Understanding METARs TAFs and AIRMETs

Introduction:

METARs TAFS and AIRMETs provide vital information to pilots and others operating in an area. They are coded, so being able to read them is tricky at first. Thankfully, there are many tools that can teach an individual how to read them or decode them for a user. This will not be a typical blogpost for a lab, instead it will simply contain an example of each previously mentioned forecast data packet and examples of what each line means.

Example METAR and TAF

Example AIRMET

METAR and TAF at KLAF:

KLAF is the Four letter ICAO location identifier. 081654Z is the time of the report in zulu time, as well as the time, so its the 8th of the month at 16:54 zulu. 30005kt is the wind speed and direction, the direction is 300 degrees with a speed of five knots. 10SM is the visiblity, which is 10 statute miles. CLR shows that the weather is clear. M01/M08 shows the temperature in degrees centigrade. The M means the temperature is negative, and the second temperature is the dew-point, so the temperature is 1 degree centigrade and the dew-point is 8 degrees centigrade. A3050 is the pressure, so 30.50 inches of mercury. RMK stands for the remarks section.  AO2 means that there is an automated weather station with a precipitation discriminator. SLP336 is the sea-level pressure of the area. T10061078 is the actual temperature and dew-point of the area, the 1 before each set shows that it is negative, So the temp is negative .6 degrees centigrade and the dew-point is negative 7.8 degrees centigrade.

KLAF is again the airport designation, and 081125Z is again the time and day in Zulu time. 0812/0912 shows the forecast period of the TAF, so the period is from 1200 to 1700 UTC 08 November 2019. 32005KT is the wind direction and speed again. P6SM is the visibility in statute miles, the P indicating a value greater than the highest reportable value. FEW250 means that there are few clouds at 25000 feet AGL. The next three lines all have some variation of FM081700, which simply states the forcast period again. the speed values starting with VR are for visual range. the other designations are for the type of cloud cover, SCT=scattered, BKN=broken. The bottom lines past BKN150 is the remarks sections, which just tells how the clouds and wind will be till a certain time.

AIRMET:

Skyvector

AIRMET

Location of AIRMET Chosen

For decoding the AIRMET I am going to write it out as one cohesive paragraph, as it reads like on:

Aviation weather station WOS weather station in Kansas city MO. on the 8th at 14:45 zulu. The center for it is in Washington, it says that it is an AIRMET. There is an obstruction due to the Sierra mountains covering a 3 statue mile area, for IFR flight that is valid until the 8th at 2100 zulu. The Airmet is IFR in New Mexico. It is from Rattlesnake to Albuquerque new mexico. The final line just talks about the cloud coverage talked about in the metar, lastly the conditions are ending between 1500 and 1800 zulu time.