Some METAR Decoding

ICAO Location Identifiers (K, P, T)

K - contiguous U.S.

P - pacific region (PA - Alaska, PH - Hawaii)

T - Caribbean

SKC or CLR

Clear; 0 or 0 below 12,000

FEW

Few; >0 but <= 2/8

SCT

Scattered; 3/4-4/8

BKN

Broken; 5/8-7/8

OVC

Overcast; 8/8

VV

Vertical Visibility (indefinite ceiling); 8/8

Of the sky conditions, which are ceilings?

BKN, OVC, VV

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

PO

dust / sand whirls

SQ

squalls

FC

funnel cloud

+FC

tornado or waterspout

SS

sandstorm

DS

dust storm

MI

shallow

BC

patches

DR

low drifting

BL

blowing

SH

showers

TS

thunderstorm

FZ

freezing

PR

partial

-

Light

(no symbol for intensity qualifier)

Moderate

+

Heavy

VC

vicinity (5-10 miles); never appears with an intensity

TSRA

thunderstorms with moderate rain

VCFG

fog in the vicinity

+TSRA

thunderstorm with heavy rain

-FZRA

light freezing rain

+BLSN

heavy blowing snow

BCFG

patchy fog

BLPY

blowing spray

+FU

heavy smoke