Revised note to read:
“Late weather observation shall be recorded first in Column 41 as a general
weather remark (See 10.2.19.14.1)”
10.2.19.8.1 Revised to read:
“If clouds which indicate unstable conditions (CB, TCU or ACC) are observed
and not reported in Column 40, they shall be reported in Remarks”
16.3.13.2.4 Added note to examples of sky condition remarks for convective clouds:
“If TCU or CB clouds base are not observed and not reported in the sky
condition, they shall be reported in Remarks.”
Runway Visual Range RVR
10.2.19.13 Revised to read:
“…Stations with the capability to display values for multiple RVR's may record
and transmit a maximum of four RVR values and may include RVR data for
runway(s) other than the active or most-aligned into-the-wind. ...”
10.6.1 Changed RVR Remarks at given times to read:
0539Z OBS: RVR RWY 15 3500FT
0548Z OBS: RVR RWY 15 3500 FT
10.6.2 Changed RVR Remarks at given times to read:
0700Z OBS: RVR RWY 15 1800FT
0900Z OBS: RVR RWY 15 1600FT
13.8.2 Changed RVR Remark at 0900Z to read:
/S08/ RVR RWY15 1600FT
16.3.7 Revised first paragraph to read:
“Where RVR data are displayed, they shall be included in the METAR and
SPECI observations the active – or most aligned into the wind – runway(s)
when the prevailing visibility is 1 SM or less and/or the RVR value for the
designated runway(s) is 6000 feet or less. Stations with the capability to
display values for multiple RVRs may record and transmit a maximum of four
RVR values and may include RVR data for runway(s) other than the active or
most-aligned into-the-wind. All RVR values transmitted shall be representative
of the touchdown zone of the active landing runway(s).”

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Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Revision description
Section
Synoptic Coding
11.3 The following groups from Section 3 have been enclosed in square brackets
11.4 “[ ]” to signify they are not reported in Canada:
[5EEEi ] [55SSS j F F F F ] [8N Ch h ]
E 5 24 24 24 24 s s s
12.3.2.1.4 (2) Revised to include:
“…or summation amount of 8/8”
12.3.11.5.1 Revised to read:
“CM = /: If CM clouds invisible owing to continuous layer of lower clouds or
because of fog, blowing dust or other similar phenomena.”
13.8.1 Changed 8802X to 8802/
12.3.2.1.2 Inserted Code Table for N, N and N in oktas
h s
12.3.11.3.7
12.4.10.2.1
IFR approach and alternate limits for Canadian aerodromes
Appendix V Updated IFR approach and alternate limits for Canadian aerodromes

MANOBS– Manual of Surface Weather Observations ix
Seventh Edition, Amendment 19, April 2015

Record of Amendments
AMD No. Effective date Entered by Date of entry
1–10 1977-1989 Amendment 11 printing June, 1992
11 January, 1992 Amendment 11 printing June, 1992
12 June, 1992 Amendment 12 printing June, 1992
13 October, 1994 Amendment 13 printing March, 1995
14 June, 1996 Amendment 14 printing August, 1996
15 April, 2006 Amendment 15 printing April, 2006
16 September, 2008 Amendment 16 printing September, 2008
17 January, 2011 Amendment 17 printing January, 2011
18 January, 2013 Amendment 18 printing January, 2013
19 April, 2015 Included in this printing February, 2015

MANOBS– Manual of Surface Weather Observations x