METAR Decoder
Type an airport code or paste a METAR.
KJFK
LIFRSPECINew York/JF Kennedy Intl, NY, USObserved 15 min ago
Wind 290° 5 kt · vis 1.0 SM · ceiling 400 ft · thunderstorm with light rain, mist · 18°C
Tap any group above to see what it means.
KJFK in plain English
Wind
5 kt
From 290° (WNW)
Visibility
1 SM
1 statute mile
Altimeter
29.88inHg
= 1012 hPa
Clouds · ceiling 400 ft
Ceiling = lowest broken (BKN), overcast (OVC) or obscured (VV) layer. FEW and SCT don’t count.
Temp / dewpoint
18° / 17°C
Spread 1°C — fog / low cloud risk
Weather
- -TSRAThunderstorm with light rain
- BRMist
- R04R/P6000FTRunway 04R visual range more than 6,000 ft
Forecast (TAF) · 11 periods
TAF KJFK 061134Z 0612/0718 16005KT 2SM TSRA OVC015CB TEMPO 0612/0613 1SM +TSRA BR OVC008CB FM061400 16007KT 4SM -RA BR OVC008 TEMPO 0614/0616 2SM TSRA BR OVC008CB FM061600 20008KT 4SM -RA BR OVC008 TEMPO 0618/0620 2SM +TSRA BR OVC008CB FM062000 26005KT 4SM -RA BR OVC015 FM070000 26004KT P6SM -RA OVC050 FM070400 28005KT P6SM OVC100 FM071000 29007KT P6SM SCT250 FM071400 27010KT P6SM FEW035
Initial (day 06 12Z to day 07 18Z)IFR
Wind from 160° at 5 kt, visibility 2 statute miles, thunderstorm with rain, overcast 1,500 ft CB
Temporarily day 06 12Z–13ZIFR
Visibility 1 statute mile, thunderstorm with heavy rain, mist, overcast 800 ft CB
From day 06 14:00ZIFR
Wind from 160° at 7 kt, visibility 4 statute miles, light rain, mist, overcast 800 ft
Temporarily day 06 14Z–16ZIFR
Visibility 2 statute miles, thunderstorm with rain, mist, overcast 800 ft CB
From day 06 16:00ZIFR
Wind from 200° at 8 kt, visibility 4 statute miles, light rain, mist, overcast 800 ft
Temporarily day 06 18Z–20ZIFR
Visibility 2 statute miles, thunderstorm with heavy rain, mist, overcast 800 ft CB
From day 06 20:00ZMVFR
Wind from 260° at 5 kt, visibility 4 statute miles, light rain, mist, overcast 1,500 ft
From day 07 00:00ZVFR
Wind from 260° at 4 kt, visibility more than 6 SM, light rain, overcast 5,000 ft
From day 07 04:00ZVFR
Wind from 280° at 5 kt, visibility more than 6 SM, overcast 10,000 ft
From day 07 10:00ZVFR
Wind from 290° at 7 kt, visibility more than 6 SM, scattered 25,000 ft
From day 07 14:00ZVFR
Wind from 270° at 10 kt, visibility more than 6 SM, few 3,500 ft
How do I decode a METAR?
A METAR is an hourly airport weather observation for pilots. Read it left to right; the groups always come in the same order: station, day and time in UTC, wind (degrees true, knots), visibility, present weather, clouds (hundreds of feet above ground), temperature/dewpoint in Celsius, altimeter, then remarks after RMK. A group that does not apply is simply left out. The go/no-go items are ceiling, visibility, wind, weather hazards and the pressure setting.
The FAA's own example, decoded group by group:
METAR KOKC 011955Z AUTO 22015G25KT 180V250 3/4SM R17L/2600FT +TSRA BR OVC010CB 18/16 A2992 RMK AO2 TSB25 TS OHD MOV E SLP132| Group | What it is | Means |
|---|---|---|
METAR | Type of report | Routine hourly report (SPECI = special, unscheduled report) |
KOKC | Station | ICAO identifier: Oklahoma City (K + the 3-letter code in the lower 48) |
011955Z | Day and time | 1st of the month at 19:55 UTC (Z = Zulu) |
AUTO | Report modifier | Fully automated report, no human oversight (COR = corrected) |
22015G25KT | Wind | From 220 degrees TRUE at 15 knots, gusting 25 knots |
180V250 | Variable wind | Direction varying between 180 and 250 degrees |
3/4SM | Visibility | Three-quarters of a statute mile |
R17L/2600FT | Runway visual range | Runway 17L: 2,600 feet |
+TSRA BR | Present weather | Thunderstorm with heavy rain, and mist |
OVC010CB | Sky condition | Overcast at 1,000 feet above the ground, cumulonimbus (a 1,000 ft ceiling) |
18/16 | Temperature / dewpoint | 18 °C, dewpoint 16 °C (M = minus) |
A2992 | Altimeter | 29.92 inches of mercury |
RMK AO2 TSB25 TS OHD MOV E SLP132 | Remarks | Automated station with a precipitation sensor; thunderstorm began at :25, overhead, moving east; sea-level pressure 1013.2 hPa |
Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28A), Chapter 24: Observations (the example and every rule above). Last reviewed by Renzo Madueño, former A320 first officer and FAA commercial pilot. Step-by-step practice: how to read a METAR.
