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1543 PDF
1543 PDF
17 March 2011
Flying Operations
The Aircrew Quick Reference Guide to the METAR and TAF Codes helps
aircrews quickly and clearly translate METAR and TAF codes into plain
language. See Attachment 1 for a list of source documents.
METAR reports are observed weather conditions while the TAF indicates
forecast conditions. Both are lines of text made up of coded data groups
separated by spaces. Some groups are not discussed because they are only
intended for use by the weather community. Differences between military
and civilian renderings of the code are discussed.
Aircrews should always check METAR and TAF reports thoroughly for all
hazards to flight safety and other elements that may affect aircraft
performance or mission accomplishment. When users have weather-related
questions, they should contact a certified US military forecaster or
MAJCOM-approved weather source for clarification. Weather briefing
requirements for USAF Aircrews are spelled out in AFI 11-202, Volume
3, General Flight Rules.
SUMMARY OF CHANGES
This document includes clarifications of METAR sector visibility and
vertical visibility and removes references to runway surface conditions
(now reported via NOTAMs). It also incorporates several changes to the
TAF format, specifically: repositioning the AMD and COR modifiers for
emphasis, adding a ―prepared/disseminated‖ time group to military TAFs
(already included in civilian TAFs), reformatting of the TAF valid time
groups, noting that some civilian TAFs are valid for up to 30 hours, and
adding a ―T‖ before both maximum and minimum temperature groups in
military TAFs.
2
Table of Contents
Section I, METAR decoding: Page
Report Type 4
Location and Date/Time 5
Auto/Cor 6
Wind 7
Wind Variability 8
Visibility 9
Runway Visual Range 10
Type of Weather 11
Clouds 13
Temperature/Dewpoint 14
Altimeter Setting 15
Remarks, US 16
Remarks, Overseas 17
Section II, TAF decoding: Page
Report Type 19
Location 20
Date/Time 21
Time and Type of Change Expected 22
Wind 23
Visibility 24
Type of Weather 25
Clouds 26
Wind Shear 27
Icing 28
Turbulence 29
Minimum Altimeter Setting 30
Temperatures 31
Figures Page
1. Weather/Obscuration Table - METAR/TAF 12
2. Remarks Decode Table - METAR 18
3. Icing Intensity Decode Table - TAF 28
4. Turbulence Intensity Decode Table - TAF 29
Attachments Page
1. Glossary of References and Supporting Information 32
2. Temperature Conversion, Fahrenheit to Celsius 33
3. Reportable Visibility Conversion, Statute Miles to Meters 34
4. Runway Visibility Conversion 35
5. Pressure Conversion, Millibars to Inches 36
3
METAR Report Type
4
METAR Location and Date/Time
5
METAR AUTO/COR
6
METAR Wind
The first three digits are the true direction to the nearest 10
degrees from which the wind is blowing. The next two digits
are the sustained speed. If gusts are present, the next two or
three digits following the ―G” are the ―gust,‖ the maximum
wind speed in the last ten minutes.
7
METAR Wind Variability
8
METAR Visibility
9
METAR Runway Visual Range, “R”
Runway Visual Range (RVR) follows the visibility and begins with
the letter ―R.‖ The runway heading will follow the ―R,‖ and in this
example, ―32L‖ represents runway 32-Left (C-Center, R-Right).
The last four digits report the visibility in feet.
11
METAR Weather/Obscuration Table
Figure 1. Weather/Obscuration Table
Phenomenon Qualifiers
Element 1: Intensity Element 2: Proximity Element 3: Description
- Light none On station BC Patches
In the vicinity
VC
none Moderate (5-10 miles) BL Blowing
DSNT > 10 miles
+ Heavy DR Low Drifting
Note: + can also mean FZ Freezing
a well-developed dust storm, MI Shallow
sandstorm, whirl, dust devil, PR Partial (covering
tornado, or waterspout part of the sky)
SH Shower(s)
TS Thunderstorm
13
METAR Temperature/Dewpoint
14
METAR Altimeter Setting
15
METAR Remarks, US
What is RMK?
