METAR CODES

Weather Descriptors

BC Patches

BL Blowing

DR Low Drifting

FZ Freezing or Super-Cooled

MI Shallow

PR Partial

SH Showers

TS Thunderstorm

Obstructions to Visibility

BR Mist

DS Dust Storm

DU Widespread Dust

DZ Drizzle

FC Funnel Cloud

+FC Tornado or Waterspout

FG Fog

FU Smoke

GR Hail

GS Small Hail or Snow Pellets

HZ Haze

IC Ice Crystals

PE Ice Pellets

PO Dust or Sand Devils

PY Spray

RA Rain

SA Sand

SG Snow Grains

SN Snow

SQ Squall

SS Sand Storm

UP Precip Type Unknown

VA Volcanic Ash

Intensity values

-               Light

No Sign    Moderate

+               Heavy

Cloud Types

CB   Cumulonimbus

CI     Cirrus

TCU Towering Cumulus

Cloud Cover

Cloud coverage is reported in octas.  One octa is one eighth of the sky.

BKN Broken (5 to 7 octas)

CLR Clear

FEW Few (zero to 2 octas)

OVC Overcast (more than 7 octas)

SCT Scattered (3 to 4 octas)

SKC Sky clear

VV Vertical visibility (indefinite ceiling)

Additional Abbreviations

AO1  Automated observation without precipitation discriminator

AO2  Automated observation with precipitation discriminator

AMD  Amended forecast

B  Used as suffix to indicate minute when precipitation started.

Example: RAB12 - rain began at 12 minutes past the hour

BECMG  Becoming

BINOVC  Breaks in overcast

COR  Correction to the observation

E  Used as suffix to indicate minute when precipitation ended

Example: SNE45 - snow ended at 45 minutes past the hour

FLDURC [Flight level] during climb, as given in a pilot report

FLDURD[Flight level] during descent, as given in a pilot report

FM  From

LDG  Landing

NO  Used as a suffix to other codes, meaning not available.

Example: RVRNO

NSW  No significant weather (means only that previously reported

precipitation or obstruction to visibility has ended)

PK WND Peak wind

PROB  Probability (followed by two-digit percentage)

PRESFR  Pressure falling rapidly

R  Runway used in RVR measurement

RY  Runway

RWY  Runway

RVR  Runway visual range, in feet, as measured by an optical

transmissometer

SLP Sea level pressure, followed by the last three digits in millibars and

tenths.

Examples: SLP041 - 1004.1 mb; SLP 986 - 998.6 mb

T  Sometimes used in place of TO (see below)

TEMPO  Temporarily, followed by two pairs of digits giving the hours between which the forecast conditions are expected.  "Temporarily" means that the

conditions may occur only during part of the period

Example: TEMPO1315 +SHRA - temporarily, heavy rain showers between 1300 and 1500Z

TKOF  Takeoff

TOUsed in remarks to give temperature to the nearest tenth of a degree, followed by two groups of four digits.  In each group, the first digit is either a zero (above freezing) or a 1 (below freezing), and the other three digits give the temperature value in Celsius.

Example TO00311074 - temperature +3.1° C, dew point -7.4° C

V  Varies (used to modify wind direction or RVR)

Example: RVR 600 V 1200 - runway visual range varies from 600 to 1200 feet

VC  Vicinity

VRB  Variable wind direction when wind speed is less than six knots

WS  Wind shear