GM1 ADR.OPS.A.057(d)(4) Origination of NOTAM

SNOWTAM FORMAT

The way to complete correctly a SNOWTAM format when initiating a SNOWTAM is indicated below.

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 purposes and should not be included in the messages. The letters M (mandatory), C (conditional) and O (optional) mark the usage and information and should be included as explained below.

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

(d) The maximum validity of SNOWTAM is 8 hours. A new SNOWTAM should be issued whenever a new RCR 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) are 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 the repeated Item B, the latest date/time of observation/assessment is inserted in the abbreviated heading (MMYYGGgg).

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

(h) For readability purposes for the SNOWTAM message, a linefeed would 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 RWYCC is reported 1‑5)

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 should be inserted for each runway and always the lower number.

Item D — RWYCC 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 is 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 is 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 is only provided for the following contamination types:

— standing water, value to be reported 04, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm;

— slush, value to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 3 mm;

— wet snow, value to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 5 mm; and

— dry snow, value to be reported 03, then assessed value. Significant changes 20 mm.

— When the conditions are not reported, this is 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, is 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 is signified by the insertion of ‘NR’ for the appropriate runway third(s).

Item H — Width of runway to which the RWYCCs apply. The width in metres if less than the published runway width is inserted.

3. Situational awareness section

Elements in the situational awareness section 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, are left out completely.

Item I — Reduced runway length. The applicable runway designator and available length in metres is 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, the lower runway designator is 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 is 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 application of chemical treatment has been reported, the lower runway designator is 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 is 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) is (are) 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’ are 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’ is inserted (TWY [n or nn] POOR or TWYS [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’ is inserted (APRON [nnnn] POOR or APRONS [nnnn]/[nnnn]/… POOR or ALL APRONS POOR).

Item S — NR (not reported).

Item T — Plain-language remarks.