Definition
A standardized, coded observation of current weather conditions at an airport, issued routinely (typically once per hour) and used by pilots and dispatchers for flight planning and operational decisions. A METAR reports observed conditions at the time of the report and includes wind, visibility, runway visual range when applicable, present weather, sky condition, temperature, dew point, altimeter setting, and remarks.
Plain English
A short, coded snapshot of the actual weather happening at an airport right now, sent out about once an hour so pilots know what they are flying into.
Context Anchor
Pilots commonly read METARs during preflight planning, before takeoff, and while checking weather near the destination airport.
Derivation
METAR comes from the French aviation meteorological term Météorologique Aviation Régulière, meaning a regular aviation weather observation. The word 'routine' in the English name reflects this — it is the scheduled, repeating weather report, as opposed to a SPECI, which is issued off-schedule when conditions change suddenly.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on METARs to assess current conditions for takeoff, landing, and route decisions, ensuring they operate within safe weather limits.
Intuition Check
“Routine” does not mean casual, optional, or unimportant here. It means the report is issued on a regular schedule, normally hourly.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot pulled up the METAR for the destination airport and saw that visibility had dropped to three miles in mist.
Example Sentence 2
The METAR showed a sudden drop in visibility due to fog, prompting the pilot to delay the flight.