How to Read a METAR: Aviation Weather Reports Explained
A practical, source-aware guide to the compact observations used to describe weather at an airport.
Illustrative airport observation environment. The image is not a current METAR and does not replace the timestamped station report.
What is a METAR?
A METAR is a standardized observation of weather at or near an aerodrome. It is a compact report, normally identified by an airport or weather-station code and an observation time in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). It describes observed conditions; it is not a forecast.
Where METAR data comes from
Reports may be produced by automated observing systems, human observers or a combination of both under the responsible national aviation-meteorology authority. PlanetVexa retrieves its connected airport reports from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center (AWC), preserves the raw report and labels decoded fields as normalized presentation.
Anatomy of a METAR
Most reports progress from station and time to wind, visibility, present weather, cloud layers, temperature/dew point and pressure. Optional remarks can follow.
METARKJFK281151Z18012G20KT10SM-RASCT020 BKN04022/18A2992Worked syntax example only — not a current observation.
Airport or station identifier
KJFK identifies the reporting station. Many stations use a four-character ICAO identifier; local practices and identifiers vary.
Observation time
281151Z means day 28 at 11:51 UTC. The final Z indicates Zulu time, the aviation name for UTC.
Wind
18012G20KT reports wind from 180 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 20 knots. VRB may replace direction when the wind is variable.
Visibility
10SM reports ten statute miles in U.S.-formatted reports. Other regions commonly report visibility in metres. Units must be read from the report convention.
Weather phenomena
-RA means light rain. Intensity, proximity and descriptors can combine with precipitation, obscuration and other phenomena.
Clouds and ceiling
SCT020 BKN040 describes scattered cloud at 2,000 feet and broken cloud at 4,000 feet above the reporting reference. Broken and overcast layers can establish a ceiling; scattered layers do not.
Temperature and dew point
22/18 means 22 °C air temperature and 18 °C dew point. An M prefix denotes a value below zero.
Pressure or altimeter
A2992 is an altimeter setting of 29.92 inches of mercury. A Q group expresses pressure in hectopascals, such as Q1013.
Flight category
PlanetVexa displays a VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR category when the source provides it. The label summarizes ceiling and visibility context and never replaces the full report.
METAR example decoded
| Group | Meaning |
|---|---|
| KJFK | Reporting station |
| 281151Z | Day 28, 11:51 UTC |
| 18012G20KT | Wind 180° at 12 kt, gust 20 kt |
| 10SM -RA | 10 statute miles, light rain |
| SCT020 BKN040 | Scattered at 2,000 ft, broken at 4,000 ft |
| 22/18 A2992 | 22 °C / 18 °C, altimeter 29.92 inHg |
METAR vs TAF
A METAR reports observed conditions at a time. A TAF describes expected conditions during a validity window. Read the TAF guide next to compare them.
From evidence to the PlanetVexa view
Each stage changes what can be claimed. PlanetVexa keeps the source record, derived interpretation and visual presentation visibly distinct.
- 01Airport instruments
Wind, visibility, pressure, temperature and cloud observations are sampled at a reporting site.
- 02Encoded report
The responsible service composes a timestamped compact METAR message.
- 03Source normalization
PlanetVexa preserves the raw text and maps supplied fields into labeled values.
- 04Airport page
Raw report, decoded fields, source time and freshness are presented together.
Informational context, not operational instruction
PlanetVexa presents source-backed reports and forecasts for education and planetary context. Decoding is not a substitute for certified training, official briefing products, current charts, notices, procedures or decisions by qualified aviation personnel. Source values can be corrected or amended.
Connected live aviation weather comes from the NOAA Aviation Weather Center. Airport metadata, runways and frequencies come from OurAirports open data; frequencies must be confirmed with an official operational source before use.
Explore a Real Airport METAR
These are current backend records when available. Missing source data is shown as unavailable rather than replaced with a demonstration value.
METAR KJFK 141351Z 24010KT 10SM FEW095 SCT120 SCT250 22/17 A2988 RMK AO2 SLP119 T02220172
GRU · SBGRSão Paulo/Guarulhos–Governor André Franco Montoro International AirportMETAR SBGR 141400Z 19002KT CAVOK 26/16 Q1016
LHR · EGLLLondon Heathrow AirportMETAR EGLL 141350Z AUTO 22011KT 180V240 9999 FEW033 SCT043 19/11 Q1026
FAQ
Is a METAR a forecast?
No. A METAR describes observed conditions. A TAF describes expected conditions during a forecast period.
Why is METAR time shown in UTC?
UTC provides a shared time reference across regions and time zones.
Does PlanetVexa change the source report?
No. PlanetVexa preserves the raw source text and labels decoded fields as normalized presentation.
Read the official material
Definitions and operational context are checked against the responsible institutions. External material can be revised independently of PlanetVexa.