How Do You Read An Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR)?
Aviators use METAR reports to get essential knowledge of flying conditions. To the casual observer this may look like a string of random numbers and letters, but this article tells you how to decode such a report. • Obtain the Report. The following wikiHow uses a METAR showing weather conditions at the United States Air Force Academy. The Report referred to is: METAR KAFF 212355Z COR VRB05KT 15SM FEW040 SCT060 SCT075 SCT090 BKN220 15/M01 A2957 RMK ACSL DSNT SE-S SLP960 SHRA DSNT N-E-SE AND DSNT NW 60001 55000 LAST COR 0043 • Assess the Type of Report (METAR). It will be either: • METAR = Routine Hourly report; or • SPECI = Special, unscheduled report. • Note the Station Identifier (KAFF). K is the prefix for location Identifiers in the Continental US. AFF = Air Force Academy airfield. The international specifications for METARs are published by the World Meterological Organization (WMO). For example, EGLL is used for London Heathrow and RJAA for Tokyo Narita airports. • Note the Date/T
