Data Reported edit
Surface weather observations can include the following elements:
- Station Identifier
- Visibility, either in statute miles or meters
- Runway visibility, either in meters or feet
- Temperature
- Dew Point
- Wind speed and direction
- Sea level pressure
- Altimeter setting
- Present weather, such as restrictions to visibility and presence of thunder or squalls
- Intensity of precipitation
- Precipitation amount over the past 6 or 24 hours
- Snowfall amount during the past 6 hours
- Snow depth
Example of a METAR surface weather observation edit
METAR LBBG 041600Z 12003MPS 310V290 1400 R04/P1500N R22/P1500U +SN BKN022 OVC050 M04/M07 Q1020 NOSIG 9949//91=
KPGD 122353Z AUTO 27009KT 10SM CLR 18/13 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01830128 10256 20183 53008[1]
Station Date/Time Automatic Identifier (UTC) Observation KPGD 122353Z AUTO 27009KT 10SM CLR 18/13 A3001 RMK AO2 SLP163 T01830128 10256 20183 53008
RMK Remarks
AO2 Barometric pressure has risen 0.02 (in. Hg) since the last hour's observation
SLP163
T01830128
10256
20183
53008
| METAR codes and their meanings | ||
| Code | Meaning | Description |
| KPGD | Charlotte County Airport | ICAO airport code for the observing location |
| 122353Z | 12th of the month; 2353 or 11:53PM | Date and time given as (UTC) |
| AUTO | Automatic weather station | Identifies the station as unmanned and offering limited information |
| 27009KT | 270° (West) at 9 Knots (KT) | Wind direction (given as true heading) and wind speed, optionally followed by gust speed |
| 10SM | 10 statute miles (SM) | Visibility; 10SM is the maximum for ASOS |
| CLR | Clear | Current weather (CLeaR); See table below for meanings |
| 18/13 | 18°C / 13°C | Temperature and dew point in degrees Celsius |
| A3001 | 30.01 inches of mercury (in. Hg) | Altimeter setting; Barometric pressure adjusted for airport elevation above mean sea level |
| METAR remark codes and their meanings | ||
| Code | Meaning | Description |
| AO2 | Yes | Can this automated weather station discriminate among the types of precipitation? |
| SLP163 | 16.3 hPa | Sea-level barometric pressure |
| T01830128 | 18.3°C / 12.8°C | Temperature and dew point to the nearest tenth of a degree Celsius |
| 10256 | 25.6°C | Highest temperature in the last six hours to the nearest tenth of a degree Celsius |
| 20183 | 18.3°C | Lowest temperature in the last six hours to the nearest tenth of a degree Celsius |
| 53008 | increasing, 00.8 hPa | Character and amount of change in pressure in tenths of hPa for the past 3 hours |
| METAR prevailing weather codes and their meanings | ||
| Code | Meaning | |
| Precipitation phenomena | ||
| DZ | Drizzle | |
| GR | Hail | |
| GS | Small hail/snow pellets | |
| IC | Ice crystals | |
| PL | Ice pellets | |
| RA | Rain | |
| SG | Snow grains | |
| SN | Snow | |
| UP | Unknown precipitation in automated observations | |
| Obscuration phenomena | ||
| Qualifier: Intensity or proximity | ||
| - | Light | |
| (no sign) | Moderate | |
| + | Heavy | |
| VC | Weather occurring in the vicinity (5 - 10 SM away), but not at airport. | |
| Descriptor: Quality or character | ||
| BC | Patches | |
| BL | Blowing | |
| DR | Drifting | |
| FZ | Freezing | |
| MI | Shallow | |
| PR | Partial | |
| SH | Showers | |
| TS | Thunderstorm | |
KPGD Station Identifier: KPGD is the ICAO code for the Charlotte County Airport 122353Z Date: 12th day of the month; Time 2353 or 11:53PM (UTC) AUTO [ASOS|Automatic]] or manual observation 27009KT Wind direction, given as true heading: 270° (West); Speed: 9 Knots (KT) 10SM Visibility in statute miles (SM); 10SM is the maximum for ASOS CLR Weather is clear (CLR) 18/13 Temperature: 18°; Dew point 13°Celsius A3001 Barometric pressure is 30.01 inches of mercury (in. Hg) RMK Remarks AO2 Barometric pressure has risen 0.02 (in. Hg) since the last hour's observation SLP163 T01830128 10256 20183 53008
Personal weather stations, maintained by citizens rather than government officials, do not use METAR code. Software allows information to be transmitted to various sites, such as Weather Underground globally,[2] or CWOP within the United States,[3] which can then be used by the appropriate meteorological organizations either to diagnose real-time conditions, or be used within weather forecast models.
- ^ National Climatic Data Center. Key to METAR Surface Weather Observations. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
- ^ Weather Underground. Personal Weather Station. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.
- ^ Russ Chadwick. Citizen Weather Observer Program. Retrieved on 2008-03-09.