FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Weather and Weather ServicesEasy
A METAR for KABC reads: KABC 151853Z 12015G25KT 3/4SM +TSRA BR OVC008CB 22/20 A2990. What is the reported ceiling at KABC?
- A80 feet AGL, overcast
- B800 feet AGL, overcast
- C8,000 feet AGL, overcast
- D8 statute miles, overcast
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. 800 feet AGL, overcast
In a METAR, sky condition height groups are reported in hundreds of feet AGL. OVC008 means an overcast ceiling at 800 feet AGL, with 'CB' indicating cumulonimbus clouds.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Misreads the digit grouping, dividing by 10 instead of multiplying by 100.
- C. Confuses hundreds of feet with thousands of feet.
- D. Confuses the visibility group (3/4SM) with the ceiling group.
METAR Sky Condition Coding
Cloud height in a METAR is reported in three digits representing hundreds of feet AGL, followed by the cloud type if significant (CB or TCU).
- SKC/CLR = no clouds reported
- FEW/SCT/BKN/OVC describe coverage
- Height digits x100 = feet AGL
- CB and TCU denote cumulonimbus/towering cumulus
Memory trick: Three digits, times a hundred — that's your ceiling number.