PURPOSE. This order prescribes aviation surface weather observing procedures and practices applicable to all FAA and FAA-contract personnel engaged in taking and reporting aviation surface observations, including Limited Aviation Weather Reporting Stations (LAWRS) personnel, Non-Federal Observation (NF-OBS) Program personnel, as well as United States Coast Guard (USCG) personnel as a component of the Department of Transportation (DOT). This order includes practices and procedures for both manual and automated observation locations. Also included are practices and procedures for augmentation of automated observations and backup information in the event of system failure, erroneous or non-representative data. These procedures and practices are intended to provide a framework for identifying meteorological phenomena of importance to aviation and reporting their occurrence.