Weather
METAR and TAF abbreviations cheat sheet for the Part 107 test
This is a lookup sheet for the codes in METARs and TAFs: intensity and descriptor prefixes, precipitation and obscuration codes, sky cover, common remarks and the TAF change groups FM, TEMPO and PROB30. Two constructed reports at the end are decoded group by group.
What order are the groups in a METAR?
Read left to right. The order below follows the AIM key and the Aviation Weather Handbook. Use how to read a METAR for a gentler walkthrough and how to read a TAF for forecasts.
| Group | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Report type | METAR, SPECI | Routine hourly report, or special report when conditions change |
| Station | KPIT | Four-letter ICAO identifier |
| Date and time | 091955Z | Day 9, 19:55 UTC |
| Modifier | AUTO or COR | Fully automated report, or corrected report |
| Wind | 22015G25KT | From 220 degrees true, 15 kt, gusts 25; 00000KT is calm; VRB03KT is variable at 3 kt |
| Variable direction | 180V250 | Direction varied 180 to 250 degrees (speed above 6 kt, a 60 degree or larger swing) |
| Visibility | 3/4SM, 1 1/2SM, M1/4SM | Statute miles; M means less than |
| Runway visual range | R28L/2600FT | Runway 28 left, 2,600 ft |
| Present weather | +TSRA BR | Intensity, descriptor, phenomenon |
| Sky condition | FEW020 BKN040 OVC010CB | Amount and height in hundreds of ft AGL |
| Temp and dew point | 18/16, M02/M05 | Degrees C; M is below zero |
| Altimeter | A2992 | 29.92 inHg |
| Remarks | RMK AO2 SLP045 | Extra information after RMK |
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026).
What do the intensity and proximity symbols mean?
| Symbol | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| - | Light | -RA light rain |
| (none) | Moderate | RA rain |
| + | Heavy | +TSRA thunderstorm with heavy rain |
| VC | In the vicinity: 5 to 10 SM from the point of observation in a U.S. METAR | VCSH showers in the vicinity |
Intensity is attached to precipitation, not to ice crystals or hail, and it is not used with VC. A tornado or waterspout is coded as +FC, a funnel cloud as FC.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026).
What are the descriptor codes?
| Code | Meaning | Used with |
|---|---|---|
| BC | Patches | Fog (BCFG) |
| BL | Blowing | Dust, sand, snow |
| DR | Low drifting | Dust, sand, snow |
| FZ | Freezing | Fog, drizzle, rain |
| MI | Shallow | Fog (MIFG) |
| PR | Partial | Fog (PRFG) |
| SH | Showers | Rain, snow, ice pellets, hail |
| TS | Thunderstorm | Alone or with rain, snow, ice pellets, snow pellets, hail |
Only one descriptor appears per weather group. TS is not coded with SH, and FZ is not coded with SH. A METAR holds no more than three present weather groups, ordered with tornadic activity first, then thunderstorms, then the most dominant weather.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026).
What are the weather phenomenon codes?
| Type | Code | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Precipitation | DZ | Drizzle |
| RA | Rain | |
| SN | Snow | |
| SG | Snow grains | |
| IC | Ice crystals | |
| PL | Ice pellets | |
| GR | Hail | |
| GS | Small hail or snow pellets | |
| UP | Unknown precipitation (automated stations) | |
| Obscuration | BR | Mist (5/8 SM or more) |
| FG | Fog (less than 5/8 SM) | |
| FU | Smoke | |
| HZ | Haze | |
| DU | Widespread dust | |
| SA | Sand | |
| PY | Spray | |
| VA | Volcanic ash | |
| Other | DS | Dust storm |
| SS | Sandstorm | |
| SQ | Squall | |
| FC | Funnel cloud | |
| +FC | Tornado or waterspout | |
| PO | Well-developed dust or sand whirls |
An obscuration goes into the body of the report when surface visibility is under 7 SM or when it is operationally significant. Mist (BR) never takes a descriptor. See fog and visibility.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026).
What do the sky cover codes mean?
| Code | Meaning | Sky coverage |
|---|---|---|
| SKC or CLR | Clear (CLR means nothing detected at or below 12,000 ft at an automated station) | 0 |
| FEW | Few | 1/8 to 2/8 |
| SCT | Scattered | 3/8 to 4/8 |
| BKN | Broken, counts as ceiling | 5/8 to 7/8 |
| OVC | Overcast, counts as ceiling | 8/8 |
| VV | Vertical visibility into an obscured sky, counts as ceiling | 8/8 |
Heights are in hundreds of feet above ground level, so BKN008 is a broken layer at 800 ft AGL. Add-ons are CB (cumulonimbus) and TCU (towering cumulus). Layers are listed in ascending order and stop at the first overcast. The ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer, or the vertical visibility. For Part 107 any cloud counts for the cloud clearance rule, ceiling or not.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026); 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR).
