Clear107

METAR / TAF tool

Make METARs and TAFs readable.

Raw weather reports look messy at first. Tap each token and turn it into plain weather decisions.

Part 107 weather minimums: visibility at least 3 SM, 500 ft below clouds, 2,000 ft horizontal from clouds, and at least 1,000 ft ceiling. Tokens that violate these are flagged automatically.

VFR

VFR Clear Day

A clear VFR example with conditions that meet the basic Part 107 weather minimums.

Raw METAR — hover or tap a token to decode

Weather Phenomena Cheat Sheet

METARs and TAFs use standardized abbreviations. Here is a quick reference for the most common weather conditions you will encounter.

Precipitation

  • RA Rain
  • SN Snow
  • DZ Drizzle
  • GR Hail
  • UP Unknown Precip

Obscuration

  • FG Fog (vis < 5/8 SM)
  • BR Mist (vis ≥ 5/8 SM)
  • HZ Haze
  • FU Smoke (Fume)
  • DU Dust

Modifiers

  • - Light
  • + Heavy
  • VC Vicinity
  • TS Thunderstorm
  • FZ Freezing
  • SH Showers
Example: +TSRA = Heavy (+) Thunderstorm (TS) Rain (RA). VCFG = Fog in Vicinity.

METAR vs TAF: What's the difference?

METAR

Observation (Current): An actual weather report of what is happening right now at the airport.

  • Typically issued every hour (e.g., at :55 past the hour).
  • Only covers a radius of about 5 statute miles from the station.
  • SPECI: A special, unscheduled METAR issued when weather changes rapidly (e.g., sudden thunderstorm).

TAF

Forecast (Future): A prediction of what the weather is expected to be over a specific period.

  • Valid for a 24 or 30-hour period.
  • Issued 4 times a day (every 6 hours).
  • Uses change groups like FM (From), TEMPO (Temporary), and PROB (Probability) to show how weather evolves.

Practical Impact on Drone Flights

Haze (HZ), Smoke (FU), Dust (DU)

These phenomena consist of tiny dry particles suspended in the air. While they might seem harmless, they aggressively scatter light.Drone Impact: When flying toward the sun, glare is magnified heavily by haze and smoke, making it nearly impossible to maintain Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) with your drone. Contrast drops off sharply.

Fog (FG) & Mist (BR)

Fog (visibility less than 5/8 SM) and Mist (visibility greater than 5/8 SM) are composed of suspended water droplets.Drone Impact: Aside from instantly violating the Part 107 3-statute-mile visibility requirement in heavy fog, the moisture can coat your drone. Propellers spinning in mist can cause icing if temperatures drop, and water can seep into exposed electronics.