How to read a METAR for the Part 107 test

The fastest reliable way to read a METAR is to decode it left to right in the standard FAA order: report type, station, time, wind, visibility, weather, sky condition, temperature/dew point, altimeter, and remarks. For Part 107, do not stop after translating the code. Decide what the wind, visibility, clouds, and temperature mean for a small unmanned aircraft.

The current Remote Pilot ACS names METARs in UA.III.A.K2. Weather makes up 11–16 percent of the 60-question UAG test, so this is a skill worth practicing rather than a list worth cramming.

This article follows the current FAA decoding structure in AIM paragraph 7-1-28 and 7-1-29. For the full weather map, start with the Part 107 weather guide.

What a METAR tells you

A METAR is an aviation routine weather report: a coded observation for a reporting station. A SPECI uses the same general format but is a nonroutine special report issued when specified conditions change or significant conditions occur.

Three limits matter immediately:

• A report describes conditions observed at a particular station, not every point around it.
• It has an observation time. Weather may have changed since that time.
• It is an observation, not a forecast. Use a TAF and other official products for likely changes.

For a real drone flight, compare the METAR with direct observations at the control station. The Part 107 flight-visibility rule is based on visibility as observed from the control station, not merely a number copied from a distant airport report.

The METAR sequence to memorize

The FAA AIM lists these elements in order:

1. type of report;
2. ICAO station identifier;
3. date and time;
4. modifier, if required;
5. wind;
6. visibility;
7. runway visual range, when present;
8. weather phenomena;
9. sky conditions;
10. temperature/dew point;
11. altimeter; and
12. remarks.

Not every report contains every optional element. The sequence is still your map. When a group is absent, move to the next recognizable group instead of assuming the report is malformed.

Decode a METAR step by step

Use this instructional report:

METAR KDEN 211753Z 17012G20KT 10SM -RA SCT025 BKN060 18/14 A2992 RMK AO2

METAR: report type

METAR identifies a routine report. SPECI would identify a special, nonroutine observation. A test question may omit the leading report type, so use the remaining sequence rather than depending on that word.

KDEN: station identifier

This is the four-letter ICAO identifier. In the contiguous United States, the familiar three-letter domestic identifier usually receives a K prefix: DEN becomes KDEN.

Location matters operationally. A station across a ridge, at a different elevation, or many miles from the launch site may not represent the wind, fog, or visibility where the aircraft will actually fly.

211753Z: date and observation time

Read this as the 21st day of the month at 1753 UTC. Z means Zulu time, another name for UTC.

The code does not include the month or year. Those come from the surrounding weather product or briefing. On the test, do not convert to local time unless the question requires it. In flight planning, convert carefully and notice when the UTC date differs from the local date.

17012G20KT: wind

The first three digits give the direction the wind is from, in degrees true. The next digits give sustained speed in knots. G20 means gusts to 20 knots, and KT confirms the unit.

So this group means wind from 170° true at 12 knots, gusting to 20.

Other common forms include:

• 00000KT: calm;
• VRB04KT: direction variable at 4 knots; and
• 22015KT 180V260: wind from 220° at 15 knots, varying between 180° and 260°.

For a drone pilot, the gust spread matters. Here the gust is 8 knots above the sustained wind. Check both values against aircraft documentation and your conservative operating limit. Obstacles can also create mechanical turbulence and stronger local variation near the surface.

10SM: prevailing visibility

U.S. METAR visibility is reported in statute miles. 10SM means 10 statute miles. A value such as 2 1/2SM means two and one-half statute miles. Do not confuse statute miles with nautical miles.

Under 14 CFR § 107.51, Part 107 flight visibility must be at least 3 statute miles as observed from the control station. A METAR below 3 SM is a clear warning that the standard rule may not be met near that station, but a report above 3 SM does not relieve you from checking visibility at your actual site.

-RA: weather phenomena

RA means rain. The leading minus sign means light intensity. No sign means moderate intensity; a plus sign means heavy.

Weather groups combine qualifiers and phenomena. Useful examples include:

• BR: mist;
• FG: fog;
• HZ: haze;
• SHRA: rain showers;
• TSRA: thunderstorm with rain;
• FZRA: freezing rain; and
• VCTS: thunderstorm in the vicinity.

For the knowledge test, decode the pieces. For flight, ask what they do: precipitation may reduce visibility, exceed the aircraft's environmental rating, affect sensors, or signal a more hazardous convective system.

SCT025 BKN060: sky condition

The three letters give cloud amount. The three digits give the base in hundreds of feet above ground level.

