ASOS myopically reports conditions when unattended. It won’t spew out random observations, but it can’t be counted on for an accurate and complete picture in all situations.
The ASOS blind spot
Key Takeaways:
- Automated Surface Observing Systems (ASOS) provide an incomplete and sometimes inaccurate picture of weather conditions due to sensor limitations, such as an inability to report weather outside the sensor array, differentiate all precipitation types, or reliably detect drizzle.
- Pilots must distinguish between ASOS and less regulated AWOS systems, as only AWOS can report drizzle, often based on less stringent criteria, which has significant implications for visibility and icing.
- ASOS has a critical "lockout period" near the top of each hour during which it cannot issue special weather reports (SPECIs), meaning significant and rapidly changing weather conditions may go unreported to pilots and forecasters.
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