16
METAR Remarks, Overseas
17
METAR Remarks Decode Table
Figure 2. Remarks Decode Table
A01 – Reported by automated PK WND 34050/38 – PeaK WiND 340 at 50 knots
observation equipment that occurred at 38 minutes past the hour
CANNOT distinguish between rain
PRESRR / PRESFR – PRESsure Rising Rapidly /
and snow
PRESsure Falling Rapidly
A02 – Reported by automated
RAB20SNB20E55 – RAin and SNow Began at 20
observation equipment that CAN
minutes past the hour, Ended at 55 min past
distinguish between rain and snow
RVRNO – RVR-equipped, but NO report
ACC W – AltoCumulus Castellanus
clouds West SFC VIS 2 1/2 – SurFaCe VISibility is 2 ½ statute
miles; remarked when (lower) tower visibility is
ACSL SW-S – AltoCumulus Standing
reported in METAR body
Lenticular clouds SouthWest through
South SLP015 – Sea Level Pressure is 1001.5 millibars
ALSTG/SLP ESTMD– Estimated TCU OHD – Towering CUmulus clouds OverHeaD
Pressure. Primary airfield sensors
TCU W – Towering CUmulus clouds to the West
are suspect or inoperative; backup
equipment is being used. TSB05E30 – ThunderStorm Began at 05 minutes
past the hour and Ended at 30 min past
CB W MOV E – CumulonimBus clouds
TWR VIS 1 – ToWeR VISibility is 1 statute mile;
West MOVing East
remarked when (lower) surface visibility is
reported in METAR body
CBMAM DSNT S – CumulonimBus
MAMmatus clouds to the DiStaNT VIRGA – VIRGA at the station; precipitation
South observed but not reaching the ground
CCSL OVR MT E – CirroCumulus VIRGA DSNT NE – VIRGA to the DiStaNT
Standing Lenticular clouds OVeR NorthEast
MounTain(s) to the East
VIRGA SW – VIRGA to the SouthWest
CONS LTGCA – CONtinuouS (more
VIS 1V2 – VISibility is Variable between 1 and 2
than 6 flashes per minute)
miles
LighTninG, Cloud to Air
VIS 2 RWY 11 – VISibility is 2 statute miles at
FROPA – … due to FROntal Passage
RunWaY 11
FRQ – FReQuent (1-6 flashes per
VIS N 2 – VISibility in the Northern sector is 2
minute for lightning)
statute miles
LTGCA – LighTninG, Cloud to Air
WND DATA ESTMD – Estimated Wind. Primary
LTGCC – LighTninG, Cloud to Cloud airfield sensors are suspect or inoperative;
backup equipment is being used.
LTGCG – LighTninG, Cloud to Ground
LTGIC – LighTninG, In-Cloud WSHFT45 – Wind SHiFT at 45 minutes past the
hour
OCNL – OCcassioNaL (less than 1
flash per minute for lightning)
PK WND 28045/1955 – PeaK WiND
280 at 45 knots occurred at 1955Z
18
TAF Report Type
What type of report is this?
19
TAF Location
20
TAF Date/Time
The next two groups that follow the ICAO identifier show the
preparation/dissemination time of the TAF and the valid time of the
forecast. In the KBLV (Scott AFB) example, 051151Z shows that
the TAF was prepared/disseminated on the 5th day of the month at
1151Z. The valid time of the forecast follows as 0512/0612 and
indicates that the forecast valid time is from 1200Z on the 5th day of
the month to 1200Z on the 6th day.
Although most TAFs are forecasted for a 24-hour period, the valid
times may vary, up to a maximum of 30 hours. For example, the
TAF at KPVU (Provo Municipal) is only valid from 1200Z on the
8th day until 0600Z on the 9th day, while the TAF at KSLC (Salt
Lake City International) is valid from 1200Z on the 8th day until
1800Z on the 9th day.
