METAR & TAF REPORTS

Let’s look at the first two columns where it says METAR or SPECI, followed by the airport identifier.

At the beginning of the report, you may see either METAR or SPECI, followed immediately by the airport identifier where the report is being issued (i.e. KINK, KBOI, KLAX, KMDW, KFJK).

• METAR indicates a routine, scheduled observation.
• SPECI signals an unscheduled report released when weather conditions change significantly between routine updates. A SPECI reflects time-critical changes, such as visibility, ceiling, wind, or active weather, and represents the most current conditions at that airport. SPECI reports takes precedence over the last routine METAR for flight planning and decision-making.

Immediately following the METAR/SPECI and the Airport identifier, we see the report’s issue time.

In the example above, we can see that the the METAR report for KINK was issued at 121845Z, meaning the 12th day of the month at 18:45 Zulu.

Following the issue time, the weather conditions are listed.

We’ll cover how to interpret each element below, but for now, simply note where this information appears in the report immediately after the issue time.

Now you can know the METAR report is broken up by the 1.) Report Type and Airport identifier, 2.) Report Issue Time, and 3.) Current Weather Elements.

Next let’s break down the weather elements:

The visual aid below will give you an overview of what a METAR report will let you.

Before you’re about to take flight, you’ll want crucial weather information for your flight, such as the wind speed, visibility, sky condition, cloud coverage, temperature, dew point, and even atmospheric pressure. This information gives you the perfect immediate snapshot of the weather in the area you intend to fly, so you can make a solid and safe decision about taking flight.

The report was issued on the 12th day of the month at 18:45 Zulu Time.

When checking on wind information using a METAR report you’ll see what direction the wind is blowing from, the wind speed in knots, and wind gust speed in knots.

– Note wind speed is reported in knots, not miles per hour.

The first three digits indicate the wind direction in degrees, and the following two digits represent the wind speed in knots. If there is a “G” followed by additional digits, this indicates gust speeds.

These 3 elements are broken up as follows on the report for KINK, in the order stated:

• 110 = Wind Direction
• 12 = Wind Speed in knots
• G18KT – Wind Gust Speed in knots

Another example would be, “25015G25” means winds from 250 degrees at 15 knots with gusts up to 25 knots.

If no “G” (gust) value appears, the reported wind speed represents sustained winds only.

For example:

• 32010KT means wind is from 320° at a sustained speed of 10 knots.
• Because there is no “G” value, no gusting winds are being reported

When gusts are present, they are explicitly shown using a “G” followed by the gust speed. If you don’t see a “G”, you should expect steady, sustained winds at the listed speed, not gusting conditions.

Next we see the visibility, which is displayed in statute miles. Remember that FAA requires visibility to be at least 3 SM to fly legally and safely. Anything below that means you’re at risk.

In this example the visibility is 15 statute miles.

Other Notes:

At times, you may see a “P” before the visibility value in a METAR report.

The “P” stands for “greater than.”

This means the visibility is greater than the value shown, but the exact distance is not specified.

• For example: P6SM = Visibility is greater than 6 statute miles

This is commonly used when visibility is very good and exceeds the maximum value typically reported.

– Note: Visibility is always reported in Statute Miles (SM).

In the METAR report for KINK, the sky condition is listed as SKC. SKC stands for Clear Skies. In other words, the sky is clear of cloud coverage.

Cloud Code Types:

There are several other cloud coverage codes you’ll commonly see in METAR reports. These codes describe how much of the sky is covered by clouds.

Some common examples include:

• SKC – Sky Clear – No clouds are present in the sky.
• FEW – Few clouds – Only a small amount of the sky is covered by clouds.
• SCT – Scattered clouds – Clouds cover a moderate portion of the sky, with plenty of open sky still visible.
• BKN – Broken clouds – Sky is significantly covered, but not fully overcast
• OVC – Overcast skies – The sky is completely covered by clouds, with little to no open sky visible.

Each of these tells you how much of the sky is covered, ranging from clear and sunny to completely overcast.

25/17 indicates the temperature and dew point in degrees Celsius, which are listed after the cloud coverage information.

• Temperature: 25°C
• Dew Point: 17°C

– Note: Temperature is always reported in degrees Celsius, not Fahrenheit.

A3000 indicates that the altimeter setting (atmospheric pressure) at the station is 30.00 inches of mercury (inHg), with the ‘A’ signifying Altimeter and the following four digits representing the pressure value, common for aviation altimeters in the US.

How to decode A3000:

• A: Stands for Altimeter.
• 3000: Represents the pressure value of 30 inches