TropicalWeather Acronyms

{
    "AACP": "Above-Anvil Cirrus Plume. An indicator of an intense thunderstorm updraft, likely to produce severe weather.",
    "ABI": "Advanced Baseline Imager. The primary instrument on GOES-16 (and other GOES-R series satellites).",
    "ACE": "Accumulated Cyclone Energy",
    "ADT": "Advanced Dvorak Technique, an automated system used to estimate the strength of tropical cyclones based on their appearence in satellite imagery; certain visual characteristics are key indicators of approximate wind intensity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_technique). May also mean Atlantic Daylight Time. The time in most of Atlantic Canada during summer (Halifax; UTC-3).",
    "AEMI": "(GFS) Ensemble Mean forecast, Interpolated for the next 6 hours",
    "AEMN": "(GFS) Ensemble Mean forecast (based on NOAA data)",
    "AEW": "African Easterly Wave, aka a Tropical Wave",
    "AFD": "Area Forecast Discussion. The scientific comments regarding the forecast from a Weather Forecast Office.",
    "AGL": "Above Ground Level",
    "AHI": "Advanced Himawari Imager. The primary instrument on Japan's Himawari-8 and -9 satellites. It is similar to the ABI instrument aboard GOES-16.",
    "AIRMET": "Airman's Meteorological information",
    "AKDT": "Alaskan Daylight Time. The time in most of Alaska during summer (Anchorage, UTC-8).",
    "AKQ": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Wakefield, VA, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the Newport News area and Richmond, VA. The NEXRAD radar located at the Wakefield, VA WFO.",
    "AKST": "Alaskan Standard Time. The time in most of Alaska during winter (Anchorage, UTC-9).",
    "AMO": "Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, an ongoing series of long-duration changes in the sea surface temperature of the North Atlantic, with cool and warm phases that may last for 20-40 years at a time and a difference of about 1°F between extremes",
    "AMX": "The NEXRAD radar located at the Miami WFO.",
    "AOC": "Army Operations Center, located at the Pentagon.",
    "AOP": "Auto-Op, an IRC Chanserv function which assigns a registered user channel op status as soon as they join the channel.",
    "ARC": "American Red Cross",
    "ARES": "Amateur Radio Emergency Services, a group of ham radio operators who assist officials during emergencies by providing radio communications.",
    "ARCHER": "Automated Rotational Center Hurricane Eye Retrieval.",
    "ARRL": "American Radio Relay League",
    "ARWO": "Aerial Reconnaissance Weather Officer, a member of the crew on Hurricane Hunter missions.",
    "ASOS": "Automated Surface Observing Systems, the automatic weather sensor package installed at airports which generates METARs.",
    "AST": "Atlantic Standard Time. The time in most of Atlantic Canada during winter (Halifax), and of Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the lesser Antilles all year long (San Juan, Barbados). (UTC-4)",
    "ATCF": "Automated Tropical Cyclone Forecast system, the database used by the NHC and others to track cyclone positions and forecast points. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_Tropical_Cyclone_Forecasting_System",
    "ATK": "Alliant Techsystems, predecessor to Orbital ATK",
    "ATL": "Atlantic Ocean",
    "AVN": "Aviation. Also an old acronym for the GFS model, meaning Aviation Model.",
    "AVNO": "An old name for the GFS model, meaning Aviation Model. AVNO is typically seen on spaghetti maps and other model comparison products.",
    "AWC": "The Aviation Weather Center, the NWS organization responsible for issuing forecasts and warnings for air travel. (https://aviationweather.gov/)",
    "AWIPS": "Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System, the software used by NWS forecasters.",
    "B-57": "Martin WB-57F Canberra, a highly modified bomber aircraft reconfigured for high-altitude weather reconnaissance, operated by NASA",
    "B57": "Martin WB-57F Canberra, a highly modified bomber aircraft reconfigured for high-altitude weather reconnaissance, operated by NASA",
    "BAMD": "Beta and Advection Model, Deep layer (generated by NHC)",
    "BAMM": "Beta and Advection Model, Medium layer (generated by NHC)",
    "BAMS": "Beta and Advection Model, Shallow layer (generated by NHC)",
    "BOC": "Bay of Campeche (southern Gulf of Mexico)",
    "BMKG": "The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency. The office in Jakarta is the TCWC for the Indonesian archipelago (Equator-10°S, 90°E-141°E)",
    "BOM": "Bureau of Meteorology, the Australian weather service. Three regional offices, in Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane, are TCWCs providing warnings and forecasts for tropical cyclones in the Southeast Indian Ocean and the Australian region (10°S-36°S, 90°E-160°E)",
    "BOX": "The Weather Forecast Office in Taunton, MA, whose County Warning Area includes most of Massachusetts, Rhose Island, and northeastern Connecticut. The NEXRAD radar located at the Taunton, MA WFO.",
    "BRO": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Brownsville, TX, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the southern tip of Texas. The NEXRAD radar located at the Brownsville, TX WFO.",
