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FAA Aircraft Dispatcher (ADX)MeteorologyMedium

A METAR report from an airport includes the remark 'P0003'. How should a dispatcher interpret this remark regarding precipitation?

  1. APrecipitation amount of 0.03 inches in the last hour.
  2. BTrace amount of precipitation in the last hour.
  3. CPrecipitation amount of 0.003 inches in the last 6 hours.
  4. DPrecipitation amount of 0.03 inches in the last 3 hours.
Show answer & explanation

Correct answer: A. Precipitation amount of 0.03 inches in the last hour.

The remark 'P####' in a METAR indicates the amount of precipitation (in hundredths of an inch) that has fallen in the past hour. Therefore, 'P0003' means 0.03 inches of precipitation in the last hour.

Why the other options are wrong

  • B. Trace amount is usually reported as 'P0000' or 'T'.
  • C. Precipitation over 6 hours uses a different group (e.g., '6####').
  • D. Precipitation over 3 hours also uses a different group (e.g., '3####').

METAR Precipitation Remarks (P####)

The 'P' group in a METAR remarks section (RMK) reports the amount of liquid precipitation in the past hour, measured in hundredths of an inch.

  • Format is 'P' followed by four digits.
  • Digits represent hundredths of an inch (e.g., P0003 = 0.03 inches).
  • Reports precipitation accumulated during the preceding hour.

Memory trick: METAR Remarks: Read the P for Past Precipitation.

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