unknown precipitation??

A

azmedic

Well-Known Member
I'm a current ADX student and was just checking out the weather where I am at and came across this. I can say during all my years of being a pilot I don't think I've seen this one or maybe just never paid attention. Is it fairly common?
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KEAU 281726Z 32013KT 10SM UP BKN012 OVC020 01/M02 A2949 RMK AO2 RAB07E22UPB22 P0000 T00111017
 
I think this happens when the ASOS can't figure out definitively what type of precip the sensors are encountering. From Wikipedia: "If precipitation is determined to be falling, but the pattern is not conclusively identified as either rain or snow, unknown precipitation is reported. Automated airport weather stations are not yet able to report hail, ice pellets, and various other intermediate forms of precipitation."

Full entry here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_airport_weather_station
 
Awesome. Thanks. That makes sense though. It couldn't quite make up its mind what it wanted to do here. As I type this it just started snowing again.


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Happens quite a bit up here in Alaska, especially with how crap our winters have been lately (Anchorage is currently experiencing the 2nd lowest snowfall winter on record, whereas just about 3 or 4 years ago we broke the snowfall record). But @manniax is on point, it's generally seen when it's an automated system and the sensors are unable to determine the type of precip.
 
Look at the temperature. If it's anywhere near freezing if probably can't tell it's a sleet/rain/snow mix. If it's well on one side or the other of the freezing point, well...
 
MAK49 said:
Happens quite a bit up here in Alaska, especially with how crap our winters have been lately (Anchorage is currently experiencing the 2nd lowest snowfall winter on record, whereas just about 3 or 4 years ago we broke the snowfall record). But @manniax is on point, it's generally seen when it's an automated system and the sensors are unable to determine the type of precip.
Click to expand...
This is standard operating procedure on the Aleutian chain
 
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