METAR abbreviations

Every abbreviation in METARs and TAFs with its meaning, sorted into wind, visibility, weather, cloud and forecast.

To decode a whole METAR at once, use the METAR decoder.

Report and time

Code	Meaning
`METAR`	Meteorological Aerodrome Routine Report: the routine report, every 30 or 60 minutes
`SPECI`	aerodrome special meteorological report, issued after a sudden change in the weather
`TAF`	Terminal Aerodrome Forecast: the airfield forecast for 9 to 30 hours
`AUTO`	automatic: report from an automatic station without an observer
`COR`	corrected: a corrected report
`AMD`	amended: a forecast reissued ahead of schedule
`NIL`	nil: no report available
`Z`	Zulu, the radio name for UTC: 291150Z is the 29th at 11:50 UTC

Wind

Code	Meaning
`KT`	knots, 1 kt is 1.852 km/h
`MPS`	metres per second
`VRB`	variable: under 3 kt when the direction varies by 60° or more, at any speed when it varies by 180° or more
`G`	gusts: 24012G25KT means gusts up to 25 knots
`V`	variable: 210V270 means between 210 and 270 degrees, for a variation of 60° to under 180°
`00000KT`	calm

Visibility

Code	Meaning
`9999`	visibility 10 km or more
`CAVOK`	ceiling and visibility OK: at least 10 km visibility, no cloud below 5000 ft, no CB or TCU, no significant weather
`R`	runway: runway visual range (RVR), R26/0600 means 600 m on runway 26
`SM`	statute miles: visibility in US reports, 1 SM is 1.6 km
`NDV`	no directional variations: automatic station without directional visibility

Weather: intensity and location

Weather groups are built up: first the intensity, then the descriptor, then the phenomenon. -SHRA means light rain showers, +TSRA a thunderstorm with heavy rain.

Code	Meaning
`-`	light
`+`	heavy
`VC`	in the vicinity (engl. vicinity)
`RE`	recent: since the last report but no longer at observation time; RERA means recent rain

Weather: descriptor

Code	Meaning
`MI`	shallow (French mince)
`BC`	patches (French bancs)
`PR`	partial (engl. partial)
`DR`	low drifting (engl. low drifting)
`BL`	blowing (engl. blowing)
`SH`	showers (engl. showers)
`TS`	thunderstorm (engl. thunderstorm)
`FZ`	freezing (engl. freezing)

Weather: precipitation

Code	Meaning
`DZ`	drizzle (engl. drizzle)
`RA`	rain (engl. rain)
`SN`	snow (engl. snow)
`SG`	snow grains (engl. snow grains)
`IC`	ice crystals (engl. ice crystals)
`PL`	ice pellets (engl. ice pellets)
`GR`	hail (French grêle)
`GS`	small hail or snow pellets (French grésil)
`UP`	unknown precipitation (engl. unknown precipitation)

Weather: obscuration

Code	Meaning
`BR`	mist (French brume)
`FG`	fog (engl. fog)
`FU`	smoke (French fumée)
`VA`	volcanic ash (engl. volcanic ash)
`DU`	dust (engl. dust)
`SA`	sand (engl. sand)
`HZ`	haze (engl. haze)
`PY`	spray (engl. spray)

Weather: other

Code	Meaning
`PO`	dust or sand whirls (French poussière)
`SQ`	squalls (engl. squall)
`FC`	funnel cloud (engl. funnel cloud)
`SS`	sandstorm (engl. sandstorm)
`DS`	duststorm (engl. duststorm)
`NSW`	nil significant weather

Cloud

Code	Meaning
`FEW`	few: 1 to 2 eighths of the sky
`SCT`	scattered: 3 to 4 eighths
`BKN`	broken: 5 to 7 eighths
`OVC`	overcast: 8 eighths
`VV`	vertical visibility: the sky cannot be seen
`NSC`	nil significant cloud
`NCD`	no cloud detected (automatic station)
`SKC`	sky clear
`CLR`	clear: no cloud below 12,000 ft (automatic station, US)
`CB`	cumulonimbus: thunderstorm cloud
`TCU`	towering cumulus

Temperature and pressure

Code	Meaning
`M`	minus: M02 is -2 °C
`Q`	QNH in hectopascals, always rounded down. QNH is a Q code with no official long form
`A`	altimeter setting in inches of mercury (US)
`TX`	T for temperature, X for maximum: forecast highest temperature (TAF)
`TN`	T for temperature, N for minimum: forecast lowest temperature (TAF)

Trend and forecast

Code	Meaning
`NOSIG`	no significant change over the next two hours
`BECMG`	becoming: a gradual, lasting change
`TEMPO`	temporary: a change for less than an hour at a time
`FM`	from: a new forecast applies from this time
`TL`	till: up to this time (in a TREND)
`AT`	at: at this time (in a TREND)
`PROB30`	probability of the change in percent (30 or 40)
`INTER`	intermittent: short, frequent fluctuations

Military airfields append a colour code (colour state) to the METAR. It depends on the ceiling and the visibility, and the worse of the two decides. When two colour codes follow each other, such as BLU+BLU+, the first applies to the METAR and the second to the TREND.

Code	Meaning
`BLU+`	BLU+ (Blue+): ceiling 20,000 ft or more and visibility 8 km or more
`BLU`	BLU (Blue): ceiling 2500 ft or more and visibility 8 km or more
`WHT`	WHT (White): ceiling 1500 ft or more and visibility 5 km or more
`GRN`	GRN (Green): ceiling 700 ft or more and visibility 3.7 km or more
`YLO`	YLO (Yellow): ceiling 300 ft or more and visibility 1.6 km or more
`YLO1`	YLO1 (Yellow 1): ceiling 500 ft or more and visibility 2.5 km or more
`YLO2`	YLO2 (Yellow 2): ceiling 300 ft or more and visibility 1.6 km or more
`AMB`	AMB (Amber): ceiling 200 ft or more and visibility 800 m or more
`RED`	RED (Red): ceiling below 200 ft or visibility below 800 m
`BLACK`	airfield unusable for reasons other than cloud or visibility, placed directly before the colour code

Other codes

Code	Meaning
`RMK`	remarks: national supplementary information follows
`WS`	wind shear between the ground and 1600 ft above it
`//`	value missing or not measured