    "BVI": "British Virgin Islands",
    "BYX": "The NEXRAD radar located at the Key West, FL WFO.",
    "C-130": "Lockheed WC-130J, weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by the US Air Force",
    "C130": "Lockheed WC-130J, weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by the US Air Force",
    "CAPE": "Convective Available Potential Energy, a measure of instability in the atmosphere",
    "CAR": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Caribiou, ME, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes northern and eastern Maine.",
    "CARCAH": "Chief, Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination, All Hurricanes",
    "CB": "Convective burst. An eruption of thunderstorms. Also, when styled Cb, it means cumulonimbus clouds, i.e. a thunderhead. https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/cumulonimbus-cb.html",
    "CBW": "The NEXRAD radar located at the Caribou, ME WFO.",
    "CCKW": "Convectively Coupled Kelvin Wave, a thousand mile-long, eastward-moving stratospheric impulse along the equator which can enhance convection and cyclogenesis",
    "CDO": "Central Dense Overcast, the main area of convection associated with a cyclone",
    "CDT": "Central Daylight Time. Depending on context, can mean either the time in the central US and Canada during summer (Winnipeg, Chicago, Houston; UTC-5) or the time in south-central Australia during summer (Adelaide; UTC+10:30)",
    "CHARLIE FOX": "Navyspeak for clusterfuck.",
    "CHC": "The Canadian Hurricane Centre, a division of Environment Canada which issues hurricane warnings for Canadian territory. Headquartered in Halifax, Nova Scotia.",
    "CHS": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Charleston, SC, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes Charleston and Savannah, GA.",
    "CI": "Ci, cirrus clouds, one of the primary cloud genera. https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/cirrus-ci.html",
    "CIMSS": "Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies, Madison, WI",
    "CIN": "Convetive Inhibition, a measure of the \"cap\" that a stable layer places on convection.",
    "CIRA": "Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere",
    "CLCDR": "Central Launch Command Director",
    "CLIPER": "CLImatology and PERsistence, a statistical track forecast model",
    "CLX": "The NEXRAD radar located at the Charleston, SC WFO.",
    "CMC": "Canadian Meteorological Center. Usually in reference to their global weather model.",
    "CME": "Coronal Mass Ejection. A solar weather term meaning billions of tons of particles thrown off the sun. Can cause auroral displays, or even damage to satellites and the terrestrial power grid.",
    "CONUS": "Continental/Contiguous United States (of America)",
    "CP": "Continental Polar, a dry (continental) and cold (polar) airmass",
    "CPAC": "Central Pacific ocean",
    "CPC": "Climate Prediction Center, the NWS organization responsible for predicting climate variability in the medium- (week) to long-term (seasonal). (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/)",
    "CPHC": "Central Pacific Hurricane Center (RSMC for the Central Pacific), located in Honolulu, HI",
    "CRP": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Corpus Christi, TX, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes south-central Texas. The NEXRAD radar located at the Corpus Christi, TX WFO.",
    "CST": "Central Standard Time. Depending on context, can meaneither the time in the central US and Canada during winter (Winnipeg, Chicago, Houston; UTC-6) or the time in central Australia (Adelaide during winter, Darwin all year, UTC+9:30)",
    "CU": "Cu, cumulus clouds, one of the primary cloud genera. https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/cumulus-cu.html",
    "CV": "Cape Verde/Cabo Verde, an island nation off the coast of Senegal. It lends its name to Cape Verde storms, which are long-track, long-lived cyclones which quickly form from easterly tropical waves entering the Atlantic near the islands",
    "CWA": "County Warning Area. The geographical region served by a given Weather Forecast Office.",
    "DAC": "Disaster Application Center",
    "DAE": "Disaster Assistance Employee",
    "DCO": "Defense Coordinating Officer",
    "DFO": "Disaster Field Office",
    "DOC": "Department of Commerce",
    "DOW": "Doppler On Wheels. A mobile radar unit, typically used to observe tornadoes, but also deployed for hurricanes.",
    "DOX": "The NEXRAD radar located at Dover AFB, DE.",
    "DP": "Dual-Polarity radar (like NEXRAD)",
    "DR": "Dominican Republic",
    "DT": "Dry Tortugas (westernmost of the Florida Keys)",
    "DZIBAN": "The proper name of the star with the Bayer designation of Psi¹ Draconis A (or ψ¹ Dra A) in the constellation of Draco. The name stems from the Arabic for 'The two wolves.' The star is of spectral type F5IV-V with an apparent magnitude of 4.58, weighs about 1.38 solar masses, and is relatively close by at about 75 light years. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psi1_Draconis)",