21
TAF Time and Type of Change Expected
How do I determine the time and type of changes that will occur?
Civilian and military forecasters alike encode the time and type of change
expected with TEMPO, FM, and BECMG groups.
FM means ―from‖ and indicates a rapid weather change where all data
groups in the previous line are superseded. In this example, FM051600
reads, ―From 1600Z on the 5th day…‖.
22
TAF Wind
The data group after the valid time and followed by KT (knots) is
the forecast wind speed.
The first three digits within a wind group are the true direction to
the nearest 10 degrees from which the wind will blow. The next two
digits are the sustained speed. If gusts are forecasted, the next two
or three digits following the ―G‖ are the ―gust,‖ the maximum wind
speed in a ten-minute window.
In the first wind group, the wind is forecasted to blow from 140
degrees (true) at a sustained speed of 05 knots. No gust is
forecasted.
In the third wind group, the wind is forecasted to blow from 210
degrees (true) at a sustained speed of 15 knots, gusting up to 30
knots.
23
TAF Visibility
How do I determine the forecast visibility?
Overseas locations may use the contraction ―CAVOK‖ (ceiling and visibility
OK) when there is no significant weather, the visibility is 10 km or greater,
and the ceilings are greater than 5,000 ft.
24
TAF Type of Weather
25
TAF Clouds
Cloud height is forecasted in hundreds of feet. Add two zeros to the end of
the value given. In this example, FEW030, BKN008CB, OVC020, and
SKC represent the values 3,000 few, 800 broken cumulonimbus, 2,000
overcast, and sky clear. Overseas locations may use the contraction
CAVOK (ceiling and visibility OK) when there is no significant weather,
the visibility is 10 km or greater, and the ceilings are greater than 5,000 ft.
For some locations, the wind shear group will follow the minimum
altimeter setting group (in the TAF remarks) instead of following
the cloud group.
27
TAF Icing
If forecasted, the icing group will be prefixed by the number 6, and follows
the cloud group. To decode, follow these instructions:
1. Find the icing designator ―6‖ following the cloud group (620304).
2. The next digit gives icing type and intensity (620304). See Figure 3.
3. The next three digits give the base of the icing layer in hundreds of feet
(620304).
4. The last digit provides the icing layer depth in thousands of feet
(620304), so add this value to the base height to determine the top limit
of the icing conditions.
In the above example, the icing forecast will read, ―light rime icing (in
cloud) from 3,000 to 7,000 feet.‖
28
TAF Turbulence
29
TAF Minimum Altimeter Setting
30
TAF Temperatures
31
Attachment 1
GLOSSARY OF REFERENCES
AND SUPPORTING INFORMATION
References
AFMAN 15-111, Surface Weather Observations
32
Attachment 2
