AN ACR CAPT COMPLAINS THAT THE NEW ICAO WX FORMAT IS DIFFICULT TO INTERPRET. HE ALSO SAID THAT THE TEMP SCALE IS UNFAMILIAR TO HIM AND DIFFICULT TO RELATE TO FAHRENHEIT SCALE.

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I FEEL THE CHANGE IN WX FORMAT AND TEMP SCALE IN THE UNITED STATES IS UNNECESSARY AND A DETRIMENT TO SAFETY. ADMITTEDLY; MY WINDOW ON THE BIG PICTURE IS SMALL BUT THIS CHANGE DOES NOT APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY. IT IS AS CONFUSING AND MAKES ABOUT AS MUCH SENSE AS THE RENAMING OF THE TXWYS AT THE DFW ARPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR SAID THAT THE NEW ICAO STANDARD WX RPTS ARE MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO READ AND INTERPRET THAN THE RPTS USED IN DOMESTIC UNITED STATES OPS PRIOR TO THIS RECENT CHANGE. THE RPTR COMPLAINED ABOUT THE FORMAT IN GENERAL AND THE FACT THAT THE WINDS ARE SHOWN BEFORE THE CLOUD COVER AND VISIBILITY. THE RPTR ALLEGED THAT THIS WAS PART OF THE GENERAL MOVEMENT TO HAVE A NUMBER OF INSTITUTIONS ADOPT INTL VERSUS 'AMERICAN' STANDARDS. THE RPTR CLAIMED TO HAVE RECEIVED LITTLE TRAINING ON READING THE NEW FORMAT WX RPTS; BUT ADMITTED TO HAVING FLOWN INTERNATIONALLY AND HAVING TO INTERPRET THIS SAME FORMAT. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE HAD NOT RECEIVED A DOT APPROVED BOOKLET ON THE NEW FORMAT. THE RPTR DID RECEIVE A RESPONSE FROM HIS COMPANY CONCERNING HIS COMPLAINT AND HE SAID THAT THEY HAVE AGREED THAT WHILE THE FORMAT IS DIFFERENT; THE FORMAT IS THE STANDARD AND THE COMPANY DOES NOT THINK THAT SAFETY WAS COMPROMISED.