Plain English Meaning

The sky is blocked from view by something at ground level, like fog or smoke, instead of by clouds. The reported height tells you how far up you can see into it.

Full Definition

A condition in which the sky is hidden from view by surface-based phenomena such as fog, smoke, haze, blowing snow, or precipitation, rather than by clouds aloft. A total obscuration means the sky is completely hidden; a partial obscuration means part of the sky is hidden. In aviation weather reports, the height assigned to an obscuration represents vertical visibility upward into the obscuring layer, not a cloud base.

Context Anchor

Seen in aviation weather reports and discussions about and .