On Feb. 1, when the winds were howling and the rest of the country was buckling their seatbelts for a bumpy winter ride, AOPA’s Chief Flight Instructor JJ Greenway sent this challenge to several staff pilots: Decode the following metar/TAF
without resorting to the Internet, the FAR/AIM, or anything else. He sweetened the challenge by offering a prize to the first pilot who correctly responded.
KDFW 011242Z 35022G28KT 1 1/2SM R17C/5500VP6000FT -SN BR SCT009 BKN017 OVC027 M06/M07 A2988 RMK AO2 PK WND 33040/1202 SFC VIS 1 3/4 PLE16 PRESFR
KORD FM020400 02029G44KT 1/4SM +SN BLSN VV001
It was a fun way to exercise our weather-decoding skills and keep us thinking about this important aspect of piloting during a crummy time of year.
Full disclosure: I wasn’t the winner. Here’s the answer:
Dallas Ft. Worth International Airport, First day of the month at 1242Z (6:42 a.m. Central Standard Time) Wind 350 degrees (true) at 22 knots gusting to 28 knots, visibility one and one half statute miles.
Runway One Seven Center RVR (Runway Visual Range) five thousand five hundred feet variable to (plus) (more than) six thousand feet. Light Snow, Mist. Scattered clouds at nine hundred feet above ground level, broken clouds at 1,700′ AGL,
overcast clouds at 2,700′ AGL temperature minus six, dew point minus 7, altimeter setting 29.88. Remarks: something to do with the automated type of precipitation indicator, peak wind 330 degrees (true) at 40 knots at 1202 Zulu. Surface
visibility 1 3/4 miles, pellets ended at :16 past the hour, pressure falling rapidly.
Chicago O’Hare, from the second day of the month at 0400 Zulu (10:00 p.m. tonight) wind 020 degrees at 29 knots gusting 44 knots, visibility 1/4 statute mile in heavy snow and blowing snow. Vertical
visibility one hundred feet.
How did you do?
