Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR)
A METAR is a codified observation message indicating an airfield weather conditions observed at a given time. Such a message is established every hour.
Decoding METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) reports is a straightforward process once you understand the standard format and abbreviations. METARs provide a snapshot of weather conditions at an airport, typically updated hourly, and are widely used in aviation, including in simulators like DCS for realistic mission planning. Below, I’ll break down the components step-by-step and show you how to decode a sample report.
METAR Structure
A METAR report follows a consistent sequence of elements, though some parts are optional depending on conditions. Here’s the typical order:
- Station Identifier (ICAO code)
- Date/Time (in UTC/Zulu time)
- Modifier (e.g., AUTO, COR) [Optional]
- Wind (direction and speed)
- Visibility (in meters or statute miles)
- Runway Visual Range (RVR) [Optional]
- Weather Phenomena (e.g., rain, snow)
- Sky Condition (cloud coverage and height)
- Temperature/Dewpoint (in Celsius)
- Altimeter Setting (pressure in hPa or inHg)
- Remarks (RMK) [Optional]
Step-by-Step Decoding
Let’s decode a METAR as an example:
KJFK 221551Z 31015G25KT 10SM -RA BKN030 OVC070 04/02 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP132
1. Station Identifier
- KJFK: The ICAO code for John F. Kennedy International Airport (New York).
- "K" indicates a U.S. airport, followed by a 3-letter identifier.
2. Date/Time
- 221551Z: 22nd day of the month, 15:51 UTC (Zulu time).
- First two digits = day, next four = HHMM in 24-hour UTC.
3. Modifier [Optional]
- None here, but you might see:
- AUTO: Automated report (no human observer).
- COR: Corrected report.
4. Wind
- 31015G25KT: Wind from 310° (northwest) at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots.
- First three digits = direction (true north, rounded to nearest 10°).
- Next two digits = speed. "G" = gusts, followed by peak gust speed.
- KT = knots (could be "MPS" for meters per second or "KMH" for kilometers per hour).
5. Visibility
- 10SM: 10 statute miles.
- In the U.S., visibility is in statute miles (SM). Elsewhere, it’s often in meters (e.g., 8000 = 8,000 meters).
- If below 5,000 meters, it’s precise (e.g., 0800 = 800 meters).
6. Runway Visual Range (RVR) [Optional]
- Not present here, but might look like: R36/4000FT (Runway 36, 4,000 feet visibility).
7. Weather Phenomena
- -RA: Light rain.
- Prefix: "-" = light, no prefix = moderate, "+" = heavy.
- Codes:
- RA = Rain
- SN = Snow
- TS = Thunderstorm
- SH = Showers
- DZ = Drizzle
- FG = Fog
- Multiple can appear (e.g., +TSRA = heavy thunderstorm with rain).
8. Sky Condition
- BKN030 OVC070: Broken clouds at 3,000 feet above ground level (AGL), overcast at 7,000 feet AGL.
- Coverage:
- SKC = Sky clear
- FEW = Few (1/8–2/8)
- SCT = Scattered (3/8–4/8)
- BKN = Broken (5/8–7/8)
- OVC = Overcast (8/8)
- Height: Three digits in hundreds of feet AGL (030 = 3,000 ft).
- Note: In DCS or some regions, height might be above aerodrome level; check local charts.
9. Temperature/Dewpoint
- 04/02: Temperature 4°C, dewpoint 2°C.
- Two digits each, separated by "/".
- If negative, prefixed with "M" (e.g., M02 = -2°C).
- Close temp/dewpoint (e.g., 4/2) suggests high humidity and potential fog.
10. Altimeter Setting
- A2992: Altimeter setting 29.92 inHg (standard pressure).
- "A" = inches of mercury (U.S.); elsewhere, might be "Q" for hPa (e.g., Q1013 = 1013 hPa).
- Four digits = pressure value (2992 = 29.92 inHg).
11. Remarks (RMK) [Optional]
- RMK AO2 SLP132:
- AO2: Automated station with precipitation discriminator.
- SLP132: Sea-level pressure 1013.2 hPa (SLP = sea-level pressure, 132 = 013.2, with "10" assumed).
Decoded Example
KJFK 221551Z 31015G25KT 10SM -RA BKN030 OVC070 04/02 A2992 RMK AO2 SLP132
- Location: JFK Airport, New York.
- Time: 22nd, 15:51 UTC.
- Wind: 310° (NW) at 15 knots, gusting to 25 knots.
- Visibility: 10 statute miles.
- Weather: Light rain.
- Clouds: Broken at 3,000 ft AGL, overcast at 7,000 ft AGL.
- Temp/Dewpoint: 4°C / 2°C.
