How to Read All METAR Remarks

Remarks are at the end of a METAR that will explain further details about the current weather at the designated location. They can add further details about tornadoes, winds, visibility, temperature, pressure, etc.

Read and understand about METARs before diving into the Remarks.

Below is almost all of the remarks that may be listed, most Remarks will not be this long and detailed.

RMK AO2 PK WIND 20032/25 WSHFT1715 VIS 3/4V1 1/2 RAB07 CIG013V017 PRESFR SLP125 P0003 60009 70009 T00640036 10066 21012 400461006 58033 TSNO $

AO2 - Type of Automated Station

PK WIND 20032/25 - Peak Wind

200 - Wind direction (True North)

32 - Wind Speed

/25 - Time in minutes at the hour

WSHFT1715 - Wind Shift

1715 - (hh)mm in Zulu tme

VIS 3/4V1 1/2 - Variable Prevailing Visibility

VIS - Visibility

3/4 - three quarters statue miles

V - Variable

1 1/2 - 1 and one half statue miles

RAB07 - Beginning and Ending of Precipitation

RA - Precipitation Decode

B - Began

• E - Ended

07 - Minutes past the current hour

CIG013V017 - Variable Ceiling Height

CIG - Ceiling

013 - One thousand three hundred feet

V - Variable

017 - One thousand seven hundred feet

PRESFR - Pressure Trend

PRES - pressure

FR - falling rapidly

• RR - rising rapidly

SLP125 - Sea Level Pressure

SLP - Sea Level Pressure

125 - 1012.5 hP

• Add decimal one digit to the left 12.5
• Look at the first digit 12.5
  • if > 5 add 9
  • if < 5 add 10

P0003 - Hourly Precipitation Amount

P - Hourly precipitation amount code

0003 - in 0.01 inches since last METAR (.03 inches)

P0000 means there was a trace amount of precipiation.

60009 - 3 and 6 Hour Precipitation Amount

6 - 3 and 6 Hour code

• 6 Hour reported in 00, 06, 12, 18 Zulu
• 3 Hour reported in 03, 09, 15, 21 Zulu

0009 - precipitation in the past 3 or 6 hours in 0.01 inches (.09 inches)

70009 - 24 Hour Precipitation Amount

7 - 24 Hour precipitation amount code

0009 - precipitation in the past 24 in 0.01 inches (.09 inches)

T00640036 - Hourly Temperature and Dew-point

T - Hourly temperature and dew-point code

0064 - 6.4 Celsius

0036 - 3.6 Celsius

1064 means negative 6.4 Celsius. 

10066 - 6-Hour Maximum Temperature

1 - 6 hour maximum temperature code

0066 - 6.6 Celsius

21012 - 6-Hour Minimum Temperature

2 - 6 hour minimum temperature code

1012 - -1.2 Celsius

400461006 - 24-Hour Maximum and Minimum Temperature

4 - 24 hour maximum and minimum temperature

0046 - 4.6 Celsius maximum

1006 - -0.6 Celsius minimum

58033 - 3 Hour Pressure Tendency

5 - 3 Hour Pressure Tendency Code

8  - Code to see if pressure is rising or decreasing with intensity (Figure 1)

033 - 3.3 hector pascal or .1 inHg

TSNO - Sensor Status Indicators

TS - Type of precipitation sensors

NO - Not Operable

$ - Maintenance Check Indicator

If you see the $, it means maintenance is required