    "DZIBAN303": "The demiurge who rules certain IRC channels, subreddits, and Discord servers with an iron fist",
    "EAS": "Emergency Alert System",
    "EBS": "Emergency Broadcast System",
    "EC": "European Centre, or Environment Canada (now Environment and Climate Change Canada)",
    "ECM": "European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (\"the European model\")",
    "ECMWF": "European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts (\"the European model\")",
    "EDT": "Eastern Daylight Time. Depending on context, can either mean the time in the East Coast of the United States and much of Eastern Canada during summer (Toronto, New York, Miami; UTC-4) or the time in southeastern Australia during summer (Sydney, Melbourne, UTC+11)",
    "EICC": "Emergency Information and Coordination Center (FEMA)",
    "EMS": "Emergency Medical Services",
    "EMC": "The Environmental Monitoring Center, the NWS organization responsible for maintaining and improving the American suite of weather models. (http://www.emc.ncep.noaa.gov/)",
    "EMWIN": "Emergency Manager's Weather Information Center",
    "ENSO": "El Niño Southern Oscillation, a periodic variation in winds and sea surface temperatures over the tropical eastern Pacific Ocean, affecting the climate of much of the tropics and subtropics.",
    "EOC": "Emergency Operations Center",
    "EOM": "End of Mission, or End of Message",
    "EOP": "Emergency Operations Plan",
    "EPAC": "East Pacific ocean",
    "EPS": "Ensemble Prediction System. The ECMWF (Euro) ensemble model.",
    "ERC": "Eyewall Replacement Cycle",
    "ERT": "Earth Return Time. The time a signal reaches Earth, as opposed to when it was sent, which may be some hours earlier. Also, Emergency Response Team, a FEMA unit.",
    "EST": "Eastern Standard Time. Depending on context, can either mean the time in the East Coast of the United States and much of Eastern Canada during winter (Toronto, New York, Miami; UTC-5) or the time in eastern Australia (Sydney during winter, Brisbane all year, UTC+10).",
    "ET": "Extratropical Transition, the evolution of a symmetric warm-core tropical cyclone into a asymmetric cold-core extratropical cyclone, often happening when a storm reaches higher latitudes",
    "EUMETSAT": "The European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites, an intergovernmental organization of 30 European countries. Operate the Meteosat satellites.",
    "EVX": "The NEXRAD radar located at Eglin AFB, FL",
    "EW": "Easterly Wave, an alternate term for a Tropical Wave",
    "EWRC": "Eyewall Replacement Cycle weather pattern",
    "FCST": "Forecast",
    "FFE": "Flash Flood Emergency, an enhanced FFW used when a flash flood threatens highly populated areas",
    "FFS": "French Frigate Shoals, a large uninhabited atoll in the Northwestern (or Leeward) Hawaiian Islands, about 487 miles northwest of Honolulu",
    "FFW": "Flash Flood Warning, a NWS warning indicating sudden flooding may occur",
    "FL": "Flight Level, the altitude at which a plane is flying, given in 1,000 foot intervals (e.g. FL099 means 9900 feet, FL240 is 24,000 feet). The military radio brevity code is 'Angels'",
    "FMS": "Fiji Meteorological Service (RSMC Nadi), the RSMC for the South Pacific from the equator to 40° South, and from 160° East to 120° West; forecasts for storms south of 25°S are issued by New Zealand's MetService (TCWC Wellington)",
    "FOUS": "Forecast Output United States",
    "FV3": "Finite-Volume Cubed-Sphere dynamical core model, the technology used in the new (2019) GFS model",
    "FWCN": "Fleet Weather Center Norfolk. The US Navy organization, based in Norfolk, VA, which issues cyclone products for the Atlantic Ocean. JTWC is its Pacific counterpart.",
    "G-IV": "Gulfstream IV, medium-to-high altitude weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA, whose aircraft is known as Gonzo",
    "GIV": "Gulfstream IV, medium-to-high altitude weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA, whose aircraft is known as Gonzo",
    "GEFS": "Global Ensemble Forecast System model",
    "GEM": "Global Environmental Multiscale forecast",
    "GFDL": "Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab model",
    "GFS": "Global Forecast System model, generated by NOAA (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Forecast_System)",
    "GLM": "Geostationary Lightning Mapper. A lightning-sensing instrument aboard GOES-R series satellites. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES-16#Geostationary_Lightning_Mapper)",
    "GMT": "Greenwich Mean Time / Coordinated Universal Time",
    "GOES": "Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES)",
    "GOES-13": "The 13th GOES satellite. First unit of the previous GOES-N series. Now retired.",
    "GOES-14": "The 14th GOES satellite. One of the previous GOES-N series. Currently it is in a storage orbit acting as the on-orbit spare, in case of problems with one of the operational satellites.",
    "GOES-15": "The 15th GOES satellite. One of the previous GOES-N series. Currently operating in tandem with GOES-17 as GOES-West.",
