What do the codes for sky cover mean?
A8. In listing weather conditions, such as at this link, there are six different codes that are used for sky cover. Each represents a different amount of cloud cover. The codes are: • SKC: Completely clear skies • CLR: No clouds below 12,000 feet. (12,000 feet is the upper limit where most automated instruments can detect clouds) • FEW: 10-20% cloud cover • SCT: 30-50% cloud cover (short for “scattered”) • BKN: 60-90% cloud cover (short for “broken”) • OVC: 100% cloud cover (short for “overcast”) The numbers that follow the coverage codes represent the height of a cloud base in hundreds of feet above the ground. For example, OVC013 means that there is an overcast layer of clouds 1,300 feet above the ground. 001 means clouds only 100 feet above the ground, and 200 would indicate clouds 20,000 feet above the ground..
