What the heck happened here?

[azure]

KJXN 261756Z 17009G63KT 10SM BKN036 OVC043 M01/M07 A2981 RMK AO2 PK WND 33063/1750 SLP104 60001 T10111072 11006 21028 58012

Freak gust? Propwash?

 

[SCCutler]

Member of congress?

 

[ScottM]

Member of congress?

Plane load of lawyers?

Oh wait...samething

 

[Let'sgoflying!]

anyone remember what the $ means? Might be a clue

 

[Ted]

anyone remember what the $ means? Might be a clue

Was thinking that... reporting station needs maintenance.

 

[azure]

anyone remember what the $ means? Might be a clue

Good observation! I didn't bother to check the METARs that followed, but that's when they started adding it. As Ted says, it means that "an automated system detected that the system needs maintenance", according to AC 00-45F.

 

[Ted]

Understood that it may not mean the data is erroneous, Scott, but if you're seeing a number that doesn't look plausible with a $, then that might be an indication to look closer, which was my point.

 

[azure]

Understood that it may not mean the data is erroneous, Scott, but if you're seeing a number that doesn't look plausible with a $, then that might be an indication to look closer, which was my point.

Looking at the reports for the last 24 hours, the only ones that had the maintenance indicator were the four preceding the one with the ridiculously high peak wind gust, and none of the following ones had it. That makes me wonder if they might have been performing the maintenance at the time that reading was taken, and something they were doing was responsible for the crazy value.

 

[DutchessFlier]

We could add a new designator to the METARS/TAFS:
-FLP Light Flapping
FLP Moderate Flapping
+FLP Strong Flapping

to indicate bird induced wind readouts

 

[Ted]

So how would the large bird cause that erroneous readout?

 

[AdamB]

So how would the large bird cause that erroneous readout?

Maybe he was breathing pretty heavy.

 

[kevin47881]

Well, here's the answer...

From the NWS out of Grand Rapids:

Thanks for digging out an answer, Scott.

 

[Trapper John]

We could add a new designator to the METARS/TAFS:
-FLP Light Flapping
FLP Moderate Flapping
+FLP Strong Flapping

to indicate bird induced wind readouts

But we'd have to use French, since that's the convention...

Something like, "battement", -BA, BA, +BA?


Trapper John

 

[Ted]

Thanks for the info, Scott!