    "GOES-16": "Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, # 16. The first geostationary weather satellite of the GOES-R series, featuring cutting edge technology. Formerly known as GOES-R before launch. It is in service in the GOES-East position. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES-16)",
    "GOES-17": "Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, # 17. Known as GOES-S before launch. The satellite was found to have a faulty loop heat pipe (a sensor cooling mechanism) which means the ABI's infrared views suffer from noise during nighttime hours, as sunlight is shining directly on the ABI instrument. Despite this, GOES-17 is being operated at the GOES-West location in tandem with GOES-15, and will be taking over the GOES-West location in May 2019.",
    "GOES-E": "The GOES satellite positioned at 75 degrees West to watch the eastern half of the United States. Currently occupied by GOES-16. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite)",
    "GOES-EAST": "The GOES satellite positioned at 75 degrees West to watch the eastern half of the United States. Currently occupied by GOES-16. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite)",
    "GOES-R": "Geostationary Operational Environment Satellite, R series, launched in Nov 2016. Renamed GOES-16 once it reached orbit. It took over the GOES-East position in Nov 2017. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GOES-R)",
    "GOES-T": "The penultimate satellite of the GOES-R series. Scheduled for launch in December 2021",
    "GOES-U": "The final satellite of the GOES-R series. Scheduled for launch in 2024",
    "GOES-W": "The GOES satellite positioned at 137 degrees West to watch the western half of the United States. Currently occupied by GOES-15. GOES-17 is scheduled to take over in May 2019 after a period of tandem operation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite)",
    "GOES-WEST": "The GOES satellite positioned at 137 degreed West to watch the western half of the United States. Currently occupied by GOES-15. GOES-17 is scheduled to take over in May 2019 after a period of tandem operation. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geostationary_Operational_Environmental_Satellite)",
    "GOF": "Gulf of Fonseca, on the Pacific coast of Nicaragua and El Salvador",
    "GOH": "Gulf of Honduras (western Caribbean, separated from Bay of Campeche by the Yucatan peninsula)",
    "GOM": "Gulf of Mexico",
    "GOP": "Gulf of Panama, on the Pacific Panamanian coast",
    "GOT": "Gulf of Tehuantepec, on the Pacific coast of southern Mexico. Many Pacific hurricanes form here.",
    "GPM": "Global Precipitation Model/Global Precipitation Measurement satellite",
    "GUNA": "GFDI-UKMI-NGPI-AVNI model ensemble average",
    "GUNS": "GFDL-UKMET-NOGAPS model ensemble average",
    "GYX": "The Weather Forecast OFfice (WFO) in Gray, ME, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes southern Maine and New Hampshire. The NEXRAD radar located at the Gray, ME WFO.",
    "HAST": "Hawaiian-Aleutian Standard Time. The time in Hawaii year round (Honolulu), and the Aleutian Islands during winter (Adak Island). (UTC-10)",
    "HGX": "The Weather Forecast Office in Houston, TX, whose County Warning Area includes southeastern Texas. The NEXRAD radar located at the Houston WFO.",
    "HF": "High Frequency, that portion of the radio spectrum between 3 and 30 MHz, which offers very long range but requires large antennas.",
    "HK": "Hong Kong",
    "HL": "High-Level winds/conditions",
    "HMON": "Hurricanes in a Multi-scale Ocean-coupled Non-hydrostatic model.",
    "HOP": "Auto-HalfOp, an IRC Chanserv function which assigns a registered user channel halfop status as soon as they join the channel.",
    "HOU": "Houston, Texas. The IATA code for William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, TX.",
    "HRRR": "High Resolution Rapid Refresh. A numerical weather model with a 3-kilometer resolution.",
    "HWRF": "Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting model (from NCEP), a version of the WRF model designed for use in tropical cyclone forecasting.",
    "IAH": "The IATA airport code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.",
    "IATA": "International Air Transport Association. An airline trade association. IATA codes are three-character airport codes.",
    "ICAO": "International Civil Aviation Organization, a UN agency which helps regulates air traffic. ICAO codes are four-character airport codes. Mainland American airports begin with K, e.g. KIAH for George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. American airport ICAO codes are often the same as the IATA code, with the addition of the leading K. A list can be found at http://weather.rap.ucar.edu/surface/stations.txt",
    "IFR": "Instrument Flight Rules (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_flight_rules)",
    "ILM": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Wilmington, NC, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the Cape Fear and Grand Strand (Myrtle Beach, SC) areas. The IATA code for Wilmington International Airport.",