- Pressure: 29.92 inHg, sea-level pressure 1013.2 hPa.
- Notes: Automated station with precip sensor.
Tips for DCS Use
- Wind: Adjust takeoff/landing runway based on direction (e.g., 310° favors Runway 31).
- Visibility/Weather: Impacts targeting (e.g., IR Mavericks struggle in heavy rain).
- Clouds: Affects laser-guided weapons (e.g., GBU-12 needs clear LOS).
- Pressure: Set your altimeter in the cockpit to match (29.92 inHg here).
Practice METAR
Try decoding this:
EGLL 221230Z 23010KT 5000 RA OVC008 12/11 Q1010
- Answer: London Heathrow, 22nd 12:30 UTC, wind 230° at 10 knots, 5,000m visibility, moderate rain, overcast at 800 ft AGL, 12°C/11°C, 1010 hPa.
Got a specific METAR you want decoded? Throw it our way via Discord or our forums!
METAR /TAF Abbreviations / Cloud Types
A | Hail | | AMOS | Automatic Meteorological observing system |
ABM | Abeam | | | |
ABV | Above | | AMS | Air mass |
AC | Altocumulus | | ANLYS | Analysis |
ACCAS | Altocumulus castellanus | | AO1 | Automated observation with no precip discriminator (rain/snow) |
ACCUM | Altocumulate | | | |
ACLD | Above clouds | | AO2 | Automated observation with precip discriminator (rain/snow) |
ACSL | Standing lenticular altocumulus | | | |
ACTV | Active | | AOA | At or above |
ACYC | Anticyclonic | | AOB | At or below |
ADDN | Addition | | AP | Anomalous propagation |
ADRNDCK | Adirondack | | APCH | Approach |
ADVCTN | Advection | | APRNT | Apparent |
ADVY | Advisory | | AS | Altostratus |
AFDK | After Dark | | ASOS | Automated surface observing system |
AFT | After | | ATLC | Atlantic |
AFTN | Afternoon | | ATTM | At this time |
AGL | Above Ground Level | | AURBO | Aurora Borealis |
AGN | Again | | AUTOB | Automatic weather reporting system |
AHD | Ahead | | AWOS | Automatic weather observing system |
AIREP | Air Report | | B | Beginning of precipitation (time in minutes (wx reports only) |
AIRMET | Airmen’s Meteorological Info | | | |
ALF | Aloft | | BACLIN | Baroclinic prognosis |
ALG | Along | | BATROP | Barotropic or barotropic prognosis |
ALGHNY | Allegheny | | BC | British Columbia |
ALQDS | All quadrants | | BCFG | Fog patches |
ALSTG | Altimeter setting | | BCKG | Backing |
ALTA | Alberta | | BCM(G) | Become (becoming) |
ALUTN | Alleutian | | BD | Blowing dust (wx reports only) |
AMD | Amended forecast | | BFDK | Before dark |
AMDT | Amendment | | BINOVC | Breaks in overcast |
BKN | Broken | | CLD | Cloud |
BLDUP | Build up | | CLR | Clear |
BLKHLS | Black Hills | | CAS | Clear and smooth |
BLO | Below | | CNL | Cancel |
BN | Blowing sand (wx reports only) | | CNDN | Canadian |
BNDRY | Boundary | | CNTRL | Central |
BOVC | Base of overcast | | CNVG | Converge |
BRAF | Braking action fair | | CNVTV | Convective |
BRAG | Braking action good | | CONT-DVD | Continental Divide |
BRAN | Braking action nil | | CONTRAILS | Condensation trails |
BRAP | Braking action poor | | CS | Cirrostratus |
BRF | Brief | | CST | Coast |
BRKSHR | Berkshire | | CTGY | Category |
BS | Blowing snow (wx reports only) | | CTSKLS | Catskills |
BTWN | Between | | CU | Cumulus |
BY | Blowing spray (wx reports only) | | CUF | Cumuliform |
CA | Clear above (PIREP only) | | CUFRA | Cumulus fractus |
CAN | Canada | | CYC | Cyclonic |
CARIB | Caribbean | | CYCLGN | Cyclogenesis |
CASCDS | Cascades | | D | Dust (wx reports only) |
CAVOK | Ceiling and visibility OK | | DABRK | Daybreak |
CAVU | Ceiling and visibility unlimited | | DALGT | Daylight |
CB | Cumulonimbus | | DCAVU | Clear or scattered cloud and vis greater than 10, remainder or report missing (wx reports only) |
CBMAM | Cumulonimbus mammatus | | | |
CC | Cirrocumulus | | | |
CCSL | Standing lenticular cirrocumulus | | DCR | Decreased |
