METAR Decoder
Paste a METAR, or type an airport code to pull the latest report, and get every part translated into plain English with the flight category. Learn to read it yourself: tap any part of the report to see which piece of text it came from.
How to read a METAR
A METAR is an hourly weather observation at an airport. The parts always come in the same order: station, day and time (UTC, "Zulu"), wind, visibility, weather, clouds, temperature/dew point, altimeter, then remarks. A SPECI is a special report issued when conditions change quickly.
- Wind
31008G17KT: from 310° true at 8 knots, gusting 17.VRBmeans variable;00000KTis calm. - Visibility
10SM: 10 statute miles.M1/4SMmeans less than 1/4 mile. - Weather:
-light,+heavy,VCin the vicinity. RA rain, SN snow, BR mist, FG fog, HZ haze, TS thunderstorm. - Clouds
BKN120: broken layer at 12,000 ft above the ground. FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC = 1–2, 3–4, 5–7, 8 eighths of the sky. The lowest BKN or OVC layer (or VV) is the ceiling. - Temp/dew point
18/04: in °C;Mmeans minus. When they're close together, expect fog or low clouds. - Altimeter
A3002: 30.02 inHg. Set it in your altimeter.
Flight categories
| VFR | Ceiling above 3,000 ft and visibility above 5 miles |
|---|---|
| MVFR | Ceiling 1,000–3,000 ft and/or visibility 3–5 miles |
| IFR | Ceiling 500 to below 1,000 ft and/or visibility 1 to below 3 miles |
| LIFR | Ceiling below 500 ft and/or visibility below 1 mile |
Live reports come from the National Weather Service's Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov). This tool is a study aid: for flight planning, get an official briefing (1-800-WX-BRIEF or 1800wxbrief.com).
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