METAR
TAF
Decoder
Plain-text decoding of current observations and forecasts for any US airport. Sourced live from aviationweather.gov — pilots' canonical FAA/NWS feed.
What gets decoded
Enter an ICAO identifier (or any 3-4 letter US airport code). The page fetches the current METAR observation and active TAF forecast, then breaks each field down to plain English — wind, visibility, weather phenomena, sky condition, temperature, dewpoint, altimeter setting, and FAA flight category.
We do not compute crosswind components, density altitude, or anything resembling a flight-decision recommendation. Decoded fields are provided as a reading aid; verify against the official briefing for any flight-related decision.
Quick code primer
METAR and TAF reports use a compact code defined by ICAO Annex 3 and the US Federal Meteorological Handbook (FMH-1). The terms you'll see most often:
- METAR
- routine surface observation
- SPECI
- special, off-cycle observation
- TAF
- terminal aerodrome forecast
- FEW · SCT · BKN · OVC
- sky coverage, in oktas
- RA · SN · FG · BR
- rain, snow, fog, mist
- FM · BECMG · TEMPO
- TAF transition indicators
FAA flight categories
Decoded reports include a FAA flight-rules color category computed from the ceiling and visibility per 14 CFR Part 91 / FAA AIM. The category describes conditions, not a recommendation.
- VFR Ceiling > 3,000 ft AGL and visibility > 5 SM.
- MVFR Ceiling 1,000–3,000 ft AGL and/or visibility 3–5 SM.
- IFR Ceiling 500–999 ft AGL and/or visibility 1–3 SM.
- LIFR Ceiling < 500 ft AGL and/or visibility < 1 SM.