Question 1

How often is the METAR data updated?

Accepted Answer

Our map refreshes every 10 minutes with the latest observations from NOAA's Aviation Weather Center. Most airports issue METARs once per hour, with special reports (SPECIs) whenever conditions change significantly.

Question 2

How do I read a METAR?

Accepted Answer

A METAR follows a standard format: station identifier, date/time (Zulu), wind direction and speed, visibility, weather phenomena, cloud layers, temperature/dew point, and altimeter setting. For example, "KJFK 101756Z 31012G20KT 10SM FEW250 M02/M17 A3042" tells you JFK at 17:56Z has winds from 310° at 12 knots gusting 20, 10 miles visibility, few clouds at 25,000 ft, temp −2°C, and altimeter 30.42 inHg.

Question 3

What do the colors on the map mean?

Accepted Answer

Color-coded dots show flight category: green for VFR (ceiling >3,000 ft, visibility >5 SM), blue for MVFR (ceiling 1,000–3,000 ft or visibility 3–5 SM), red for IFR (ceiling 500–999 ft or visibility 1–3 SM), and purple for LIFR (ceiling <500 ft or visibility <1 SM). Grey dots are airports without live weather reporting.

Question 4

Where does the weather data come from?

Accepted Answer

All observations come from NOAA's Aviation Weather Center (aviationweather.gov), the same source used by the FAA, airlines, and flight services. Data is sourced from ASOS, AWOS, and manual observer stations worldwide.

Question 5

Can I see METARs for airports outside the US?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The map includes every METAR-reporting station worldwide — thousands of airports across North America, Europe, Asia, and beyond. All 70,000+ airports in the Hangar database are shown as grey dots even if they don't report weather.

Question 6

What is the difference between METAR and TAF?

Accepted Answer

A METAR is a current weather observation — what conditions are right now. A TAF (Terminal Aerodrome Forecast) is a forecast covering the next 24–30 hours. Pilots use both: METARs for current conditions and TAFs for planning ahead.