Appendix 3

SNOWTAM FORMAT

INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE SNOWTAM FORMAT

1.General

(a)When reporting on more than one runway, repeat Items B to H (aeroplane performance calculation section).

(b)The letters used to indicate items are only used for reference purpose and shall not be included in the messages. The letters, M (mandatory), C (conditional) and O (optional) mark the usage and information and shall be included as explained below.

(c)Metric units shall be used and the unit of measurement shall not be reported.

(d)The maximum validity of SNOWTAM is 8 hours. New SNOWTAM shall be issued whenever a new runway condition report is received.

(e)A SNOWTAM cancels the previous SNOWTAM.

(f)The abbreviated heading ‘TTAAiiii CCCC MMYYGGgg (BBB)’ is included to facilitate the automatic processing of SNOWTAM messages in computer databanks. The explanation of these symbols is: TT = data designator for SNOWTAM = SW; AA = geographical designator for Member States, e.g. LF = FRANCE; iiii = SNOWTAM serial number in a four-digit group; CCCC = four-letter location indicator of the aerodrome to which the SNOWTAM refers; MMYYGGgg = date/time of observation/measurement, whereby: MM = month, e.g. January = 01, December = 12; YY = day of the month; GGgg = time in hours (GG) and minutes (gg) UTC;

(BBB)= optional group for: Correction, in the case of an error, to a SNOWTAM message previously disseminated with the same serial number = COR. Brackets in (BBB) shall be used to indicate that this group is optional. When reporting on more than one runway and individual dates/times of observation/assessment are indicated by repeated Item B, the latest date/time of observation/assessment shall be inserted in the abbreviated heading (MMYYGGgg).

(g)The text ‘SNOWTAM’ in the SNOWTAM Format and the SNOWTAM serial number in a four-digit group shall be separated by a space, e.g. SNOWTAM 0124.

(h)For readability purposes for the SNOWTAM message, a linefeed shall be included after the SNOWTAM serial number, after Item A, and after the aeroplane performance calculation section.

(i)When reporting on more than one runway, repeat the information in the aeroplane performance calculation section from the date and time of assessment for each runway before the information in the situational awareness section.

(j)Mandatory information is: 1) AERODROME LOCATION INDICATOR; 2) DATE AND TIME OF ASSESSMENT; 3) LOWER RUNWAY DESIGNATOR NUMBER; 4) RUNWAY CONDITION CODE FOR EACH RUNWAY THIRD; and 5) CONDITION DESCRIPTION FOR EACH RUNWAY THIRD (when runway condition code (RWYCC) is reported 0–6)

2.Aeroplane performance calculation section Item A — Aerodrome location indicator (four-letter location indicator). Item B — Date and time of assessment (eight-figure date/time group giving time of observation as month, day, hour and minute in UTC). Item C — Lower runway designator number ( nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R]). Only one runway designator shall be inserted for each runway and always the lower number. Item D — Runway condition code for each runway third. Only one digit (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6) is inserted for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke (n/n/n). Item E — Per cent coverage for each runway third. When provided, insert 25, 50, 75 or 100 for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke ([n]nn/[n]nn/[n]nn). This information shall be provided only when there is a condition description for each runway third (Item G) that has been reported other than ‘DRY’. When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s). Item F — Depth of loose contaminant for each runway third. When provided, insert in millimetres for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke (nn/nn/nn or nnn/nnn/nnn). This information shall only be provided for the following contamination types: standing water, values to be reported 04, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm; slush, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm; wet snow, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 5 mm; and dry snow, values to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 20 mm. When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s). Item G — Condition description for each runway third. Any of the following condition descriptions for each runway third, separated by an oblique stroke, shall be inserted.

COMPACTED SNOW

DRY SNOW

DRY SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW

DRY SNOW ON TOP OF ICE

FROST

ICE

SLIPPERY WET

SLUSH

SPECIALLY PREPARED WINTER RUNWAY

STANDING WATER

WATER ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW

WET

WET ICE

WET SNOW

WET SNOW ON TOP OF COMPACTED SNOW

WET SNOW ON TOP OF ICE DRY (only reported when there is no contaminant) When the conditions are not reported, this shall be signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s). Item H — Width of runway to which the runway condition codes apply. The width in metres, if less than the published runway width, shall be inserted.

3.Situational awareness section Elements in the situational awareness section shall end with a full stop. Elements in the situational awareness section for which no information exists, or where the conditional circumstances for publication are not fulfilled, shall be left out completely. Item I — Reduced runway length. The applicable runway designator and available length in metres shall be inserted (e.g. RWY nn [L] or nn [C] or nn [R] REDUCED TO [n]nnn). This information is conditional when a NOTAM has been published with a new set of declared distances. Item J — Drifting snow on the runway. When reported, ‘DRIFTING SNOW’ shall be inserted with a space ‘DRIFTING SNOW’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] DRIFTING SNOW). Item K — Loose sand on the runway. When loose sand is reported on the runway, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘LOOSE SAND’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] LOOSE SAND). Item L — Chemical treatment on the runway. When chemical treatment has been reported applied, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘CHEMICALLY TREATED’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] CHEMICALLY TREATED). Item M — Snowbanks on the runway. When snowbanks are reported present on the runway, the lower runway designator shall be inserted with a space ‘SNOWBANK’ and with a space left ‘L’ or right ‘R’ or both sides ‘LR’, followed by the distance in metres from centre line separated by a space ‘FM CL’ (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] SNOWBANK Lnn or Rnn or LRnn FM CL). Item N — Snowbanks on a taxiway. When snowbanks are present on taxiway(s), the taxiway(s) designator(s) shall be inserted with a space ‘SNOWBANKS’ (TWY [nn]n or TWYS [nn]n/[nn]n/[nn]n… or ALL TWYS SNOWBANKS). Item O — Snowbanks adjacent to the runway. When snowbanks are reported present, penetrating the height profile in the aerodrome snow plan, the lower runway designator and ‘ADJ SNOWBANKS’ shall be inserted (RWY nn or RWY nn[L] or nn[C] or nn[R] ADJ SNOWBANKS). Item P — Taxiway conditions. When taxiway conditions are reported slippery or poor, the taxiway designator followed by a space ‘POOR’ shall be inserted (TWY [n or nn] POOR or TWYS [n or nn]/[n or nn]/[n or nn] POOR… or ALL TWYS POOR). Item R — Apron conditions. When apron conditions are reported slippery or poor, the apron designator followed by a space ‘POOR’ shall be inserted (APRON [nnnn] POOR or APRONS [nnnn]/[nnnn]/[nnnn] POOR or ALL APRONS POOR). Item S — (NR) Not reported. Item T — Plain-language remarks.