THE WEATHER ISSUE METAR KICT 041553Z 26011KT 4SM BR OVC005 14/14 A2979 RMK AO2 RAE21 SLP080 P0000 T01440144 TECHNIQUE DECODING METARS Follow the formula » By Ian J. Twombly ILLUSTRATION BY CHARLES FLOYD PILOTS LOVE TO talk in code. It’s surprising, then, that so many are uncomfortable with decoding METARs. These weather reports are a critical piece in deciding whether or not to make a flight. Once you realize and understand that the reports are formulaic, you should have no trouble reading the weather quickly. PLUS Think you’re a weather expert? Take the quiz. WHERE IS THE WEATHER? The effective area for all METARs is the airport or station environment in which they were taken, or five statute miles. Check area forecasts for information about expected conditions between stations. 5 miles 5 miles 38 / FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORGhttp://FLIGHTTRAINING.AOPA.ORG