    "IMD": "India Meteorological Department, the RSMC for the northern Indian Ocean, including the Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, and the Straits of Malacca",
    "INVEST": "A weather system for which an RSMC is interested in collecting specialized data sets (e.g., microwave imagery) and/or running model guidance. The designation of an invest does not correspond to any particular likelihood of development into a tropical cyclone.",
    "IR": "Infrared satellite imagery",
    "ITCZ": "Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone",
    "J": "Juliett time, the NATO term for local time, whatever timezone that may be",
    "JAX": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Jacksonville, FL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes northeastern Florida and southeastern Georgia. The NEXRAD radar located at the Jacksonville, FL WFO.",
    "JFK": "The IATA code for John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.",
    "JMA": "Japan Meterological Agency (RSMC for the Western Pacific), located in Tokyo, Japan. Also issues weather forecasts and warnings for Japan.",
    "JTWC": "Joint Typhoon Warning Center. US military organization, based in Honolulu, which issues tropical cyclone warnings in the Northwest and Southern Pacific, and Indian Ocean",
    "JULIETT": "Juliett time, the NATO term for local time, whatever timezone that may be",
    "KEY": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Key West, FL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the Florida Keys.",
    "KIAH": "The ICAO airport code for George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas.",
    "KLIX": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Slidell, LA, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes New Orleans, LA. The NEXRAD radar located at the Slidell, LA WFO.",
    "KMSY": "The ICAO code for Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, LA, formerly known as Moisant Field, from which the code is derived.",
    "KNBG": "The ICAO code for New Orleans Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, located in Belle Chasse, LA.",
    "LBAR": "Limited area BARotropic, an NCEP model",
    "LGE": "Logistic Growth Equation, a modified SHIPS intensity model",
    "LCH": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Lake Charles, LA, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes southwestern Louisiana and Beaumont, TX. The NEXRAD radar located at the Lake Charles, LA WFO.",
    "LCL": "Lifted Condensation Level, the pressure level at which a parcel of air reaches saturation when lifted",
    "LGA": "The IATA airport code for LaGuardia Airport in New York City, NY",
    "LI": "Lifted Index, the temperature difference between the environment and an air parcel lifted adiabatically to 500mbar",
    "LIX": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Slidell, LA, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes New Orleans, LA and the Mississippi coast. The NEXRAD radar located at the Slidell, LA WFO.",
    "LL": "Lower Level winds/conditions",
    "LLCC": "Low Level Cloud Center",
    "LLJ": "Low level jet",
    "LOS": "Loss of Signal, or Line of Sight",
    "LTX": "The NEXRAD radar located at the Wilmington, NC WFO.",
    "LWX": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Sterling, VA, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes Baltimore and Washington, DC. The NEXRAD radar located at the Sterling, VA WFO.",
    "MDR": "Main Development Region, the region of the Atlantic north of the ITCZ, from 10°N to 20°N and 20°W to 80°W, wherein many hurricanes form.",
    "MEOW": "Maximum Envelope of Water or Maximum Envelope of Winds",
    "MESO": "Mesoscale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoscale_meteorology. Medium-sized, larger than micro- or storm-scale, but smaller than synoptic scale. Mesoscale Sector. On of two 1000km x 1000km box in which GOES-16 can acquire imagery every minute.",
    "METAR": "Meterological Aerodrome Report",
    "METEOSAT": "A group of geostationary weather satellites operated by EUMETSAT. There are three satellites in service: one covers Europe and Africa and the eastern Atlantic, one covers much of Asia and the Indian Ocean, and one covers Europe in rapid scan mode.",
    "MF": "Météo-France, whose office on the French island of La Reunion is the RSMC for the southwestern Indian Ocean",
    "MFL": "The Weather Forecast Office in Miami, FL, whose County Warning Area includes southern Florida.",
    "MFR": "Météo-France, whose office on the French island of La Reunion is the RSMC for the southwestern Indian Ocean",
    "MHX": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Morehead City, NC, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes most of the Outer Banks and eastern North Carolina. The NEXRAD radar located at the Morehead City, NC WFO.",
    "MIA": "Miami, Florida. The IATA code for Miami International Airport.",
    "MIATWO": "Tropical Weather Outlook (from NWS Miami)",
    "MIATWOAT": "Tropical Weather Outlook, Atlantic (from NWS Miami)",
    "MIATWOEP": "Tropical Weather Outlook, East Pacific (from NWS Miami)",
    "MIMIC": "Morphed Integrated Microwave Imagery at CIMSS",
