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Acronyms in SPC Technical Discussions
This is a list of acronyms and abbreviations SPC frequently uses in our products.
NOTE: Weather station IDs referenced in SPC outlooks and other NWS products may be found by state in this List of Surface Stations by Greg Thompson of UCAR.
NOTE: More glossary terms can be found in the NWS Glossary page.
ACARS Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System
ACCAS Altocumulus Castellanus
AOA At or Above
AOB At or Below
ARKLATEX Arkansas/Louisiana/Texas region
ASOS Automated Surface Observing System
ATTM At this time
AWIPS Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System
AWOS Automated Weather Observation System
BRN Bulk Richardson Number
BWER Bounded Weak Echo Region
CAA Cold Air Advection
CAPE Convective Available Potential Energy
SBCAPE CAPE calculated using a Surface based parcel
MUCAPE CAPE calculated using a parcel from a pressure level that results in the Most Unstable CAPE possible
MLCAPE CAPE calculated using a parcel consisting of Mean Layer values of temperature and moisture from the lowest 100 mb above ground level
*NAM/GFS* SBCAPE SBCAPE values obtained using NAM/GFS model soundings
*NAM/GFS* MUCAPE MUCAPE values obtained using NAM/GFS model soundings
*NAM/GFS* MLCAPE MLCAPE values obtained using NAM/GFS model soundings substitute model preference. For more information on the origin of these instability acronyms, click here.
CB Cumulonimbus
CCL Convective Condensation Level
CIN Convective Inhibition
CONUS Continental United States
CSI Conditional Symmetric Instability
CU Cumulus cloud
DCVA Differential Cyclonic Vorticity Advection
DELMARVA Delaware/Maryland/Virginia
DPVA Differential Positive Vorticity Advection (same as DCVA in Northern Hemisphere)
ECMWF European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecastingmodel
EHI Energy Helicity Index
EL Equilibrium Level
ELY Easterly
EML Elevated Mixed Layer
ERN Eastern
FFG Flash Flood Guidance
FROPA Frontal Passage
FRZLVL Freezing Level
GEFS Global Ensemble Forecast System (same as MREF)
GFS Global Forecast System: A global numerical forecast model used to support multi-day and multi-week forecasts wordwide
GOES Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite
HPC Hydrometeorological Prediction Center
HRRR High-resolution Rapid Refresh model
INVOF In Vicinity of
IR Infrared
J/KG Joules per Kilogram
LI Lifted Index
SBLI LI calculated using surfaced based parcel
MULI LI calculated using a parcel from the pressure level that results in the Most Unstable value (lowest value) of LI possible
MLLI LI calculated using a parcel consisting of Mean Layer values of temperature and moisture from the lowest 100 mb above ground level
*NAM/GFS* SBLI SBLI values obtained from NAM/GFS model soundings
*NAM/GFS* MULI MULI values obtained from NAM/GFS model soundings
*NAM/GFS* MLLI MLLI values obtained from NAM/GFS model soundings
*NAM/GFS* LI LI gridpoint values calculated by NAM/GFS model postprocessing
*RUC* LI LI gridpoint values calculated in-house using values from the RUC model **substitute model preference. For more information on the origin of these instability acronyms, click here.
NHC National Hurricane Center
NRN Northern
LCL Lifted Condensation Level
LEWP Line Echo Wave Pattern
LFC Level of Free Convection
LLJ Low Level Jet
M2/S2 m2/s2 (meters squared per second squared, equivalent to J/kg)
MAX Maximum
MB Millibars
MCC Mesoscale Convective Complex
MCD Mesoscale Discussion
MCS Mesoscale Convective System
MCV Mesoscale Convective Vorticity
MOS Model Output Statistics
MREF Medium-range Ensemble Forecast model suite
NAM North American Model: A regional numerical forecast model used to support multi day forecasts over North America
NCEP National Centers for Environmental Prediction
NHC National Hurricane Center
NLY Northerly
NRN Northern
NVA Negative Vorticity Advection
PV Potential Vorticity
PVA Positive Vorticity Advection
QG Quasigeostrophic
QLCS Quasi-linear Convective System
QPFERD NCEP Excessive Rainfall Discussion
QPFHSD NCEP Heavy Snow Discussion
QPFPFD NCEP Precipitation Forecast Discussion
RAOB Radiosonde Observation
RR Rapid Refresh: A regional numerical forecast model refreshed frequently to support the need for near-term forecasts over the United States (RUC successor)
RUC Rapid Update Cycle: A regional numerical forecast model refreshed frequently to support the need for near-term forecasts over the United States (RR predecessor)
SLY Southerly
SPC Storm Prediction Center
SPENES NESDIS Satellite Precipitation Estimates
SRH Storm Relative Helicity
SREF Short Range Ensemble Forecast
SRN Southern
SWODY1 Severe Weather Outlook - Day 1
SWODY2 Severe Weather Outlook - Day 2
SWODY3 Severe Weather Outlook - Day 3
TC Tropical Cyclone
TCU Towering Cumulus
TD Tropical Depression
TS Tropical Storm
TSTM Thunderstorm
UKMET United Kingdom METeorological Office Model
ULJ Upper Level Jet
UVV Upward Vertical Velocity
VWP VAD (Velocity-azimuth Display) Wind Profile
VIL Vertically Integrated Liquid
WAA Warm Air Advection
WFO (NWS) Weather Forecast Office
WLY Westerly
WRF Weather Research and Forecasting Model
WRN Western
WW Severe Thunderstorm or Tornado Watch
Z "Zulu" time, same as GMT (Greenwich Mean Time), UTC and military time. Add 6 hours to Central Standard Time or 5 hours to Central Daylight Time.
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