International METAR codes

The following is an example METAR from Burgas Airport in Burgas, Bulgaria. It was taken on 4 February
2005 at 16:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

METAR LBBG 041600Z 12003MPS 310V290 1400 R04/P1500N R22/P1500U +SN BKN022 OVC050
M04/M07 Q1020 NOSIG 9949//91=

 METAR indicates that the following is a standard hourly observation.

 LBBG is the ICAO airport code for Burgas Airport.
 041600Z indicates the time of the observation. It is the day of the month (the 4th) followed by the
time of day (1600 Zulu time, which equals 4:00 pm Greenwich Mean Time).
 12003MPS indicates the wind direction is from 120° (east-southeast) at a speed of
3 MPS (5.8 KT; 6.7 mph; 11 km/h). Speed measurements can vary from knots (KT) or meters/second
(MPS).
 310V290 indicates the wind direction is varying from 310° true (northwest) to 290° true (west-
northwest).
 1400 indicates the prevailing visibility is 1,400 m (4,600 ft).
 R04/P1500N indicates the Runway Visual Range (RVR) along runway 04 is 1,500 m (4,900 ft)
and not changing significantly.
 R22/P1500U indicates RVR along runway 22 is 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and rising.
 +SN indicates snow is falling at a heavy intensity. If any precipitation begins with a minus or plus
(-/+), it's either light or heavy.
 BKN022 indicates a broken (over half the sky) cloud layer at 2,200 ft (670 m) above ground
level (AGL). The lowest "BKN" or "OVC" layer specifies the cloud ceiling.
 OVC050 indicates an unbroken cloud layer (overcast) at 5,000 ft (1,500 m) above ground level.
 M04/M07 indicates the temperature is −4 °C (25 °F) and the dewpoint is −7 °C (19 °F). An M in
front of the number indicates that the temperature/dew point is below zero (0) Celsius.
 Q1020 indicates the current altimeter setting (QNH) is 1,020 hPa (30.12 inHg).
 NOSIG is an example of a TREND forecast which is appended to METARs at stations while a
forecaster is on watch. NOSIG means that no significant change is expected to the reported
conditions within the next 2 hours.
 9949//91 indicates the condition of the runway:
  99 indicates either a specific runway (eg 25 = Rwy 25 or 25L; adding 50 will indicate
Right Runway) or all the airport's runways ("99"). Some locations will report the runway using 3
characters (eg 25L)
 4 means the runway is coated with dry snow
 9 means 51% to 100% of the runway is covered
 // means the thickness of the coating was either not measurable or not affecting usage of
the runway
 91 means the braking index is bad, in other words the tires have bad grip on the runway
 CAVOK (abbreviation for Ceiling And Visibility OKay,) indicating no cloud below 5,000 ft
(1,500 m) and no cumulonimbus at any level, a visibility of 10 km (6 SM) or more and no significant
[7] [8]
weather. As of 5 November 2008 this was amended to include towering cumulus
 = indicates the end of the METAR report

North American METAR codes

North American METARs deviate from the WMO (who write the code on behalf of ICAO) FM 15-XII code.
Details are listed in the FAA's Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM), but the non-compliant elements are
mostly based on the use of non-standard units of measurement. This METAR example is from Trenton-
Mercer Airport near Trenton, New Jersey, and was taken on 5 December 2003 at 18:53 UTC.

METAR KTTN 051853Z 04011KT 1/2SM VCTS SN FZFG BKN003 OVC010 M02/M02 A3006 RMK AO2
[9]
TSB40 SLP176 P0002 T10171017=

 METAR indicates that the following is a standard hourly observation.

 KTTN is the ICAO identifier for the Trenton-Mercer Airport.
 051853Z indicates the day of the month is the 5th and the time of day is 1853 Zulu/UTC, 6:53PM
GMT, or 1:53PM Eastern Standard Time.
 04011KT indicates the wind is from 040° true (north east) at 11 knots (20 km/h; 13 mph). In the
United States, the wind direction must have a 60° or greater variance for variable wind direction to be
reported and the wind speed must be 7 knots (13 km/h; 8 mph) or higher.
 1/2SM indicates the prevailing visibility is 0.5 statute miles (800 m).
 VCTS indicates a thunderstorm (TS) in the vicinity (VC), which means from 5-10 statute miles (8-
16 km).
 SN indicates snow is falling at a moderate intensity; a preceding plus or minus sign (+/-) indicates
heavy or light precipitation.
 FZFG indicates the presence of freezing fog.
 BKN003 OVC010 indicates a broken (5/8 to 7/8 of the sky covered) cloud layer at 300 ft
(91 m) above ground level (AGL) and an overcast (8/8 of the sky covered) layer at 1,000 ft (300 m).
 M02/M02 indicates the temperature is −2 °C (28 °F) and the dewpoint is −2 °C (28 °F). An M in
front of the number indicates that the temperature/dew point is below zero (0) Celsius.
 A3006 indicates the altimeter setting is 30.06 inHg (1,018 hPa).

Note that what follows are not part of standard observations outside of the United States and can vary
significantly.

 RMK indicates the remarks section follows.

 AO2 indicates that the station is automated with a rain/snow precipitation sensor. Stations that
[10]
aren't equipped with a rain/snow sensor are designated AO1.
 TSB40 indicates the thunderstorm began at 40 minutes past the hour at 1840 Zulu/UTC, 6:40PM
GMT, or 1:40PM Eastern Standard Time.
 SLP176 indicates the current barometric pressure extrapolated to sea level is 1017.6 hPa.
 P0002 indicates that 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) of liquid-equivalent precipitation accumulated during
the last hour.
 T10171017 is a breakdown of the temperature and dew point in 8 digits separated into two
groups of four. the first four digits (1017) is the temperature. The first digit (1) designates above or
below zero Celsius (0=above zero 1=below zero). The next three digits in the group '017' is the
temperature in degrees and tenths of a degree, −1.7 °C (29 °F). The last four digits '1017' is the same
as the first group but for dew point, −1.7 °C (29 °F).
 = indicates the end of the METAR report.

