B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 179; Flight Crew Type 8600
Situational Awareness
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors; Weather
Upon pushback at ZZZ; ATIS A reported 3/4 mile visibility with light snow. This concurred with our snowfall intensity based upon visibility chart and our aircraft was deiced using 100% DOW UCAR AD-40 with a holdover time between 1+00 to 1+30 minutes. Upon completion of deicing; ATIS E reported 1/4 mile and heavy snow and an RVR of 2400 touchdown and 2600 rollout. The snowfall intensity based upon visibility chart does not have a holdover time for heavy snow in this case but it does contain an RVR component; which indicated that an RVR of 2400 equated to light snow.As we approached the end of Runway 01; the Tower reported RVR of 4000; but ATIS G reported 1/4 mile visibility and heavy snow.  Since the RVR is a reported measurement and the Tower visibility is subjective after discussion amongst ourselves we completed the cockpit inspection of the wings; finished our checklist; and departed without incident.  I did not complete the cabin wing inspection required in the AOM for heavy snow because I felt the reported RVR was a more accurate MEASUREMENT of visibility and reflected what I was seeing out my window.Recommendation: Determine and delineate which of these two sources takes precedence when determining snowfall intensity based upon visibility for the calculation of holdover times and required cabin/cockpit wing inspection.
[Report narrative contained no additional information]
B737-700 flight crew expressed concern they may not have complied with policy when they departed in snowy conditions without conducting a wing check from the cabin.