3024: METAR

2024-12-13T20:03:55Z

Taxicab1729: Added info that radio station call names can start with K

{{comic
| number = 3024
| date = December 13, 2024
| title = METAR
| image = metar_2x.png
| imagesize = 640x360px
| noexpand = true
| titletext = In the aviation world, they don't use AM/PM times. Instead, all times are assumed to be AM unless they're labeled NOTAM.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by an A380 - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In aviation, the METAR report is used to give pilots a brief overview of the current meteorological conditions at the airport.
The METAR follows a specific structure and makes heavy usage of abbreviations, which makes it hard to read for anyone not familiar with it.
The comic makes fun of that by assuming meaning of the words based on what non-aviation people might think the different elements of the METAR report may represent.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Code !! Real Meaning !! According to the comic
|-
| METAR
| Type: METAR Meteorological Aerodrome Report
| The comic assumes that this is just a spelling error and it should be "meter"
|-
| KNYC
| Station ID: 4 character ICAO airport identifier; in this instance the general area code for New York City (not an actual airport, but a weather station for general observations in the New York area)
| Radio station, likely parodying WNYC radio. Early call signals for radio stations used an initial K. For example, KDKA in Pittsburgh was (one of) the first commercially licensed radio station.
|-
| 251600Z
| Time of observation: 25th day of the month at 4 PM UTC. Z is not part of the time, but simply shorthand for GMT.
| Misreading the "Z" as a 2, resulting in a nonsensical time. Hours greater than 24 are sometimes used to indicate a time after midnight, e.g. in Japan 17~25h means from 5 P.M. to 1 A.M. the following day.
|-
| 18035G45KT
| Wind Direction and Speed: Wind Direction: 180 Speed: 35KT, Gusts: 45KT
| Instead of interpreting the first 5 digits as direction and speed, it is assumed that it is one number (with three decimal digits) and the G45 stands for the time span in which this was observed with "G" standing for "good"
|-
| 6SM
| In weather reports related to aviaion, "6SM" stands for 6 Statute Miles, meaning that objects can be seen clearly up to 6 miles away.<ref>https://weather.cod.edu/notes/metar.html#:~:text=6SM%2DVisibility,SM)%20up%20to%2010%20SM.</ref> It typically indicates clear weather.
| The comic interprets "6SM" to humorously mean a "Size '''6 Sm'''all".
|-
| VCFCFZVA
| In the vicinity(VC) Funnel cloud(FC) Freezing(FZ) Volcanic ash(VA)
| A riff on the repeated letters which give off the impression the string is constructed by typing randomly on the keyboard. All the letters are near each other at the lower left of the keyboard (S, D, and X are somehow avoided).
|-
| +BLUP
| Heavy(+) Blowing(BL) Unknown precipitation(UP)
| Riffing on how it looks like a onomatopoetic word
|-
| NOSIG
| No significant change is expected to the reported conditions within the next 2 hours
| The comic assumes that the transmitter of the METAR report wants the receivers to know that they do not have a significant other, which the comic finds sad.
|-
| LTG OHD
| Lightning Overhead
| "Overheard" instead of "overhead"
|-
| A3808
| Altimeter setting: Air pressure is 38.08 inches of mercury
| The comic says that the observer saw an {{w|Airbus_A380|Airbus A380-800}} (note: the {{w|List_of_ICAO_aircraft_type_designators|ICAO aircraft type code}} for the Airbus A380-800 is A388 and not A3808)
|-
| RMK
| Beginning of the section with Remarks
| Remarkable. Might be a comment about the A380.
|-
| AO2
| The weather station is automated (A) and has a precipitation discriminator (O2)
| Reference to the fanfic site [https://archiveofourown.org/ Archive of Our Own], often abbreviated as AO3
|-
| SLP130=
| {{w|Sea_level_pressure|Sea-Level Pressure}} is 1013.0 hPa (approx. 29.91 inHg). The equal sign signifies the end of the METAR.
| "SLP" interpreted as abbreviation for "'''sl'''ee'''p'''y", the numbers as a time and the = sign as "around" (maybe confused with ≈)
|-
| NOTAM (title text)
| Not part of a METAR report, but instead another aviation abbreviation. It stands for {{w|NOTAM|Notice to Air Missions}}.
| Parsed as "not A.M.", indicating that a given time is to be interpreted as P.M.
|}

==Transcript==
{{incomplete transcript|Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

==References==
{{reflist}}
[https://e6bx.com/metar-decoder/ Metar Decoder]
{{comic discussion}}

explain xkcd - User contributions [en]

3024: METAR