Definition
A METAR is a standardized, coded report of current weather conditions observed at an airport. It is issued routinely (typically once per hour) and includes wind, visibility, weather phenomena, sky condition, temperature, dew point, and altimeter setting. Special updates issued between routine reports when conditions change significantly are called SPECIs, but they use the same coded format.
Plain English
A short, coded weather report that tells pilots what the weather is doing right now at a specific airport. New ones are issued about every hour, with extra ones added if the weather changes suddenly.
Context Anchor
Pilots see METARs during preflight weather briefings, on aviation weather websites, in flight planning tools, and sometimes in cockpit weather displays.
Derivation
METAR comes from the French phrase MÉTéorologique Aviation Régulière, meaning 'routine aviation weather.' It is an international standard format, which is why pilots see the same style of report whether flying in the U.S., Europe, or elsewhere.
Why Pilots Care
METARs give pilots the real-time conditions they need to decide if a flight can be conducted safely under visual or instrument rules.
Analogy
A METAR is like a snapshot of the weather at an airport. It does not tell you what will happen later; it tells you what was observed at the reporting time.
Intuition Check
Do not treat a METAR as a forecast. A METAR reports observed weather conditions; a forecast describes expected future weather.
Example Sentence 1
Before takeoff, the pilot pulled up the latest METAR for the destination airport to check the wind and visibility.
Example Sentence 2
Hourly METARs are issued automatically at most airports and updated immediately when weather changes significantly.