    "MJO": "Madden–Julian oscillation, a large-scale oscillation (wave) in the equatorial region which enhances or suppresses rainfall in a cycle of 30-60 days. The MJO originates over the Indian Ocean and travels east at about 800 km per day (10m/s).",
    "ML": "Mid-Level winds/conditions",
    "MLB": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Melbourne, FL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes Orlando and Cape Canaveral, FL. The NEXRAD radar located at the Melbourne, FL WFO.",
    "MOB": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Mobile, AL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes Mobile Bay and Pensacola, FL. The NEXRAD radar located at the Mobile, AL WFO.",
    "MRF": "Medium Range Forecast.",
    "MSY": "The IATA code for Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans, LA, formerly known as Moisant Field, from which the code is derived.",
    "MVFR": "Marginal Visual Flight Rules",
    "NAM 3K": "North American Mesoscale model with a 3-kilometer grid size. A numerical weather model generated by NCEP.",
    "NAM": "North American Mesoscale model. A numerical weather model generated by NCEP.",
    "NASA": "National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Come on, you knew that, right?",
    "NAVGEM": "Navy Global Environmental Model (generated by NOAA)",
    "NBG": "The IATA code for New Orleans Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, located in Belle Chasse, LA.",
    "NCAR": "National Center for Atmospheric Research. (https://ncar.ucar.edu)",
    "NCEP": "National Centers for Environmental Prediction, an NWS entity serving as the parent for several other organizations, including the NHC, SPC, WPC, CPC, OPC, AWC, EMC, SWPC, and NCO. (http://www.ncep.noaa.gov)",
    "NCO": "NCEP Central Operations, executes the NCEP weather models and produces products for dissemination. (http://www.nco.ncep.noaa.gov/)",
    "NDBC": "(US) National Data Buoy Center",
    "NESDIS": "National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA department)",
    "NEXRAD": "NEXt generation RADar, operated by NWS. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NEXRAD)",
    "NHC": "National Hurricane Center, the NWS organization acting as the RSMC with responsibility for the North Atlantic and East Pacific basins, located in Miami, FL. (https://www.hurricanes.gov)",
    "NOAA": "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, responsible for US ~~generation~~ monitoring of the climate",
    "NOGAPS": "Naval Operational Global Atmospheric Prediction System, superceded by NAVGEM",
    "NOLA": "New Orleans, Louisiana",
    "NOTAM": "Notice to Airmen of flight hazards (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NOTAM)",
    "NOVA": "Northern Virginia",
    "NPP": "National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite",
    "NWS": "National Weather Service, American government agency responsible for issuing weather forecasts and warnings",
    "NYC": "New York City",
    "OBX": "Outer Banks (of North Carolina)",
    "OECD": "Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development",
    "OFCI": "Official NHC forecast (as seen on spaghetti plots) interpolated for the next 6 hours",
    "OFCL": "Official NHC forecast (as seen on spaghetti plots)",
    "OHC": "Ocean Heat Content, an integrated measurement of the ocean's thermal energy by considering water temperature from the surface to a depth of 700 meters, expressed in kJ•cm⁻²",
    "OKX": "The Weather Forecast Office in Upton, NY, whose County Warning Area includes the New York City area. The NEXRAD radar located at the Upton, NY WFO.",
    "OPC": "Ocean Prediction Center, the NWS organization which is responsible for forecasting marine weather conditions and icebergs at sea. (http://www.opc.ncep.noaa.gov/)",
    "OTS": "Out To Sea",
    "P-3": "Lockheed WP-3D Orion, weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA",
    "P3": "Lockheed WP-3D Orion, weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA",
    "PAGASA": "The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration; an agency of the Philippine government that issues typhoon forecasts and warnings for the Philippines.",
    "PHI": "The Weather Forecast Office in Mount Holly, NJ, whose County Warning Area includes Philadelphia and the Jersey shore. The NEXRAD radar located at the Mount Holly, NJ WFO.",
    "PNGNWS": "Papua New Guinea National Weather Service, the TCWC responsible for the area around Papua New Guinea, including the Bismarck Sea, Solomon Sea, and Gulf of Papua (Equator-10°S, 141°E-160°E)",
    "POES": "Polar Operational Environment Satellite (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/POES)",
    "POP": "Probability of Precipitation",
    "PR": "Puerto Rico",
    "PRC": "The People's Republic of China, capital Beijing. Controls mainland China.",
    "PSI DRACONIS": "The Bayer designation (also ψ Dra) for two angularly-close star systems (ψ¹ Dra and ψ² Dra) located in the constellation Draco. Initially thought to be a single star, it was later discovered to be two unrelated stars, ψ¹ Dra and ψ² Dra. Then ψ¹ Dra was found to be a binary star system—ψ¹ Dra A and ψ¹ Dra B. In 2015 ψ¹ Dra A itself was determined to be a binary system, with ψ¹ Dra C.",
