How to read a METAR
A METAR is a snapshot of current weather at an airport. Read left to right, each group answers one question. On every airport page we decode it into plain English for you — or paste your own report into the free METAR & TAF decoder.
KBJC 271953ZStation & timeAirport ICAO and the observation time in Zulu (UTC): day-of-month + HHMM, ending in Z.
30012G18KTWindDirection (true °) and speed in knots; G = gust. “VRB” means variable, “00000KT” is calm.
10SMVisibilityPrevailing visibility in statute miles. “10SM” is 10+ miles; “1 1/2SM” fractions are common in low vis.
TSRAWeatherPresent-weather codes: TS thunderstorm, RA rain, BR mist, FG fog, SN snow, − light, + heavy.
BKN025 OVC040Sky / cloudsCoverage and base in hundreds of feet AGL: FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC. Ceiling = lowest BKN/OVC layer.
23/17Temp / dew pointTemperature and dew point in °C. A small spread means moisture and possible fog or low cloud.
A2992AltimeterAltimeter setting in inches of mercury (29.92 here). Set this in your altimeter’s Kollsman window.
What is a SPECI?
A SPECI is a special METAR issued off-schedule— the station doesn't wait for the next hourly cycle when conditions change significantly. Triggers include the wind shifting or gusting past thresholds, visibility or ceiling crossing a flight-category boundary, thunderstorms or freezing precipitation beginning or ending, and runway-affecting weather. A SPECI reads exactly like a METAR (the first word is simply SPECI), but its existence is itself information: something just changed. Every airport page on this site compares the newest report against the previous one and lists what changed in plain English — and the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot sends you that change the moment it happens.
Forecasts use the same code — here's how to read a TAF →
Flight categories
The category badge you see across this site is the worse of ceiling and visibility (full guide →):
- VFR — ceiling above 3,000 ft and visibility greater than 5 miles.
- MVFR — ceiling 1,000–3,000 ft and/or visibility 3–5 miles.
- IFR — ceiling 500–1,000 ft and/or visibility 1–3 miles.
- LIFR — ceiling below 500 ft and/or visibility under 1 mile.
Skip the decoding — get the change pushed to you
The bot reads every new METAR at your airport and messages you when something in it actually changed.