WEATHER REPORT DECODING

METAR TAF

METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report)

Examples:

KMEM 230853Z AUTO 18014G18KT 10SM CLR 16/M02 A3008 RMK AO2 SLP117
T01561022 TSNO $
KLAX 161550Z COR 11004KT 2 1/2SM HZ BKN011 BKN015 19/16 A2993 RMK AO2
SLP134 VIS SW-NW 1 1/2 FG BNK SW-NW T01890156
KEWR 160128Z 18008KT 2 1/2SM R04R/4500VP6000FT RA BR SCT008
BKN022 OVC038 22/21 A3001 RMK AO2 RAB20E51 SCT008 V BKN P0008
KBIL 162256Z 29017G27KT 10SM FEW070 SCT085 BKN110 M02/M02 A2961
RMK AO2 PK WND 29027/2250 WSHFT 2241 SLP205 70033 T10171022
11006 21017 53016
KGTF 170322Z 33014KT 1 3/4SM -SN BR OVC005 A2991 RMK AO2 RAE17SNB17 P0004
KGTF 170253Z 33013KT 3SM -RA OVC005 02/02 A2990 RMK AO2 TWR
VIS 3 SFC VIS 8 CIG 003V007 SLP147 P0000 60011 T00220017 51035
KABQ 100156Z 32010KT 280V340 10SM TS FEW033 BKN075CB OVC100 19/14
A2999 RMK AO2 TSB09RAB09E56 SLP085 FREQ LTGCCCGIC OHD TS OHD
MOV NE MTN TOP OBSCD NE P0002 T01940144
SVVA 171100Z 00000KT 9999 FEW016 BKN250 21/19 Q1013 NOSIG

KMEM 4-letter ICAO location indicator

230853 Date and Time of observation followed by Z (Zulu)
AUTO Included if METAR is from an automatic, e.g. ASOS station
COR Correction to observation (CCA for Canada)
18014G18 Wind direction in tens of degrees, VRB means variable; if direction
+/- 60 deg, wind shown as 180V260

Wind speed in knots, meters per second, or kilometers per hour

Wind gusts in knots, meters per second, or kilometers per hour

9999 Visibility in meters
10SM Visibility in statute miles (U.S.)
R04R4500VP6000FT Runway 4R RVR Runway visual range in meters (feet for the U.S.) Range
value may be followed by a trend (D - down, U - up, N - no change, V -
variable) for non-U.S. stations
RA Weather and/or obstruction to visibility (see table)
SCT008CB Cloud cover - SKC (sky clear) or CLR (clear below 12,000 feet for
automatic stations), FEW (1-2 octas), SCT (3-4 octas), BKN (5-7
octas), or OVC (8 octas)

3-digit cloud height in hundreds of feet; obscured sky given as VV

(vertical visibility), height in hundreds of feet; unknown height
reported as ///; more than one layer may be reported

Cloud type, TCU (towering cumulus), CB (cumulonimbus), CBMAM (cb

mammatus)
16 Temperature in degrees Celsius
M02 Dew point in degrees Celsius
Q1016 Altimeter setting (mb or hP)
A3008 Altimeter setting (in Hg)(U.S. only)
RMK Remarks consisting of recent operationally significant weather as well
as additive and automated maintenance data (mainly used in the U.S.
and Canada) See table below.
= Denotes end of report

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 TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast)
FedEx Terminal Forecast (FT)

Examples:
KPIT 091720Z 091818 22020KT 3SM -SHRA BKN020CB
FM2000 30015G25KT 1SM SHRA OVC15CB PROB40 2022 1/2SM TSRA
OVC008CB
FM2300 27008KT 5SM -SHRA BKN020 OVC040 WS010/30020KT
TEMPO 0407 0000KT 1SM -RA BR
FM1000 22010KT 5SM -SHRA OVC020 BECMG 1315 20010KT 7SM NSW SKC=
EWR FT FEDEX 2900Z-2912Z 290046Z ABV 2000/3 OCNL 6 BKN
3SM -SHRA BR, VCTS 1215
02Z 6 OVC OCNL 4 BKN 2SM -RA BR
04Z 4 OVC 3SM BR OCNL 11/2SM -RA BR
06Z 5 OVC 3SM BR
08Z 12 BKN 3SM BR
10Z -X 2SM BR * =

