Since Savannah's
METAR isn't reporting, looking at nearby KSVN and KLHW
METARs shows light winds and high ceilings.
The primary ceiling and visibility observations used in CVA are taken from approximately 1,650
METAR sites across the contiguous United States (CONUS) and in the U.
Overall,
METAR observations indicated that thunder was reported during only 10% to 20% of the event.
A synoptic
METAR report will normally include: station identification, UTC time, wind at 10 m above the ground, visibility, "present weather", temperature and dewpoint at 2 m, sea level pressure, cloud cover amount, cloud base heights, and precipitation.
Pilots often pull up the
METAR at their destination right before taxiing out, and might see 7SM and SCT250, and assume things will be fine.
The procedures for generating a routine
METAR broadcast are straightforward.
METARs are color-coded and displayed in plain language format, but don't expect radar graphics--the display is too small, anyway.
ForeFlight Mobile for Apple Watch can display textual weather, including
METAR data from the Appareo Stratus ADS-B receiver.
Aviation weather services continued using their own codes until 1965, when the ICAO and WMO cooperatively established the
METAR and TAF formats and presented them at the Second International Oceanographic Conference.
But if you aren't an early adopter (or even a middle level one) and you don't have up-to-the minute
METAR reports on display in the cockpit, Flight Watch certainly will be able to provide them to you.
Remember not to use the
METAR overlay for the future--plotting current observations on the forecast map will present an incorrect picture of future conditions.
Or, you might be concerned about the requirements if the ceiling is confirmed by the
METAR when you arrive.
