Definition
In aviation weather, observations are measurements and reports of current atmospheric conditions — including wind, temperature, dew point, visibility, cloud cover, precipitation, and pressure — taken at a specific location and time, and used as the factual basis for weather products, forecasts, and pilot decision-making.
Plain English
Observations are recorded readings of what the weather is actually doing right now at a specific place — the raw facts that forecasts and weather reports are built from.
Context Anchor
Seen in aviation weather briefings and preflight planning when checking current conditions before a flight.
Derivation
From Latin observare, meaning 'to watch' or 'to take note of.' In weather, the word keeps that simple sense: someone or something is watching the sky and writing down what is happening.
Why Pilots Care
Pilots rely on these reports for accurate, real-time weather to plan flights and make safe in-flight decisions.
Grounding Statement
An observation is a weather snapshot: it shows the conditions at one place at one time.
Intuition Check
Do not read “observations” here as casual opinions or comments. In this FAA weather context, observations are actual reported weather conditions.
Example Sentence 1
Before departure, the pilot reviewed the latest surface observations from airports along the route to confirm the forecast was holding.
Example Sentence 2
Hourly surface observations are used to build the current METAR that appears on aviation weather apps.