TEMPERATURE CONVERSION
Degrees Fahrenheit to Degrees Celsius
ºF ºF ºF ºF
From To ºC From To ºC From To ºC From To ºC
128.3 130.0 54 83.3 85.0 29 38.3 40.0 04 -4.8 -3.1 M20
126.5 128.2 53 81.5 83.2 28 36.3 38.2 03 -6.6 -4.9 M21
124.7 126.4 52 79.7 81.4 27 34.7 36.2 02 -8.4 -6.7 M22
122.9 124.6 51 77.9 79.6 26 32.9 34.6 01 -10.2 -8.5 M23
121.1 122.8 50 76.1 77.8 25 32.0 32.8 00 -12.0 -10.3 M24
119.3 121.0 49 74.3 76.0 24 31.2 31.9 M00 -13.8 -12.1 M25
117.5 119.2 48 72.5 74.2 23 29.4 31.1 M01 -15.6 -13.9 M26
115.7 117.4 47 70.7 72.4 22 27.6 29.3 M02 -17.4 -15.7 M27
113.9 115.6 46 68.9 70.6 21 25.8 27.5 M03 -19.2 -17.5 M28
112.1 113.8 45 67.1 68.8 20 24.0 25.7 M04 -21.0 -19.3 M29
110.3 112.0 44 65.3 67.0 19 22.2 23.9 M05 -22.8 -21.1 M30
108.5 110.2 43 63.5 65.2 18 20.4 22.1 M06 -24.6 -22.9 M31
106.7 108.4 42 61.7 63.4 17 18.6 20.3 M07 -26.4 -24.7 M32
104.9 106.6 41 59.9 61.6 16 16.8 18.5 M08 -28.2 -26.5 M33
103.1 104.8 40 58.1 59.8 15 15.0 16.7 M09 -30.0 -28.3 M34
101.3 103.0 39 56.3 58.0 14 13.2 14.9 M10 -31.8 -30.1 M35
99.5 101.2 38 54.5 56.2 13 11.4 13.1 M11 -33.6 -31.9 M36
97.7 99.4 37 52.7 54.4 12 9.6 11.3 M12 -35.4 -33.7 M37
95.9 97.6 36 50.9 52.6 11 7.8 9.5 M13 -37.2 -35.5 M38
94.1 95.8 35 49.1 50.8 10 6.0 7.7 M14 -39.0 -37.3 M39
92.3 94.0 34 47.3 49.0 09 4.2 5.9 M15 -40.8 -39.1 M40
90.5 92.2 33 45.5 47.2 08 2.4 4.1 M16 -42.6 -40.9 M41
88.7 90.4 32 43.7 45.4 07 0.6 2.3 M17 -44.4 -42.7 M42
86.9 88.6 31 41.9 43.6 06 -1.2 +0.5 M18 -46.2 -44.5 M43
85.1 86.8 30 40.1 41.8 05 -3.0 -1.3 M19 -48.0 -46.5 M44
33
Attachment 3
34
Attachment 4
RUNWAY VISIBILITY CONVERSION
RVR IN
STATUTE NAUTICAL KILO
HUNDREDS METERS
MILES MILES METERS
OF FEET
12 1/4 * 2/10 370 .4
16 1/4 2/10 490 .5
20 3/8 3/10 610 .6
24 1/2 4/10 730 .7
32 5/8 6/10 970 1.0
40 3/4 7/10 1220 1.2
45 7/8 8/10 1370 1.4
50 1 9/10 1520 1.5
60 1-1/4 1-1/10 1830 1.8
* Helicopter Only
35
Attachment 5
PRESSURE CONVERSION
Millibars (mb)* to Inches of Mercury (inches Hg)
_ _ _0 _ _ _1 _ _ _2 _ _ _3 _ _ _4 _ _ _5 _ _ _6 _ _ _7 _ _ _8 _ _ _9
094_ 27.76 27.79 27.82 27.85 27.88 27.91 27.94 27.96 27.99 28.02
095_ 28.05 28.08 28.11 28.14 28.17 28.20 28.23 28.26 28.29 28.32
096_ 28.35 28.38 28.41 28.44 28.47 28.50 28.53 28.56 28.59 28.61
097_ 28.64 28.67 28.70 28.73 28.76 28.79 28.82 28.85 28.88 28.91
098_ 28.94 28.97 29.00 29.03 29.06 29.09 29.12 29.15 29.18 29.21
099_ 29.23 29.26 29.29 29.32 29.35 29.38 29.41 29.44 29.47 29.50
100_ 29.53 29.56 29.59 29.62 29.65 29.68 29.71 29.74 29.77 29.80
101_ 29.83 29.85 29.88 29.91 29.94 29.97 30.00 30.03 30.06 30.09
102_ 30.12 30.15 30.18 30.21 30.24 30.27 30.30 30.33 30.36 30.39
103_ 30.42 30.45 30.47 30.50 30.53 30.56 30.59 30.62 30.65 30.68
104_ 30.71 30.74 30.77 30.80 30.83 30.86 30.89 30.92 30.95 30.98
105_ 31.01 31.04 31.07 31.10 31.12 31.15 31.18 31.21 31.24 31.27
36