Ice pellets during Sudal?

[senorpepr]

I noticed some people on other boards talking about Yap reporting ice pellets during the typhoon. I figured I should address the issue here. Yap actually didn't report ice pellets. What happened was an encoding error that was picked up by weather underground and NWS.

Here's the METAR in question:
PTYA 090050Z 07054G80KT 1SM PLUS SHRA BKN004 OVC009CB 24/19 A2930 RMK PK WND 07095/08 CB VC ALQDS MOV W SLP585 T02440187;

The observation was encoded PLUS SHRA instead of +SHRA. The PL, in METAR code, stands for ice pellets. Therefore the computer read PLUS SHRA, dropping the US on PLUS (since it doesn't fit into METAR) thus giving the report of ice pellets and moderate rainshowers instead of heavy rainshowers.

Hopefully this clears up some confusion.

[hurricanemike]

NO ICE PELLETS...they spelled out PLUS as in +SHRA (Heavy Rain Showers)

[ColdFront77]

I don't believe the majority here knows how to read METAR's.

[senorpepr]

NO ICE PELLETS...they spelled out PLUS as in +SHRA (Heavy Rain Showers)

Exactly... well said. I may have been unclear in what I wrote earlier... I had just woke up But in a nut shell, there were NO ice pellets, they spelled out PLUS instead of +.

I don't believe the majority here knows how to read METAR's.

Tom, I understand a majority of the viewers here don't know how to read METAR. That's exactly why I started this thread, to help clear up some of the confusion. Maybe I'll write a little blurb in here about reading METAR reports. Once you get the hang of it, it's really easy.

[ColdFront77]

No one else is bringing the issue up and it could take longer for some to grasp what order the different information is put in no matter how he/she has learned things over the years.

[senorpepr]

Here's some good reading material about METARs.

http://www.e-publishing.af.mil/pubfiles ... 15-111.pdf

Of course, it's very technical and ...being writen by the military... can be confusing to read. I'm sure there are many here, though, that will be glad to answer any questions in regards to observing and METAR observations.