FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Weather and Weather ServicesHard
While reviewing a surface analysis chart, a flight instructor points to a plotted station model where the sky cover symbol is a circle completely filled in black. What does this symbol indicate about the reporting station's sky condition?
- ASky clear, no clouds reported
- BOvercast sky, complete cloud coverage
- CSky obscured due to precipitation only
- DFew clouds, less than 2/8 coverage
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. Overcast sky, complete cloud coverage
On a station model, the sky cover symbol represents the fraction of sky covered by clouds using a circle with varying amounts of fill; a completely filled (solid black) circle represents overcast conditions, meaning the sky is completely covered by clouds.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Sky clear is shown as a completely open (unfilled) circle.
- C. Obscuration due to fog/precipitation uses a different symbol (X), not a filled circle.
- D. Few clouds would be shown with only a small portion of the circle filled.
Station Model Sky Cover Symbols
A station model uses a circle with proportional shading to depict total sky cover, ranging from clear (empty) to overcast (completely filled).
- Clear = empty circle
- Few/Scattered = partial fill (1/8 to 4/8)
- Broken = mostly filled (5/8 to 7/8)
- Overcast = completely filled black circle
Memory trick: Empty circle = clear skies; full black circle = totally covered.