Aviation Weather
METAR Report Explained: Reading Airport Weather Observations
A beginner-friendly guide to METAR reports, including wind, visibility, clouds, temperature, dew point, pressure, and present weather codes.
Quick answer: A METAR is a coded airport weather observation that reports current conditions such as wind, visibility, clouds, temperature, dew point, and pressure.
Why METARs exist
Aviation needs compact, standardized observations. METARs let pilots and forecasters compare conditions quickly across airports.
They update regularly and can change fast during fog, storms, snow, or wind shifts.
Key pieces
Wind, visibility, present weather, cloud layers, temperature, dew point, and altimeter setting are core parts.
Learning just those pieces makes METARs much less intimidating.
Everyday use
METARs are useful beyond aviation because airports often have reliable weather sensors.
They can reveal local fog, gusts, ceiling, and pressure trends.