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| | Code Change For Ice Pellets (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-09) |
 | | Effective 0000UTC, November 5, 1998 the Aviation Routine Weather Report/Aviation Selected Special Weather (METAR/SPECI) code formats used in the United States of America (USA) for reporting ice pellets will change from "PE" to "PL." New USA observing policy/procedures will require that only "PL" be used to encode ice pellets starting November 5, 1998. |
 | | Furthermore, although the implementation on November 5, 1998 is planned to be a fully coordinated "turn-key" event, there may still be some observers who did not "get the word" and may incorrectly continue to use the obsolete "PE" code after 0000 UTC, November 5, 1998. |
 | | The ICAO Council in March 1998 adopted Amendment 71 to ICAO annex 3, Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation Standards, and recommended practices which detail the aviation requirements for meteorological services. |
| www.nws.noaa.gov /asos/icepell.htm (442 words) |
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