Help reading weather...

[FlyinIron406 3]

I was just wondering how to read weather, can anyone help?

[dseagrav 0]

>I was just wondering how to read weather, can anyone help?>>

[Guest Martin]

CLR: I think this means that the sky is clear, but I'm not sure about American METARs (European ones are slightly different).18/04: Temperature 18

[Guest AndrewMcGregor]

P6SM is precipitation within 6 statute miles.

[Guest Martin]

Is that precipitation within 6 miles from the airport or does it mean that the visibility will be 6 miles due to precipitation?European METARs are much easier to understand. ;-)Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

[Guest jrewing]

P6SM means visibility greater than 6 statute miles.John

[Guest jrewing]

Check out chapter 7 of the Aeronautical Information Manual. You'll need to wade through it a bit, but you'll find a table of abbreviations used in TAFs and METARs. It's available on-line at:http://www.faa.gov/atpubs/AIM/Chap7/aim0701.html#7-1-3Look for figures 7-1-7, 7-1-8, and 7-1-23.John

[FlyinIron406 3]

thanks a lot everyone!

[Guest Martin]

Yes! So my guess was right. Maybe American METARs aren't that weird after all. ;-)Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing

[Guest jrewing]

Hmm ... I thought METAR/TAF formats were an ICAO standard. Why else would the abbreviation for HAIL be GR and MIST be BR? :-)Seriously, the only substantive difference with the "American" METARs would be that the barometric pressure is given in inches of mercury instead of millibars.John

[AlaskanFlyboy 7]

Verbatim it's read: Billings Logan International Airport on the 25th day of the month at 0256 Zulu the wind was 9 knots at 130 degrees true, visibility was 10 statute miles or greater, skies were clear, temperature was 18

[Guest Martin]

>Seriously, the only substantive difference with the "American">METARs would be that the barometric pressure is given in>inches of mercury instead of millibars.Yes, and also that the visibility is in statute miles while in the rest of the world (with some exceptions?) it is in meters.Martin767 fetishistIt's a lot like life and that's what's appealing