    "PWAT": "Precipitable Water. The measure of the depth of liquid water at the surface that would result after precipitating all of the water vapor in a vertical column over a given location.",
    "RACES": "Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, an organization similar to ARES which provides communication support during disasters and emergencies. Often synonymous with whackers.",
    "RADAR": "Radio Detection and Ranging.",
    "RAMMB": "Regional and Mesoscale Meteorology Branch",
    "RAMSDIS": "RAMMB Advanced Meteorological Satellite Demonstration and Interpretation System",
    "RAP": "Rapid Refresh model. A numerical weather model similar to the HRRR but with lower resolution.",
    "REACT": "Radio Emergency Associated Communication Team. More ham radio whackers.",
    "RFD": "Rear Flank Downdraft. A feature seen in tornadoes",
    "RI": "Rapid Intensification",
    "ROC": "The Republic of China, capital Taipei. Controls Taiwan and some surrounding islands. Also, Regional Operations Center.",
    "RQ-4": "Northrop-Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, a large, high-altitude unmanned weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NASA",
    "RQ4": "Northrop-Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk, a large, high-altitude unmanned weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NASA",
    "RSMC": "Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (The NHC is the RSMC for Atlantic and East Pacific cyclones)",
    "RUD": "Rapid Unplanned Disassembly. A euphemism used in the space launch industry for an exploding rocket.",
    "SAL": "Saharan Air Layer. An extremely hot, dry, and dusty layer which can inhibit tropical cyclones in the Atlantic.",
    "SCADA": "Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition remote monitoring and control (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SCADA)",
    "SCAT": "Scatterometer mounted on POES, measures ocean wind speeds",
    "SCS": "South China Sea",
    "SFMR": "Stepped-Frequency Microwave Radiometer, an instrument which measures wind speeds at the ocean surface, or its measurements",
    "SH/TS": "Showers/Thunderstorms. Often seen in AFDs (Area Forecast Discussions).",
    "SHIFOR": "Statistical Hurricane Intensity FORecast",
    "SHIPS": "Statistical Hurricane Intensity Prediction Scheme, a statistical-dynamical hurricane intensity model",
    "SHTS": "Showers/Thunderstorms. Often seen in AFDs (Area Forecast Discussions).",
    "SJU": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in San Juan, Puerto Rico, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. The NEXRAD radar located at the San Juan WFO.",
    "SLIDER": "Satellite Loop Interactive Data Explorer in Real-time. A satellite data viewer (http://rammb-slider.cira.colostate.edu)",
    "SLOSH": "Sea Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes storm model",
    "SOP": "Standard Operating Procedure",
    "SPC": "Storm Prediction Center, the NWS organization responsible for forecasting the risk of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes in the CONUS. Products include ACs: convective outlooks; and MCDs: mesoscale convective discussions. (https://www.spc.noaa.gov)",
    "SPORT": "Short-term Prediction Research and Transition Center. A NASA satellite observation research group. (https://weather.msfc.nasa.gov/sport)",
    "SRSO": "Super-Rapid Scan Operations (1-minute satellite imagery)",
    "SRSOR": "Super-Rapid Scan Operations (1-minute satellite imagery) from GOES",
    "SS": "Storm Surge",
    "SSHWS": "Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, the hurrican classification scheme used by the NHC for storms in the Atlantic, East Pacific, and Central Pacific basins",
    "SST": "Sea Surface Temperature",
    "ST": "St, stratus clouds, one of the primary cloud genera. https://cloudatlas.wmo.int/en/stratus-st.html",
    "STS": "Severe Tropical Storm, a classification used by the JMA for storms in the northwest Pacific, as well as MF for southwestern Indian Ocean storms. Spanning from 48 to 63 kts, it is equivalent to a strong tropical storm to a low-end Category 1 hurricane on the SSHWS",
    "SWPC": "Space Weather Prediction Center, the NWS organization responsible for monitoring Earth's space environment, forecasting space weather, and issuing space weather alerts. (https://www.swpc.noaa.gov)",
    "T&C": "Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the Bahamas",
    "TAF": "Terminal Aerodrome Forecast",
    "TAFB": "Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (at NHC)",
    "TBSS": "Three-Body Scatter Spike, aka Hail Spike. An anomalous return on radar, in the form of a tail extending radially away from the radar site, when the beam encounters heavy hail in a thunderstorm.",
    "TBW": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Ruskin, FL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the Tampa Bay area and Sarasota, FL. The NEXRAD radar located at the Ruskin, FL WFO.",
