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A pilot reviewing a METAR sees: KXYZ 121853Z 27012KT 3SM BR BKN025 OVC040 18/16 A3002. What is the reported ceiling at this station?

  1. A1,800 feet AGL, broken
  2. B2,500 feet AGL, broken
  3. C4,000 feet AGL, overcast
  4. D2,500 feet AGL, scattered
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: B. 2,500 feet AGL, broken

A ceiling is defined as the lowest broken or overcast layer, or vertical visibility into an obscuration. BKN025 means broken clouds at 2,500 feet AGL, which is the reported ceiling; OVC040 is a higher layer and not the ceiling.

Why the other options are wrong

  • A. 1,800 feet does not appear anywhere in the METAR.
  • C. OVC040 is a higher layer above the ceiling, not the ceiling itself.
  • D. 'Scattered' does not constitute a ceiling by definition.

Ceiling (METAR)

The height above ground of the lowest layer of clouds reported as broken (BKN) or overcast (OVC), or the vertical visibility into an indefinite ceiling.

  • Sky cover codes: SKC/CLR, FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC
  • Only BKN or OVC layers count as a ceiling
  • Cloud heights in METARs are reported in hundreds of feet AGL

Memory trick: 'Broken or Overcast Blocks the View' = ceiling

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