Winter NOTAM Contractions
November 26th, 2008 | 
Author: Right now I’m sitting at an airport, and as I look out the FBO window it is all too painfully obvious, that winter weather is here. Along with the snowy icy weather comes a new array of NOTAMS and their confusing contractions. Here are some of the most commonly used winter weather NOTAM contractions and definitions:
- BERM – Snowbank/s Containing Earth Gravel
- BRAF – Braking Action Fair
- BRAG – Braking Action Good
- BRAN – Braking Action Nill
- BRAP – Braking Action Poor
- DRFT/DRFTD – Drift/Drifted Snowbank/s Caused by Wind Action
- FRZN SLR – Frozen Slush on Runway/s
- LSR – Loose Snow on Runway/s
- MU – Designate a Friction Value Representing Runway Surface Conditions
- PLW – Plow / Plowed
- PSR – Packed Snow on Runway/s
- RUF – Rough
- SIR – Packed or Compacted Snow and Ice on Runway/s
- SLR – Slush on Runway/s
- SNBNK – Snowbank/s Caused by Plowing
- SND – Sand / Sanded
- SNW – Snow
- WSR – Wet Snow on Runways
- WTR – Water on Runways
- IR – Ice on Runway
Another good winter weather review activity is to complete the NASA Aircraft Icing Training Course or watch the NASA Aircraft Icing Procedures videos:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3493859021331008391
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Once again, something new to me, Swiss pilot. We also have a good share of snow here, and even have a (local ?) kind of message called SNOWTAM, which includes description of contamination (ice, snow, packed snow, slush, …), and braking coefficients. Do you also know that in US ?
I don’t think we have SNOWTAM(s) here in the U.S. That seems to be mainly a European dissemination method.
Here is an example of SNOWTAM:
C) 03
F) 9/9/9
G) 15/15/15
H) 9/9/9
J) 50/7LR
L) TOTAL
P) YES005
To decode it, copy the 7 lines into http://heras-gilsanz.com/manuel/SNOWTAM-Decoder.html
For info, it is of today, about Samedan (LSZS).
Just found another one (and edited the post). IR – Ice on Runway.