Definition
A standardized observation of current weather conditions at an airport, issued on a regular schedule (typically once per hour) and formatted in a coded sequence that reports wind, visibility, weather phenomena, sky condition, temperature, dew point, and altimeter setting. It is the primary source of observed surface weather used by pilots for preflight planning and in-flight decision-making.
Plain English
A short, coded weather snapshot of an airport, put out about once an hour, telling you what the weather is doing right now at that field.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight weather checks, flight planning, airport weather briefings, and weather sections of FAA training material.
Derivation
METAR comes from the French 'Message d'Observation Météorologique Régulière pour l'Aviation,' meaning 'routine aviation weather observation message.' The English name is a direct translation. Knowing this helps explain why the format is used worldwide — it was designed as an international standard.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots use it to confirm that runway conditions, visibility, and wind are safe before takeoff or landing.
Intuition Check
“Routine” does not mean the weather is normal, safe, or unimportant. Here it means the report is issued on a regular schedule.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot pulled up the latest Aviation Routine Weather Report for the destination airport to check the wind and ceiling.
Example Sentence 2
When the ceiling dropped, a new Aviation Routine Weather Report was issued and the pilot reviewed it before continuing the flight.