KPIT Station identifier. The TAF code uses ICAO 4-letter station identifiers.
EWR FedEx forecasts use 3-letter identifiers
FT FEDEX AMD01 FedEx weather department terminal forecast, amendment 1
091720Z Issuance time. 2-digit Date and and 4-digit zulu Time.
091818 Valid date and time. '091818' means a 24 hour forecast valid from 1800Z
on the 9th until 1800Z the following day. Valid from the 29th 0000Z to
2900Z-2912Z 1200Z (FedEx)
22020KT Wind. First 3 digits mean true north direction (nearest 10 deg) or VRB
for variable. The next two digits mean speed and unit (KT for knots, KMH
1215 for kilometers per hour, or MPS for meters per second). Wind gust, as
needed, is given as a 2-digit maximum speed. 00000KT is given for calm.
If wind direction varies 60 degrees or more, variability is appended,
e.g. 180V260. In FedEx forecast, direction is 2-digit, velocity is
always in knots.
3SM Visibility. In the U.S., prevailing visibility is given in statue miles
and fractions (SM). Outside the U.S., 4-digit sector visibility in
meters is given and as required, differing in value with direction.
-SHRA Weather. Weather and/or obstruction to visibility given in code (see
table below).
BKN020CB Cloud amount. Cloud amount is given as SKC (sky clear), FEW (1-2 octas),
SCT (3-4 octas), BKN (5-7 octas), or OVC (8 octas). The cloud height is
12 BKN given in hundreds of feet. Clouds types reported are either TCU
(towering cumulus) or CB (cumulonimbus). An obscured sky is reported as
VV (vertical visibility) with height in hundreds of feet. (FedEx
forecast uses X for sky obscured, or -X for partially obscured.) An
unknown height is reported as ////. More than one layer may be
forecasted or reported.
FM2000 Condition start time. Start time of a weather event is given as FM
(from) followed by the 4-digit hour and minutes in Zulu time. FedEx
06Z forecast use only 2-digit start hour and no FM.
PROB40 2022 Probability. The probability of a weather event occurring is given in
percent along with the 2-digit Zulu hour start and end of the event.
TEMPO 0407 Temporary. Temporary changes in weather conditions are given along with
the 2-digit Zulu hour start and end of the event. This signals changes
to the forecast.
BECMG 1315 Becoming. What condtions will become between the two 2-digit Zulu hours
given. This signals changes to a forecast.
WS010/30020KT Forecast of non-convective low-level wind shear. This group will only be
given in the U.S. (following the Cloud group) and Canada (following the
wind group).
* Denotes included on Maintenance/Crew Scheduling IFR alert report
= Denotes end of report

QUALIFIER WEATHER PHENOMENA

Intensity or Descriptor Precipitation Obscuration Other
Proximity 2 3 4 5

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 1
- Light MI Shallow DZ Drizzle BR Mist PO Well- Developed
Moderate (see PR Partial RA Rain FG Fog Dust/Sand Whirls
note 2) BC Patches SN Snow FU Smoke SQ Squalls
+ Heavy DR Low SG Snow Grains VA Volcanic FC Funnel Cloud Tornado
VC In the vicinity Drifting IC Ice Crystals Ash Waterspout (see note 3)
(see note 3) BL Blowing PL Ice Pellets DU SS Sandstorm
SH Shower(s) GR Hail Widespread SS Duststorm
TS GS Small Hail Dust
Thunderstorm and/or Snow SA Sand
FZ Freezing Pellets HZ Haze
UP Unknown PY Spray
Precipitation
1. The weather groups shall be constructed by considering columns 1 to 5 in the table
above in sequence, i.e. intensity, followed by description, followed by weather
phenomena, e.g. heavy rain shower(s) is coded as +SHRA
2. To denote moderate intensity no entry or symbol is used.
3. Tornados and waterspouts shall be coded as +FC.