CDFNT | Cold Front | | DIAM | Diameter |
CFP | Cold front passage | | DKTS | Dakotas |
CHC | Chance | | DMSH | Diminish |
CHSPK | Chesapeake | | DNS | Dense |
CIG | Ceiling | | DNSLP | Downslope |
DNSTRM | Downstream | | FLG | Falling |
DP | Deep | | FLRY | Flurry |
DPNG | Deepening | | FNT | Front |
DPTH | Depth | | FNTGNS | Frontogenesis |
DRFT | Drift | | FNTLYS | Frontolysis |
DRZL | Drizzle | | FORNN | Forenoon |
DSIPT | Dissipate | | FRMG | Forming |
DSNT | Distant | | FROPA | Frontal passage |
DTRT | Deteriorate | | FRST | Frost |
DRG | During | | FRZ | Freeze |
DWNDFTS | Downdrafts | | FRZLVL | Freezing level |
DWPNT | Dew point | | FRZN | Frozen |
E | Ending of precipitation (time in minutes)(wx reports only) | | FZRANO | Freezing rain sensor not operating |
| FT | Terminal Forecast | | |
E | Equatorial (air mass) | | G | Gusts reaching (knots)(wx reports only) |
E | Estimated (wx reports only) | | GF | Ground fog (wx reports only) |
ELNGT | Elongate | | GFDEP | Ground fog estimated (feet) deep |
EMBDD | Embedded | | GICG | Glaze icing |
ENRT | Enroute | | GLFALSK | Gulf of Alaska |
ENTR | Entire | | GLFCAL | Gulf of California |
ERY | Early | | CLFMEX | Gulf of Mexico |
EVE | Evening | | GLFSTLAWR | Gulf of St. Lawrence |
EXCP | Except | | GNDFG | Ground Fog |
EXPC | Expect | | GRAD | Gradient |
EXTRM | Extreme | | GRTLKS | Great Lakes |
F | Fog (wx reports only) | | GSTS | Gusts |
FA | Area Forecast | | GSTY | Gusty |
FAH | Farenheit | | H | Haze (wx reports only) |
FAX | Facsimile | | HCVIS | High clouds visible |
FIBI | Filed but impracticable to transmit | | HDEP | Haze layer estimated (feet) deep |
FINO | Wx report will not be filed for transmission | | HDSVLY | Hudson Valley |
HI | High | | LABRDR | Labrador |
HLSTO | Hailstones | | LFT | Lift |
HLYR | Haze layer aloft | | LGT | Light |
HURCN | Hurricane | | LIFR | Low IFR (wx reports only) |
HVY | Heavy | | LK | Lake |
IC | Ice crystal | | LSR | Loose snow on runway |
ICG | Icing | | LST | Local Standard Time |
ICGIC | Icing in clouds | | LTGCA | Lightning cloud to air |
ICGICIP | Icing in clouds and precipitation | | LTGCC | Lightning cloud to cloud |
ICGIP | Icing in precipitation | | LTGCCCG | Lightning cloud to cloud, cloud to ground |
IF | Ice fog | | LTGCG | Lightning cloud to ground |
IFR | Instrument flight rules | | LTGCW | Lightning cloud to water |
INCR | Increase | | LTGIC | Lightning in clouds |
INDC | Indicate | | LTLCG | Little change |
INDEF | Indefinite | | LTNG | Lightning |
INLD | Inland | | LYR | Layer or layered or layers |
INSTBY | Instability | | M | Measured ceiling (wx reports only) |
INTR | Interior | | M | Missing (wx reports only) |
INTR-MTRGN | Inter-mountain region | | MAN | Manitoba |
INTS | Intense | | MDT | Moderate |
INTST | Intensity | | METAR | Scheduled aviation observation |
INVRN | Inversion | | MEX | Mexico |
IOVC | In overcast | | MHKVLY | Mohawk Valley |
IP | Ice pellets (wx reports only) | | MIDN | Midnight |
IR | Ice on runway | | MIFG | Patches of shallow fog not deeper than 2 meters |
JTSTR | Jetstream | | MLTLVL | Melting level |
K | Smoke | | MNLD | Mainland |
KDEP | Smoke layer estimated (feet) deep | | MOGR | Moderate or greater |
KLYR | Smoke layer aloft | | MOV | Move |
KOCTY | Smoke over city | | MRGL | Marginal |
L | Drizzle (wx reports only) | | MRNG | Morning |
MRTM | Maritime | | PGTSND | Puget Sound |
MSTLY | Mostly | | PIBAL | Pilot balloon observation |
MTN | Mountain | | PK WND | Peak wind (wx report only) |
MVFR | Marginal VFR | | PNHDL | Panhandle |
NB | New Brunswick | | PNO | Rain gauge not operating |
NEW ENG | New England | | PPINA | Radar weather report not available or omitted |
