Below is a comprehensive list of every abbreviation used in METAR reports.
| Abbreviation | Description |
|---|---|
| $ | maintenance check indicator |
| - | light intensity |
| + | heavy intensity |
| / | indicator that visual range data follows; separator between temperature and dew point data. |
| ACC | altocumulus castellanus |
| ACFT MSHP | aircraft mishap |
| ACSL | altocumulus standing lenticular cloud |
| AO1 | automated station without precipitation discriminator |
| AO2 | automated station with precipitation discriminator |
| ALP | airport location point |
| APCH | approach |
| APRNT | apparent |
| APRX | approximately |
| ATCT | airport traffic control tower |
| AUTO | fully automated report |
| B | began |
| BC | patches |
| BKN | broken |
| BL | blowing |
| BR | mist |
| C | center (with reference to runway designation) |
| CA | cloud-air lightning |
| CB | cumulonimbus cloud |
| CBMAM | cumulonimbus mammatus cloud |
| CC | cloud-cloud lightning |
| CCSL | cirrocumulus standing lenticular cloud |
| cd | candela |
| CG | cloud-ground lightning |
| CHI | cloud-height indicator |
| CHINO | sky condition at secondary location not available |
| CIG | ceiling |
| CLR | clear |
| CONS | continuous |
| COR | correction to a previously disseminated observation |
| DOC | Department of Commerce |
| DOD | Department of Defense |
| DOT | Department of Transportation |
| DR | low drifting |
| DS | duststorm |
| DSIPTG | dissipating |
| DSNT | distant |
| DU | widespread dust |
| DVR | dispatch visual range |
| DZ | drizzle |
| E | east, ended, estimated ceiling (SAO) |
| FAA | Federal Aviation Administration |
| FC | funnel cloud |
| FEW | few clouds |
| FG | fog |
| FIBI | filed but impracticable to transmit |
| FIRST | first observation after a break in coverage at manual station |
| FMH-1 | Federal Meteorological Handbook No.1, Surface Weather Observations & Reports (METAR) |
| FMH2 | Federal Meteorological Handbook No.2, Surface Synoptic Codes |
| FRQ | frequent |
| FROPA | frontal passage |
| FT | feet |
| FU | smoke |
| FZ | freezing |
| FZRANO | freezing rain sensor not available |
| G | gust |
| GR | hail |
| GS | small hail and/or snow pellets |
| HLSTO | HLSTO hailstone |
| HZ | haze |
| IC | ice crystals, in-cloud lightning |
| ICAO | International Civil Aviation Organization |
| INCRG | increasing |
| INTMT | intermittent |
| KT | KNOTS |
| L | left (with reference to runway designation) |
| LAST | last observation before a break in coverage at a manual station |
| LST | Local Standard Time |
| LTG | lightning |
| LWR | lower |
| M | minus, less than |
| max | maximum |
| METAR | routine weather report provided at fixed intervals |
| MI | shallow |
| min | minimum |
| MOV | moved/moving/movement |
| MT | mountains |
| N | north |
| N/A | not applicable |
| NCDC | National Climatic Data Center |
| NE | northeast |
| NOS | National Ocean Survey |
| NOSPECI | no SPECI reports are taken at the station |
| NOTAM | Notice to Airmen |
| NW | northwest |
| NWS | National Weather Service |
| OCNL | occasional |
| OFCM | Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorology |
| OHD | overhead |
| OVC | overcast |
| OVR | over |
| P | indicates greater than the highest reportable value |
| PCPN | precipitation |
| PL | ice pellets |
| PK WND | peak wind |
| PNO | precipitation amount not available |
| PO | dust/sand whirls (dust devils) |
| PRES | pressure |
| PR | partial |
| PRESFR | pressure falling rapidly |
| PRESRR | pressure rising rapidly |
| PWINO | precipitation identifier sensor not available |
| PY | spray |
| R | right (with reference to runway designation), runway |
| RA | rain |
| RTD | Routine Delayed (late) observation |
| RV | reportable value |
| RVR | Runway Visual Range |
| RVRNO | RVR system values not available |
| RY | runway |
| S | snow, south |
| SA | sand |
| SCSL | stratocumulus standing lenticular cloud |
| SCT | scattered |
| SE | southeast |
| SFC | surface |
| SG | snow grains |
| SH | shower(s) |
| SKC | sky clear |
| SLP | sea-level pressure |
| SLPNO | sea-level pressure not available |
| SM | statute miles |
| SN | snow |
| SNINCR | snow increasing rapidly |
| SP | snow pellets |
| SPECI | an unscheduled report taken when certain criteria have been met |
| SQ | squalls |
| SS | sandstorm |
| STN | station |
| SW | snow shower, southwest |
| TCU | towering cumulus |
| TS | thunderstorm |
| TSNO | thunderstorm information not available |
| TWR | tower |
| UNKN | unknown |
| UP | unknown precipitation |
| UTC | Coordinated Universal Time |
| V | variable |
| VA | volcanic ash |
| VC | in the vicinity |
| VIS | visibility |
| VISNO | visibility at secondary location not available |
| VR | visual range |
| VRB | variable |
| VV | vertical visibility |
| W | west |
| WG/SO | Working Group for Surface Observations |
| WMO | World Meteorological Organization |
| WND | wind |
| WSHFT | wind shift |
| Z | zulu, i.e., Coordinated Universal Time |
source: https://www.weather.gov/media/wrh/mesowest/metardecodekey.pdf