What remarks should I know?
| Remark | Meaning |
|---|---|
| AO1 / AO2 | Automated station without / with a precipitation discriminator |
| PK WND 28045/15 | Peak wind 280 degrees at 45 kt at 15 minutes past the hour |
| WSHFT 30 FROPA | Wind shift at 30 minutes past the hour, with a frontal passage |
| TWR VIS 1 1/2 | Tower visibility 1 1/2 SM |
| VIS 1/2V2 | Visibility varying between 1/2 and 2 SM |
| LTG DSNT W | Lightning beyond 10 NM to the west (automated: between 10 and 30 NM) |
| TSB25 / TSE40 | Thunderstorm began 25 / ended 40 minutes past the hour |
| TS SE MOV NE | Thunderstorm southeast of the station moving northeast |
| RAB05E30 | Rain began 5 and ended 30 minutes past the hour |
| PRESRR / PRESFR | Pressure rising / falling rapidly |
| SLP045 | Sea-level pressure 1004.5 hPa (leading 9 or 10 is dropped) |
| T01820159 | Hourly temperature 18.2 C and dew point 15.9 C: the first 0 means positive, the second 1 is negative |
| VIRGA | Precipitation that does not reach the ground |
| CB DSNT, TCU | Significant cloud types with direction |
Remarks follow RMK. The one that most often affects a drone flight is the thunderstorm and lightning remark, then the pressure remarks and wind shift. SLP045 is read as 1004.5 hPa because the 9 or 10 in front is dropped: 998.2 hPa is SLP982, and 1013.2 hPa is SLP132. In the temperature group, 0 means positive and 1 means negative, so T00261015 is 2.6 C and minus 1.5 C.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026); AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology.
What are the TAF change groups?
| Group | Meaning | Rules |
|---|---|---|
| FMddhhmm | From: conditions change at this time and the new group replaces everything before it | Complete, self-contained forecast; every element is repeated |
| TEMPO ddhh/ddhh | Temporary fluctuations | More than 50 percent probability, less than an hour each time, less than half the period in total |
| PROB30 ddhh/ddhh | 30 percent probability | The only probability group NWS TAFs use; not used in the first 9 hours of a TAF, and not used for VC or non-convective LLWS |
| BECMG ddhh/ddhh | Becoming: gradual change in the period | Appears in international and military TAFs, not in NWS-prepared TAFs |
| WShhh/dddffKT | Non-convective low-level wind shear | Height of the top of the shear layer in hundreds of ft AGL, then wind at that height; surface to 2,000 ft |
The valid period appears as ddhh/ddhh, so 1412/1512 runs from 1200 UTC on the 14th to 1200 UTC on the 15th. Scheduled TAFs come out at 0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800 UTC. A time at midnight is written 00 at the start of a period and 24 at the end. Visibility above 6 SM is P6SM, and NSW means no significant weather. Temperature is not part of an NWS TAF.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026).
What do I do with the dew point and temperature numbers?
Subtract. A spread of 2 C or less is where fog tends to form, and about 400 ft of spread-to-cloud-base per degree gives a quick cloud base guess when you see clouds forming. Temperature and altimeter also feed density altitude. A falling dew point spread through the evening on a calm night means fog and low cloud are possible by morning.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026); FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (FAA-H-8083-25C).
Can you decode a full METAR?
Worked example
METAR example (constructed, not a real report)
KXYZ 141453Z AUTO 18012G22KT 160V220 1 1/2SM -SHRA BR BKN008 OVC015 14/13 A2987 RMK AO2 PK WND 19026/41 PRESFR SLP112 T01440133
| Group | Decoded |
|---|---|
| KXYZ | Station |
| 141453Z | Day 14, 1453 UTC |
| AUTO | Automated, no human augmentation |
| 18012G22KT | Wind from 180 degrees true at 12 kt, gusting 22 |
| 160V220 | Direction varied between 160 and 220 degrees |
| 1 1/2SM | Visibility 1.5 statute miles |
| -SHRA | Light rain showers |
| BR | Mist |
| BKN008 | Broken at 800 ft AGL: this is the ceiling |
| OVC015 | Overcast at 1,500 ft AGL |
| 14/13 | Temperature 14 C, dew point 13 C (spread 1 C) |
| A2987 | Altimeter 29.87 inHg |
| RMK AO2 | Remarks follow; automated station with precipitation discriminator |
| PK WND 19026/41 | Peak wind 190 degrees at 26 kt at 41 minutes past the hour |
| PRESFR | Pressure falling rapidly |
| SLP112 | Sea-level pressure 1011.2 hPa |
| T01440133 | Temperature 14.4 C, dew point 13.3 C |
For Part 107: visibility is 1.5 SM, below the 3 SM minimum. The ceiling is 800 ft, so the 500 ft below clouds rule would cap a flight at about 300 ft AGL, if there were enough visibility. Gusts of 22 kt, a wind swing and a falling pressure trend point to a front or storm nearby. No flight under these conditions.