How to Read a METAR
A METAR (Meteorological Aerodrome Report) is a standardized format for reporting weather observations at airports. Every METAR follows the same structure:
TYPE STATION DATE/TIME WIND VISIBILITY WEATHER CLOUDS TEMP/DEW ALTIMETER RMK- Station — 4-letter ICAO code (e.g., KJFK, EGLL, KLAX)
- Date/Time — DDHHMMz format in UTC (e.g., 121856Z = 12th day at 18:56 UTC)
- Wind — Direction (3 digits) + speed (2 digits) in knots, with optional gusts (e.g., 31015G25KT)
- Visibility — In statute miles (10SM) for US, or meters (9999 = 10 km or more) for ICAO
- Weather — Phenomena codes like RA (rain), SN (snow), FG (fog), TS (thunderstorm)
- Clouds — Coverage + height in hundreds of feet AGL (e.g., SCT040 = scattered at 4,000 ft)
- Temp/Dewpoint — In Celsius, M prefix for negative (e.g., M02/M17 = -2°C / -17°C)
- Altimeter — A followed by inHg (A3042) or Q followed by hPa (Q1024)
- Remarks — Everything after RMK contains additional meteorological details
Pilots use METARs to determine flight category (VFR, MVFR, IFR, LIFR) based on ceiling height and visibility. This is critical for go/no-go decisions, approach planning, and alternate airport selection.
METAR Weather Abbreviation Reference
Common weather codes used in METAR reports. Combine intensity prefixes (+/-) with weather phenomena (e.g., +TSRA = thunderstorm with heavy rain).
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
RA | Rain |
SN | Snow |
FG | Fog |
BR | Mist |
HZ | Haze |
TS | Thunderstorm |
SH | Showers |
DZ | Drizzle |
GR | Hail |
GS | Small Hail |
FZ | Freezing |
PL | Ice Pellets |
IC | Ice Crystals |
FU | Smoke |
VA | Volcanic Ash |
SQ | Squall |
+ | Heavy |
- | Light |
VC | Vicinity |
BL | Blowing |
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I decode a METAR?
Read it left to right; the groups always come in the same order: report type, station (ICAO code), day and time in UTC (Z), wind (direction in degrees true, speed and gusts in knots), visibility (statute miles in the US), present weather, sky condition (cloud cover and height in hundreds of feet above ground), temperature/dewpoint in Celsius, altimeter setting, and remarks after RMK. Example from the FAA: 22015G25KT = wind from 220 degrees true at 15 knots, gusting 25. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28A, Chapter 24.
What does METAR stand for?
METAR stands for Meteorological Aerodrome Report (from French: Météorologique Aviation Régulière). It is a standardized format for reporting weather at airports, issued every hour or when conditions change significantly (SPECI).
How do you read wind in a METAR?
Wind is reported as a 5-digit group: the first 3 digits are the direction the wind blows FROM, in degrees TRUE (not magnetic, unlike ATIS), and the last 2 are the speed in knots. For example, 27015KT means wind from 270° true at 15 knots. Gusts are shown with G (e.g., 27015G25KT). Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28A, 24.4.3.5.
What does VV mean in a METAR?
VV stands for Vertical Visibility, used when the sky is obscured (fog, heavy precipitation). VV003 means vertical visibility is 300 feet. This indicates you cannot see the sky — only straight up to 300 feet.
What is the difference between METAR and TAF?
METAR reports current weather conditions at an airport. TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) predicts weather for the next 24-30 hours. Both use similar notation but TAFs include forecast periods and expected changes.
How often are METARs updated?
Routine METARs are produced once an hour, near the top of the hour. A SPECI (special report) is issued in between as soon as conditions change significantly, for example a ceiling or visibility crossing set values, a thunderstorm starting or ending, or a wind shift. Source: FAA Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28A, 24.4.
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