• SCT025 means scattered clouds at 2,500 feet AGL.
• BKN060 means broken clouds at 6,000 feet AGL.

The ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer, or vertical visibility into an obscuration. In this report the ceiling is 6,000 feet AGL. Scattered at 2,500 is not a ceiling, but it is still a cloud layer.

The usual cloud-amount codes are:

• FEW: more than zero through 2/8 coverage;
• SCT: 3/8 through 4/8;
• BKN: 5/8 through 7/8;
• OVC: 8/8; and
• VV: vertical visibility into a complete obscuration.

Part 107 requires the aircraft to remain 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds. Apply that requirement to clouds, not only to the layer labeled as the ceiling. See the cloud-clearance guide for worked examples.

18/14: temperature and dew point

Temperature comes first, dew point second, both in degrees Celsius. Here the temperature is 18°C and the dew point is 14°C.

M means minus. For example, M02/M06 is a temperature of -2°C and a dew point of -6°C.

When temperature and dew point move close together, relative humidity is high and saturation becomes more likely if cooling continues. That can support fog or low clouds, but the spread is a clue—not a complete forecast by itself. Combine it with trends, wind, terrain, and official forecasts.

Temperature also affects drone performance. High temperature contributes to higher density altitude; cold may reduce usable battery performance. Apply the manufacturer’s limits to the real operation.

A2992: altimeter setting

A2992 means 29.92 inches of mercury. The A identifies the U.S. inches-of-mercury format, with the decimal omitted.

Part 107 questions may use pressure and temperature to test density-altitude effects. Lower pressure and higher temperature reduce air density and can reduce propeller and aircraft performance.

RMK AO2: remarks

RMK begins the remarks section. AO2 identifies an automated station with a precipitation discriminator. Remarks can contain operationally relevant detail, but the core UAG skill is to keep the body of the report organized before diving into every remark code.

Put the whole report into plain English

The example translates to:

Routine report for KDEN, observed on the 21st at 1753 UTC. Wind from 170° true at 12 knots, gusting to 20. Visibility 10 statute miles. Light rain. Scattered clouds at 2,500 feet AGL and a broken ceiling at 6,000 feet AGL. Temperature 18°C, dew point 14°C. Altimeter 29.92 inches Hg. Automated station with precipitation discrimination.

Now make the Part 107 interpretation:

• Reported visibility is above the 3 SM minimum.
• Reported cloud heights do not by themselves prevent a low-altitude operation, but the aircraft still needs the required distance from every cloud.
• The gusts and rain deserve aircraft-limit and mission-risk checks.
• This observation needs a forecast and an on-site check before it supports a go decision.

That last step is where a decoder becomes a remote pilot.

Common Part 107 METAR mistakes

Reading wind as “toward” instead of “from”

17012KT means the wind comes from 170° true. It does not mean it travels toward 170°.

Treating gust speed as the sustained wind

12G20KT is sustained 12, gusting 20—not a steady 20 and not a gust spread of 20. Both the sustained value and peak matter.

Multiplying cloud height by ten

Cloud heights use hundreds of feet. BKN008 is 800 feet AGL, not 8,000. BKN080 is 8,000 feet AGL.

Calling scattered clouds a ceiling

The ceiling is based on BKN, OVC, or VV. FEW and SCT are not ceilings. They do not, however, erase the cloud-distance rule.

Using a METAR as a mission-long forecast

A METAR is observed weather at a point in time. Open the Part 107 TAF guide next and learn how forecast change groups alter the decision later.

A three-pass test method

When a METAR appears in a timed question, use three passes:

1. Mark time, wind, visibility, and clouds. These usually drive the answer.
2. Decode only the group the question asks about. Do not let an unfamiliar remark consume the clock.
3. Check units and operational meaning. Confirm UTC, knots, statute miles, hundreds of feet AGL, and Celsius.

If you miss the question, review the ACS code and decode the entire report aloud. Repetition in the same sequence builds speed without brittle memorization.

Practice the workflow in the free demo, and use the Part 107 prep course when you are ready to mix METARs with TAFs, cloud rules, airspace, and operational decisions.

Official references used

• Remote Pilot — Small UAS Airman Certification Standards, FAA-S-ACS-10B
• Aeronautical Information Manual, Chapter 7
• Aviation Weather Handbook, FAA-H-8083-28B
• 14 CFR § 107.51

References checked July 21, 2026. Always use current official weather and regulations for an operation.