METAR & TAF Decoder

Paste a raw METAR or TAF and get a group-by-group plain-English decode — the same translation ATIS Alerts performs on every airport page and in every Telegram alert. Or look up any US airport and decode its current report live.

How a METAR is structured

A METAR reads left to right in a fixed order: station and observation time, then wind, visibility, present weather, clouds, temperature/dew point, altimeter, and finally remarks after RMK. Each group answers one question, which is why the decoder above explains them one chip at a time. For a guided walk-through of each field, see our how to read a METAR guide.

How to read a TAF

A TAF starts with the issue time and a validity period (like 0812/0918 — day 8 at 12Z through day 9 at 18Z), then a baseline forecast, then change groups:

FM (from) — a complete replacement of the forecast starting at the given day/time. Everything before it stops applying.
BECMG (becoming) — a gradual change to the new conditions over the window given; conditions not mentioned carry over.
TEMPO (temporarily) — fluctuations lasting under an hour at a time during the window; plan for the worse of the two states.
PROB30 / PROB40 — a 30% or 40% chance of the conditions that follow; often combined with TEMPO.

Common METAR weather codes

Weather groups combine an intensity prefix, an optional descriptor, and a phenomenon — so -SHRA is light rain showers and +FZDZ is heavy freezing drizzle.

-light

+heavy

VCin the vicinity (roughly 5–10 miles from the field)

RErecent (occurred since the last report)

MIshallow

PRpartial

BCpatches of

DRlow drifting

BLblowing

SHshowers

TSthunderstorm

FZfreezing

DZdrizzle

RArain

SNsnow

SGsnow grains

ICice crystals

PLice pellets

GRhail

GSsmall hail / snow pellets

UPunknown precipitation

BRmist (visibility 5/8 mile or more)

FGfog (visibility below 5/8 mile)

FUsmoke

VAvolcanic ash

DUwidespread dust

SAsand

HZhaze

PYspray

POdust or sand whirls

SQsqualls

FCfunnel cloud (tornado or waterspout)

SSsandstorm

DSduststorm

Flight categories at a glance

VFR — Visual Flight Rules: ceilings above 3,000 ft and visibility greater than 5 miles.
MVFR — Marginal VFR: ceilings 1,000–3,000 ft and/or visibility 3–5 miles.
IFR — Instrument Flight Rules: ceilings 500–1,000 ft and/or visibility 1–3 miles.
LIFR — Low IFR: ceilings below 500 ft and/or visibility under 1 mile.

The category is always the worse of ceiling and visibility.

Stop decoding by hand — monitor the airport instead

Decoding a METAR is a skill worth learning, but re-checking one every hour isn't. Every US airport has a live ATIS Alerts status page with the current report already decoded, runway crosswinds, and FAA delay status — and the Telegram bot messages you in plain English when the ATIS letter changes or conditions drop below VFR, so you check weather only when something actually changed.

Decoder FAQ

What's the difference between a METAR and a TAF?

A METAR is an observation — what the weather actually is right now at the airport, usually issued hourly (SPECI when something changes fast). A TAF is a forecast for the area within about five statute miles of the airport, usually issued four times a day and covering 24–30 hours.

What does 9999 mean in a METAR?

In international (metric) METARs, visibility is given in meters, and 9999 means 10 kilometers or more — effectively unlimited visibility. It's the metric equivalent of the US format's 10SM.

What does VCTS mean?

VC means 'in the vicinity' — roughly 5 to 10 miles from the field — and TS is thunderstorm. So VCTS is a thunderstorm near, but not at, the airport. VCSH is the same idea for showers.

Is this decoder official?

No. It's an educational and situational-awareness aid. Decoding can be incomplete or wrong for unusual reports, and it never substitutes for an official briefing from Flight Service or aviationweather.gov.

Does it handle international METARs?

Yes — the decoder understands metric visibility (like 9999 and 4000), Q-code altimeters in hectopascals, wind in meters per second, and CAVOK. Airport lookup covers US airports; paste mode works for any station worldwide.

About this data

Live reports come from the FAA/NWS Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov) and refresh roughly every minute; paste mode decodes entirely in your browser. Built by ATIS Alerts, a product of The Better Travelers, LLC.

⚠️ ATIS Alerts tools are provided for flight-planning practice, training, and situational awareness only — not for operational use. Calculations and decoded reports may be incomplete, delayed, or incorrect. Always verify conditions with official FAA-approved sources, such as a Flight Service briefing or aviationweather.gov, and follow the limitations in your aircraft's POH/AFM and your own personal minimums before flight.

Don't decode weather every hour

ATIS Alerts messages you on Telegram — already in plain English — when your airport's ATIS changes, it drops below VFR, or wind moves toward your minimums.

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