Can you decode a full TAF?
Worked example
TAF example (constructed, not a real forecast)
TAF KXYZ 141120Z 1412/1512 18010KT P6SM SCT040 WS015/28035KT FM141800 20015G25KT 4SM -SHRA BKN020 TEMPO 1419/1421 1SM +TSRA OVC008CB FM150200 27008KT P6SM SKC PROB30 1506/1509 1SM BR
| Group | Decoded |
|---|---|
| TAF KXYZ | Routine forecast for the airport and its surroundings within 5 SM |
| 141120Z | Issued on the 14th at 1120 UTC |
| 1412/1512 | Valid from the 14th at 1200 UTC to the 15th at 1200 UTC |
| 18010KT P6SM SCT040 | Wind from 180 at 10 kt, visibility more than 6 SM, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft AGL |
| WS015/28035KT | Low-level wind shear from the surface to 1,500 ft; wind at 1,500 ft is from 280 at 35 kt |
| FM141800 | From 1800 UTC on the 14th: wind 200 at 15 gusting 25, 4 SM in light rain showers, broken at 2,000 ft |
| TEMPO 1419/1421 | Between 1900 and 2100 UTC, temporarily: 1 SM in heavy thunderstorm rain, overcast at 800 ft with cumulonimbus |
| FM150200 | From 0200 UTC on the 15th: wind 270 at 8 kt, more than 6 SM, clear sky |
| PROB30 1506/1509 | 30 percent chance between 0600 and 0900 UTC on the 15th of 1 SM in mist |
A drone pilot reading this for a 1500 to 1700 UTC job on the 14th sees VFR-level conditions, a rain-and-gust period from 1800 UTC with a thunderstorm risk in the afternoon, and shear aloft from the start. Re-check the latest METAR, and the next TAF issuance at 1800 UTC, before launching.
What does the Part 107 test expect me to remember?
- Visibility is in statute miles, in the METAR body, and 3 SM is the Part 107 minimum at the control station.
- A ceiling is a BKN or OVC layer, or VV.
- BR is mist, FG fog, HZ haze, +RA heavy rain, TS thunderstorm, VC vicinity.
- Times are UTC (Z) in METARs and TAFs.
- FM means a rapid change, TEMPO a short fluctuation, PROB30 a 30 percent chance.
The free questions in the app on ceiling and haze tie directly to these codes. Related guides: METAR, TAF and briefings.
Sources (checked 2026-11-14): AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology; FAA Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22); 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR).
Free practice questions on this topic
2 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Ceiling with several layers
1. A METAR reports FEW008 SCT015 BKN030 OVC070. What is the ceiling?
- 800 ft AGL
- 3,000 ft AGL
- 7,000 ft AGL
Show answer and explanation
B. 3,000 ft AGL
The ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer, which is BKN030 at 3,000 ft AGL. The 800 ft layer is FEW and the 1,500 ft layer is scattered, and neither counts as a ceiling. The 7,000 ft overcast is above the lowest broken layer, so it is not the ceiling.
Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 13
Visibility and haze
2. The METAR for an airport next to a planned job site reports 2 1/2SM HZ. What should the remote pilot conclude?
- Visibility is likely below the 3 SM Part 107 minimum, so the flight should not go as planned
- Haze does not count toward the visibility limit, so the flight can proceed
- The 3 SM minimum applies only above 400 ft AGL, so the flight can proceed
Show answer and explanation
A. Visibility is likely below the 3 SM Part 107 minimum, so the flight should not go as planned
Part 107 requires at least 3 SM flight visibility from the control station, and a nearby report of 2 1/2 SM shows conditions below that. Haze is a visibility restriction like any other and counts fully. The 3 SM minimum applies at all altitudes, not only above 400 ft.
Source: PHAK (FAA-H-8083-25C), Chapter 13; 14 CFR 107.51(c)
Related guides
- How to read a METAR for the Part 107 test
- How to read a TAF for the Part 107 test
- Aviation weather briefings, PIREPs, AIRMETs and SIGMETs for drone pilots
- Fog and visibility for drone pilots
- All Part 107 guides
Study the charts on your phone
Sectional Cue has 1150+ original questions with explanations, 27 FAA figures you can tap to read, and timed 60-question rehearsals. About 152 questions and three chart lessons are free.
Sources
- AIM Chapter 7, Section 1: Meteorology, checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Aviation Weather Handbook (FAA-H-8083-28B, 2026), checked 2026-11-14
- FAA Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22), checked 2026-11-14
- 14 CFR 107.51 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-14
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.