REMARKS
Automated, Manual, and Plain Language
AO1, AO2 Type of automated station
PK WND 29027/2250 Peak Wind 290/27 at 2250Z
WSHFT 2241 FROPA Wind Shift at 2241Z cold front passage
WS010/30020KT Wind Shear (non-convective) at 1,000 ft 300 deg at 20 kt
TWR VIS 3 Tower Visibility
SFC VIS 8 Surface Visibility
VIS 1/2V2 Variable Prevailing Visibility
VIS SW-NW 1 1/2 Sector Visibility
FRQ LTGICCCCG OHD Lightning, type direction
RAB20E51 Rain began at 20 ended at 51
TSB09RAB09E56 Thunderstorm began 09 rain began 09 ended 56
TS OHD MOV NE Thunderstorm location, movement
GR Hailstone size
VIRGA SW-W Virga, direction
CIG 003V007 Variable Ceiling Height (300 variable 700)
FU BKN020 Obscurations (>50% of sky obscured by smoke)
SCT008 V BKN Variable Sky Condition
TCU, CB, ACC, CBMAM Significant Cloud Types
PRESRR,PRESFR Pressure Rising/Falling Rapidly
SLP117 Sea-level Pressure (1011.7 mb)
ACFT MSHP Aircraft mishap
NOSPECI No SPECI reports taken
SNINCR 2/10 Snow increasing rapidly (2 in last hour/10 in on ground)

Additive Data
Leading character indicates type of data
P0008 Hourly Precipitation Amount in hundreths of inches (0.08 )
Hourly temperature and dew point in tenths degrees C
T02170144
(21.7/14.4)
T10271032 (-2.7/-3.2) 1=minus sign
10272 6-hour maximum temperature in tenths degrees C (27.2)
20211 6-hour minimum temperature in tenths degrees C (21.1)
4/011 Snow depth on the ground in inches
400121023 24-hour max/min temperature in tenths degrees C

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 3-hour pressure tendency (3.2 mb change) (see table below for
52032
2nd digit code)
60225 3- and 6-hour precipitation amount
70125 24-hour precipitation amount
8/CUACCI Cloud Types (low, med high level)
933125 Water equivalent of snow on ground (0.01)
98460 Duration of sunshine in minutes

Automated Maintenance Data

RVRNO: RVR missing;
PWINO: precipitation identifier information not available;
PNO: precipitation amount not available;
FZRANO: freezing rain information not available;
RVRNO, PWINO, PNO,
TSNO: thunderstorm information not available (may indicate
FZRANO, TSNO, VISNO,
augmenting weather observer not logged on);
CHINO
VISNO [LOC]: visibility at second location not available,
e.g. VISNO RWY06;
CHINO [LOC]: (cloud-height- indicator) sky condition at
secondary location not available, e.g., CHINO RWY06.
$ Maintenance check indicator ASOS requires maintenance

Characteristics of Barometer Tendency

Primary Code
Description
Requirement Figure
Increasing, then decreasing. 0
Increasing, then steady, or increasing then
Atmospheric pressure now 1
increasing more slowly.
HIGHER
than 3 hours ago. Increasing steadily or unsteadily. 2
Decreasing or steady, then increasing; or increasing
3
then increasing more rapidly.
Increasing, then decreasing. 0
Atmospheric pressure now
SAME Steady 4
as 3 hours ago.
Decreasing then increasing. 5
Decreasing, then increasing. 5
Decreasing, then steady, or decreasing then
Atmospheric pressure now 6
decreasing more slowly.
LOWER
than 3 hours ago. Decreasing steadily or unsteadily. 7
Steady or increasing, then decreasing; or decreasing
8
then decreasing more rapidly.

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