Present Weather Codes, WMO SYNOP 4680, WMO 4678

Present Weather Codes, WMO SYNOP 4680, WMO 4678

Present weather sensors report the weather type (clear, fog, snow, ++) with a numeric or a text value. The table below document the relevant values and their relationship. The "Used" column indicates if the value is (typically) used by present weather sensors.

Please refer to WMO for latest version of these tables.

Used

SYNOP

Weather Type

Used

SYNOP

Weather Type

Yes

00

 

Clear, No significant weather observed

No

01

 

Clouds generally dissolving or becoming less developed during the past hour

No

02

 

State of sky on the whole unchanged during the past hour

No

03

 

Clouds generally forming or developing during the past hour

Yes

04

HZ

Haze or smoke, or dust in suspension in the air, visibility equal to, or greater than, 1 km

Yes

05

DU

Haze or smoke, or dust in suspension in the air, visibility less than 1 km

No

06–09

 

Reserved

Yes

10

BR

Mist

No

11

 

Diamond dust

No

12

 

Distant lightning

No

13-17

 

Reserved

No

18

 

Squalls

No

19

 

Reserved

 

 

 

Code figures 20–26 are used to report precipitation, fog (or ice fog) or thunderstorm at the station during the preceding hour but not at the time of observation.

Yes

20

 

Fog

Yes

21

REUP

PRECIPITATION

Yes

22

REDZ

Drizzle (not freezing) or snow grains

Yes

23

RERA

Rain (not freezing)

Yes

24

RESN

Snow

Yes

25

REFZRA
REFZDZ

Freezing rain or freezing drizzle

No

26

 

Thunderstorm (with or without precipitation)

No

27

 

BLOWING OR DRIFTING SNOW OR SAND

No

28

 

Blowing or drifting snow or sand, visibility equal to, or greater than, 1 km

No

29

 

Blowing or drifting snow or sand, visibility less than 1 km

 

 

 

The following code figures are used if precipitation or fog is observed at the time of observation

Yes

30

FG

FOG

Yes

31

BCFG

Fog or ice fog in patches

Yes

32

FG

Fog or ice fog, has become thinner during the past hour

Yes

33

FG

Fog or ice fog, no appreciable change during the past hour

Yes

34

FG

Fog or ice fog, has begun or become thicker during the past hour

No

35

FZFG

Fog, depositing rime

No

36-39

 

Reserved

Yes

40

UP

PRECIPITATION

Yes

41

-UP

Precipitation, slight or moderate

Yes

42

+UP 

Precipitation, heavy

No

43

 

Liquid precipitation, slight or moderate

No

44

 

Liquid precipitation, heavy

No

45

 

Solid precipitation, slight or moderate

No

46

 

Solid precipitation, heavy

No

47

 

Freezing precipitation, slight or moderate

No

48

 

Freezing precipitation, heavy

No

49

 

Reserved

Yes

50

DZ 

DRIZZLE

Yes

51

−DZ

Drizzle, not freezing, slight

Yes

52

DZ 

Drizzle, not freezing, moderate

Yes

53

+DZ

Drizzle, not freezing, heavy

Yes

54

−FZDZ 

Drizzle, freezing, slight

Yes

55

FZDZ 

Drizzle, freezing, moderate

Yes

56

+FZDZ

Drizzle, freezing, heavy

No

57

−DZRA 

Drizzle and rain, slight

No

58

DZRA
+DZRA

Drizzle and rain, moderate or heavy

No

59

 

Reserved

Yes

60

RA 

RAIN

Yes

61

−RA 

Rain, not freezing, slight

Yes

62

RA

Rain, not freezing, moderate

Yes

63

+RA 

Rain, not freezing, heavy

Yes

64

−FZRA 

Rain, freezing, slight

Yes

65

FZRA 

Rain, freezing, moderate

Yes

66

+FZRA 

Rain, freezing, heavy

Yes

67

−RASN 

Rain (or drizzle) and snow, slight

Yes

68

RASN
+RASN

Rain (or drizzle) and snow, moderate or heavy

No

69

 

Reserved

Yes

70

SN

SNOW

Yes

71

−SN

Snow, slight

Yes

72

SN 

Snow, moderate

Yes

73

+SN

Snow, heavy

Yes

74

−PL 

Ice pellets, slight

Yes

75

PL 

Ice pellets, moderate

Yes

76

+PL 

Ice pellets, heavy

No

77

-SG 
SG 
+SG 

Snow grains

No

78

 

Ice crystals

No

79

 

Reserved

Yes

80

SHUP 

SHOWER(S) or INTERMITTENT PRECIPITATION

Yes

81

−SHRA 

Rain shower(s) or intermittent rain, slight

Yes

82

SHRA

Rain shower(s) or intermittent rain, moderate

Yes

83

+SHRA

Rain shower(s) or intermittent rain, heavy

Yes

84

+SHRA

Rain shower(s) or intermittent rain, violent