How to Read a METAR

METAR (METeorological Aerodrome Report) are issued every hour at each reporting locations that reports the current weather valid for 1 hour. METARs are used by pilots, dispatchers, and ATC to obtain current weather information at the location.

Check out your local's airport METAR by entering its 4 digit ICAO number (ie. KJFK) on AviationWeatherCenter.

How to read this METAR: "METAR for KGAI, automated, issued at the 24th of this month at 1156 Zulu, Wind 1-3-0 at 1-0 knots, Visibility 1-0 statue miles, light Rain, Ceiling Overcast one thousand one hundred, Temperature 2-3, Dewpoint 2-2, Altimeter 3-0-0-8."

METAR (Type of Report)

The type of report can be:

• METAR: hourly scheduled reports
• SPECI: special report usually reported due to significant weather changes

KGAI (Station Identifier)

• 4 letter station identifier based on ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization)

241156Z (Timestamp)

• 24 - Day of the current month
• 1156 - Time in Zulu

AUTO (Observation Type)

• AUTO - fully automatic report
• COR - Corrected, a human correcting a mistake in previous METAR or SPECI

13010KT (Wind)

• 130 - Wind in degrees (True North)
• 10 - Speed in knots
• If there is gust, it is added after the wind speed (ie. 13010G25KT)
• If there is a wind variable over 60 degrees (ie. 130V19110KT)

When wind speed is less than 3 knots, wind will be displayed as 00000KT (Wind Calm)

10 SM (Visibility)

• 10 SM - Visibility in statue miles
• Runway Visual Range may be used to define the visibility. If it is in the METAR, it is the controlling factor in determining ceiling. (ie. R28L/2600FT - Runway 28 Left, 2600 feet)

-RA (Weather)

• -RA - Light Rain
• + Heavy, -Light, Moderate if no signs
• A descriptor can be added before a precipitation group. For example, +TSRA means Thunderstorm (TS) with Heavy Rain (+RA).
• Link to all the abbreviations

OVC011 (Sky Condition)

• OVC - Overcast
• 011 - 1100 ft 
• Defines the types of clouds obscuring sky and the ceiling (OVC, BKN, VV) 

  Type	Abbreviation	Amount of Sky Covered
  Sky Clear	SKC	0/8
  Few Clouds	FEW	>0/8-2/8
  Scattered	SCT	3/8-4/8
  Broken	BKN	5/8-7/8
  Overcast	OVC	8/8
  Vertical Visibility	VV	Obscured Sky + Height

23/22 (Temperature/Dew-point)

• 23 - degrees Celsius
• 22 - degrees Celsius dew-point
• If the temperature / dew-point is below zero, you place a "M" before the number (ie. M3/M2)

A3008 (Pressure)

• A3008 - Altimeter 3008 inches of mercury

RMK (Remarks)

• Additional information that can be helpful in further describing the weather
• Learn more about Remarks here