    "TCB": "Transverse Cirrus Banding (or Bands), bands of cirrus clouds extending radially around a tropical system, with an appearance somewhat like spikes or eyelashes. An indication of healthy outflow and, possibly, strengthening",
    "TCFA": "Tropical Cyclone Formation Alert. A product from JTWC or FWCN warning of a probable impending cyclone formation.",
    "TCI": "Turks and Caicos Islands, southeast of the Bahamas",
    "TCPOD": "Tropical Cyclone Plan of the Day, the day's schedule for aircraft reconnaissance, listing which planes are going where to do what and when, listed on the NHC's site.",
    "TCWC": "Tropical Cyclone Warning Center, essentially the same thing as an RSMC",
    "TD": "Tropical Depression",
    "TLH": "The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Tallahassee, FL, whose County Warning Area (CWA) includes the central Florida Panhandle, southwestern Georgia, and Dothan, AL. The NEXRAD radar located at the Tallahassee, FL WFO.",
    "TMFM": "Too Many Fu--- Finely-detailed Models (http://derecho.math.uwm.edu/models/models.html)",
    "TOR": "Tornado. Used in NWS warnings",
    "TORE": "Tornado Emergency, an enhanced tornado warning indicating a threat to highly populated areas",
    "TORR": "Tornado Reported (meaning confirmed by a spotter on the ground)",
    "TPW": "Total Precipitable Water",
    "TS": "Tropical Storm or Thunderstorm",
    "TSB": "Technical Support Branch (at NHC)",
    "TSTM": "Thunderstorm",
    "TW": "Tropical Wave, a type of atmospheric trough—an elongated area of relatively low air pressure—oriented north to south, which moves from east to west across the tropics, causing areas of cloudiness and thunderstorms. They can be the seed from which tropical cyclones grow.",
    "TWC": "The Weather Channel, American television outlet focusing on the weather. Headquartered in Atlanta, GA.",
    "TWOAT": "Tropical Weather Outlook, Atlantic",
    "TWOEP": "Tropical Weather Outlook, East Pacific",
    "U-2": "Lockheed U-2 a very high-altitude research and reconnaissance aircraft operated by NASA, which is occasionally used to investigate hurricanes. Several versions exist, including the ER-2 and TR-1. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2)",
    "U2": "Lockheed U-2 a very high-altitude research and reconnaissance aircraft operated by NASA, which is occasionally used to investigate hurricanes. Several versions exist, including the ER-2 and TR-1. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_U-2)",
    "UCAR": "University Corporation for Atmospheric Research",
    "UKMET": "United Kingdom Meteorological Office unified model. As of 2017, this model generally performs in second place after the ECMWF model.",
    "UL": "Upper Level winds/conditions",
    "ULL": "Upper Level Low, a cyclonic disturbence in the upper atmosphere",
    "USACE": "United States Army Corps of Engineers",
    "USAF": "United States Air Force",
    "USCG": "United States Coast Guard",
    "USGS": "United States Geological Survey",
    "USN": "United States Navy",
    "USAR": "Urban Search and Rescue",
    "USVI": "United States Virgin Islands",
    "UTC": "Coordinated Universal Time, the standard time used by meteorologists and forecasts worldwide. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time)",
    "VFR": "Visual Flight Rules (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_flight_rules)",
    "VIIRS": "Visible/Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, instrument on the NPP satellite",
    "VIS": "Visible-light satellite imagery",
    "VOP": "Auto-VoiceOp, an IRC Chanserv function which assigns a registered user channel voice status as soon as they join the channel.",
    "VORT": "Vorticity. Angular velocity around a point. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vorticity)",
    "VT": "Valid Time",
    "WB-57": "Martin WB-57F Canberra, a highly modified bomber aircraft reconfigured for high-altitude weather reconnaissance, operated by NASA",
    "WC-130": "Lockheed WC-130J, weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by the US Air Force",
    "WFO": "Weather Forecast Office. The National Weather Service facility serving a given area. (List of WFOs: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Weather_Service_Weather_Forecast_Offices)",
    "WMO": "World Meteorological Organisation",
    "WP-3": "Lockheed WP-3D Orion, a weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA. NOAA has two of these aircraft, named *Miss Piggy* and *Kermit*.",
    "WP3": "Lockheed WP-3D Orion, a weather reconnaissance aircraft operated by NOAA. NOAA has two of these aircraft, named *Miss Piggy* and *Kermit*.",
    "WPAC": "West Pacific Ocean",
    "WPC": "Weather Prediction Center, the NWS organization responsible for quantitative precipitation forecasting, medium-range (3-8 days) forecasting, and NWP model interpretation. (https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov)",
    "WRF": "The Weather Research and Forecasting model, a weather model developed by NCAR and NOAA.",
    "WST": "Western Standard Time. The time in western Australia all year (Perth, UTC+8)",
    "WV": "Water Vapor",
    "WX": "Weather",
    "Z": "NATO timezone designator for UTC",
    "ZULU": "NATO timezone designator for UTC"
}