METAR & TAF codes

Identifies a thunderstorm, optionally combined with precipitation such as rain.

Indicates snow, dust or sand being carried close to the ground.

Indicates precipitation occurring in showers.

Indicates a shallow layer of the reported phenomenon, commonly shallow fog.

Indicates supercooled liquid precipitation or fog that can freeze on contact.

Indicates patches of the reported phenomenon, commonly patches of fog.

Indicates particles raised and carried by the wind.

Indicates that part of the aerodrome is covered by the reported phenomenon, commonly fog.

Reports rain. An intensity symbol may appear before the code.

Reports drizzle made up of very small liquid droplets.

Reports snow. An intensity symbol may appear before the code.

Reports hail.

Reports small hail and/or snow pellets.

Reports ice pellets, sometimes combined with another precipitation type.

Reports very small, opaque grains of ice.

Reports ice crystals, sometimes called diamond dust.

Used by an automated station when the precipitation type cannot be identified.

UP is not used in TAF forecasts.

Reports fog that significantly reduces horizontal visibility.

Reports haze reducing visibility.

Reports smoke reducing visibility.

Reports spray reducing visibility.

Reports mist reducing visibility, but not to the threshold used for fog.

Reports airborne sand reducing visibility.

Reports widespread airborne dust reducing visibility.

Reports volcanic ash in the atmosphere.

Reports a sudden strong increase in wind speed.

Reports a sandstorm. An intensity symbol may be included.

Reports a duststorm. An intensity symbol may be included.

Reports dust or sand whirls.

Reports a funnel cloud.

Reports a tornado or waterspout using the heavy-intensity symbol with FC.

Indicates clear sky.

In U.S. practice, SKC is used by manual stations and in TAFs.

Used by an automated station when no clouds are detected below 12,000 feet.

This is a U.S. automated-reporting convention and is not used in TAFs.

Reports a few clouds, followed by the cloud-base height in hundreds of feet.

Reports scattered clouds, followed by the cloud-base height in hundreds of feet.

Reports broken cloud coverage, followed by the cloud-base height in hundreds of feet.

Reports overcast cloud coverage, followed by the cloud-base height in hundreds of feet.

Reports vertical visibility into an obscured sky, followed by the height in hundreds of feet.

Indicates visibility of at least 10 kilometres, no cloud of operational significance and no significant weather.

CAVOK is used in international reporting but not in U.S. METARs or TAFs.

Indicates no cloud of operational significance when CAVOK is not appropriate.

Usage follows international reporting practice.

Identifies a cumulonimbus cloud layer.

Identifies towering cumulus clouds.

In U.S. TAFs, CB is the only cloud type explicitly forecast.

Begins a new set of prevailing forecast conditions from the specified date and time.

Indicates a gradual change expected during the stated time interval.

BECMG is used internationally; the U.S. National Weather Service does not use it in TAFs.

Indicates temporary forecast conditions during the stated period.

Indicates a 30 percent probability of the following forecast conditions during the stated period.

Indicates a 40 percent probability of the following forecast conditions during the stated period.

Use varies by forecasting authority; U.S. National Weather Service TAFs do not use PROB40.

Indicates that no significant weather phenomenon is forecast in the change group.

Marks a TAF that has been amended because the existing forecast no longer adequately describes expected conditions.

Indicates that the report was produced automatically without human intervention.

Indicates a corrected report or forecast replacing an earlier version containing an error.

Used in place of a three-digit wind direction when the direction is variable.

Separates the sustained wind speed from the forecast or observed maximum gust.

Indicates that wind speed is expressed in knots.

Indicates that visibility is expressed in statute miles.

This format is primarily used in U.S. reports and forecasts.

Indicates forecast visibility greater than six statute miles.

This is a U.S. TAF convention.