Cloud reporting
Cloud coverage is reported by the number of 'oktas' (eighths) of the sky that is occupied by cloud.
[11]
This is reported as:

SKC = 'No cloud' used worldwide but in North America is used to indicate a human generated
[12][13]
report
CLR = 'No clouds below 12,000 ft (3,700 m) (US) or 10,000 ft (3,000 m) (Canada)' used mainly
[12][13]
within North America and indicates a station that is at least partly automated
NSC = 'No (nil) significant cloud' (i.e. none below 5,000 ft (1,500 m) and no TCU or CB) not used
in North America
FEW = 'Few' = 1-2 oktas
 SCT = 'Scattered' = 3-4 oktas
BKN = 'Broken' = 5-7 oktas
OVC = 'Overcast' = 8 oktas (ie full cloud coverage)

US METAR abbreviations
[4]
The following are METAR abbreviations used in the United States, however some are used worldwide:

METAR and TAF Abbreviations and Acronyms:

Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning

$ maintenance check indicator (+) heavy intensity

indicator that visual range data follows;

(-) light intensity / separator between temperature and dew
point data.

ACC altocumulus castellanus ACFT MSHP aircraft mishap

ACSL altocumulus standing lenticular cloud ALP airport location point

automated station without precipitation automated station with precipitation

AO1 AO2
discriminator discriminator

APCH approach APRNT apparent

APRX approximately ATCT airport traffic control tower

AUTO fully automated report B began

BC patches BKN
broken (5-7/8ths of the sky covered
 with cloud)

BL blowing BR mist (from the word brume[14])

center (with reference to runway

C CA cloud-air lightning
designation)

CB cumulonimbus cloud CBMAM cumulonimbus mammatus cloud

CC cloud-cloud lightning CCSL cirrocumulus standing lenticular cloud

cd candela CG cloud-ground lightning

sky condition at secondary location not

CHI cloud-height indicator CHINO
available

CIG ceiling CLR clear sky

correction to a previously disseminated

CONS continuous COR
observation

DOC Department of Commerce DOD Department of Defense

DOT Department of Transportation DR low drifting

DS duststorm DSIPTG dissipating

DSNT distant DU widespread dust

DVR dispatch visual range DZ drizzle

E east, ended, estimated ceiling (SAO) FAA Federal Aviation Administration

 few clouds (1-2/8ths of the sky covered
FC funnel cloud FEW
with cloud)

FG fog FIBI filed but impracticable to transmit

Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1,

first observation after a break in
FIRST FMH-1 Surface Weather Observations & Reports
coverage at manual station
(METAR)

Federal Meteorological Handbook

FMH2 FROPA frontal passage
No.2, Surface Synoptic Codes

FRQ frequent FT feet

FU smoke FZ freezing

FZRANO freezing rain sensor not available G gust

GR hail GS small hail and/or snow pellets

HLSTO hailstone HZ haze

IC ice crystals, in-cloud lightning ICAO International Civil Aviation Organization

INCRG increasing INTMT intermittent

KT KNOTS L left (with reference to runway designation)

last observation before a break in

LAST LST Local Standard Time
coverage at a manual station

LTG lightning LWR lower

M minus, less than max maximum

routine weather report provided at

METAR MI shallow
fixed intervals

min minimum MOV moved/moving/movement

MT mountains N north

N/A not applicable NCDC National Climatic Data Center

NE northeast NOS National Ocean Survey

no SPECI reports are taken at the

NOSPECI NOTAM Notice to Airmen
station

NW northwest NWS National Weather Service

Office of the Federal Coordinator for

OCNL occasional OFCM
Meteorology

overcast (8/8ths of the sky covered

OHD overhead OVC
with cloud)

indicates greater than the highest reportable

OVR over P
value

PCPN precipitation PK WND peak wind

PL ice pellets PNO precipitation amount not available

PO dust/sand whirls (dust devils) PR partial

PRES Atmospheric pressure PRESFR pressure falling rapidly

PRESRR pressure rising rapidly PWINO precipitation identifier sensor not available

right (with reference to runway

PY spray R
designation), runway

RA rain RTD Routine Delayed (late) observation

RV reportable value RVR Runway visual range

RVRNO RVR system values not available RY runway

S snow, south SA sand

scattered (3-4/8ths of the sky covered with

SCSL stratocumulus standing lenticular cloud SCT
cloud)

SE southeast SFC surface (i.e. ground level)

SG snow grains SH shower(s)

SKC sky clear SLP sea-level pressure

SLPNO sea-level pressure not available SM statute miles

SN snow SNINCR snow increasing rapidly

an unscheduled report taken when certain

SP snow pellets SPECI
criteria have been met
SQ squalls SS sandstorm

STN station SW snow shower, southwest

TCU towering cumulus TS thunderstorm

TSNO thunderstorm information not available TWR tower

UNKN unknown UP unknown precipitation

UTC Coordinated Universal Time V variable

VA volcanic ash VC in the vicinity

VIS visibility VISNO visibility at secondary location not available

VR visual range VRB variable

VV vertical visibility W west

Working Group for Surface

WG/SO WMO World Meteorological Organization
Observations

WND wind WS wind shear

WSHFT wind shift Z Zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time