NFLD | Newfoundland | | | |
NGT | Night | | PPINE | Radar weather report no echoes observed |
NOSPL | No special observations taken (wx reports only) | | PPINO | Radar weather report equipment inoperative due to breakdown |
NS | Nimbostratus | | PPIOK | Radar weather report equipment operation resumed |
NS | Nova Scotia | | | |
NVA | Negative vorticity advection | | PPIOM | Radar weather report equipment inoperative due to maintenance |
OBS | Observation | | | |
OBSC | Obscure | | PRBLTY | Probability |
OCFNT | Occluded front | | PRESFR | Pressure falling rapidly |
OCLD | Occlude | | PRESRR | Pressure rising rapidly |
OCLN | Occlusion | | PRJMP | Pressure jump (wx reports only) |
OFP | Occluded frontal passage | | PROG | Prognosis or prognostic |
OFSHR | Offshore | | PSR | Packed snow on runway |
OMTNS | Over mountains | | PTCHY | Patchy |
ONSHR | On shore | | PTLY | Partly |
ONT | Ontario | | PVA | Positive vorticity advection |
ORGPHC | Orographic | | PWINO | Precipitaion identifier information not available (wx reports only) |
OTAS | On top and smooth | | Q | Squall (wx reports only) |
OTLK | Outlook | | QSTNRY | Quasistationary |
OVC | Overcast | | QUE | Quebec |
OVR | Over | | R | Rain (wx reports only) |
PAC | Pacific | | RADAT | Radiosonde observation data |
PCPN | Precipitation | | RAOB | Radiosonde observation |
PDW | Priority Delayed Weather | | RCKY | Rocky Mountains |
PEN | Peninsula | | RDG | Ridge |
RGD | Ragged | | TDWR | Terminal Doppler Weather Radar |
RHINO | Radar echo height information not available | | TEMP | Temperature |
RHINO | Radar range height indicator not operating on scan | | THDR | Thunder |
RIOGD | Rio Grande | | THRU | Through |
RNFL | Rainfall | | THRUT | Throughout |
ROBEPS | Radar operating below prescribed standard | | THSD | Thousand |
RPD | Rapid | | TIL | Until |
RSG | Rising | | TMW | Tomorrow |
RUF | Rough | | TNGT | Tonight |
RVRNO | Runway visual range missing | | TOP | Cloud top |
RW | Rain shower (wx reports only) | | TOVC | Top of overcast |
S | Snow (wx reports only) | | TPG | Topping |
SASK | Saskatchewan | | TROF | Trough |
SAWRN | Supplementary Aviation Weather Reporting System | | TROP | Tropopause |
SC | Stratocumulus | | TRPCL | Tropical |
SCSL | Stratocumulus standing lenticular | | TRRN | Terrain |
SCT | Scattered | | TSHWR | Thundershower |
SELS | Severe local storms | | TSNO | Lightning sensor not available |
SFERICS | Atmospherics | | TSTM | Thunderstorm |
SG | Snow grains (wx reports only) | | TURB | Turbulence |
SHFT | Shift (wx reports only) | | TURBC | Turbulence |
SHLW | Shallow | | TWD | Toward |
SHWR | Shower | | TWR | Tower |
SIERNEV | Sierra Nevada | | TWRG | Towering |
SIR | Snow and ice on runway | | TYPH | Typhoon |
SPECI | Unscheduled aviation observation | | U | Intensity unknown (wx reports only) |
SLF | Sea level pressure | | UA | Routine PIREP |
SLPNO | Sea level pressure not available | | UDDF | Up and down drafts |
SNINCR | Snow increasing rapidly | | UNSTBL | Unstable |
TCU | Towering cumulus | | UNSTDY | Unsteady |
TDA | Today | | UPR | Upper |
UTC | Universal coordinated time | | WND | Wind |
UUA | Urgent PIREP | | WRM | Warm |
V | Variable (wx reports only) | | WRMFNT | Warm front |
VCSH | Showers in vicinity | | WRNG | Warning |
VCTY | Vicinity | | WSHFT | Wind shift |
VFR | Visual flight rules | | WW | Severe weather forecast |
VLY | Valley | | WX | Weather |
VRBL | Variable | | X | Obscured sky condition |
VSBY | Visibility | | XCP | Except |
WDLY | Widely | | YDA | Yesterday |
WEA | Weather | | Z | UTC |
WFP | Warm front passage | | ZRNO | Freezing rain information not available (wx reports only) |
WK | Weak | | | |
WKN | Weaken | | | |
WL | Will | | | |