Weather reports are parts of the weather topic on the FAA Part 107 exam. In this study guide tutorial, I will go over material about weather that you need to know for your test. Also I will walk you through 10 practice questions with detailed explanations of correct and incorrect answers.

Materials Used in This FAA Part 107 Tutorial

These practice questions and material are similar to those in the ASA study guide. I used this study guide to successfully pass the FAA Part 107 exam with a 90% score. The study guide comes along with 5 free online practice tests and the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement.

Check out my post on my entire experience of preparing for and passing the FAA Part 107 exam. There, I delve in detail which topics to study most and what to expect on the day of the exam.

The questions will use the airman knowledge testing supplement. You can download the supplement for free from the FAA website or purchase a hard copy from Amazon.

On the whole, it is very important to thoroughly understand weather reports referenced in the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement. Most of the questions on weather reports and forecasts on your exam will come from it.

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2 Types of Weather Reports: METAR and TAF

Remote pilots can get weather briefings prior to their flights by visiting 1800wxbrief.com. The second source of weather reports is the NWS Aviation Weather Center (AWC) at aviationweather.gov.

Both sources offer two types of weather reports. These are the aviation routine weather report (METAR) and terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAF) report. METAR and TAF use the international weather reporting code system in a standardized format.

METAR is the observation of the current weather at the surface. It will often originate from airports or permanent weather observation stations. Conversely, TAF is a weather forecast report valid only within a 5-statute mile radius around an airport.

TAFs are valid for 24 or 30 hours and are updated four times a day at 0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z and 1800Z time. Note, that time in TAF and METAR reports is in coordinated universal time (UTC). The letter Z at the end denotes the UTC time or Zulu time.

When requesting a weather briefing, you can get the following:

1. a standard briefing for a complete set of weather conditions
2. an abbreviated briefing when you need only a few specific items
3. an outlook when your planned flight departure is more than 6 hours from the report issuance time.

Weather Observing Systems in the US

There are two main types of weather observing systems in the United States

1. Automated Surface Observing System (ASOS)
2. Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS)

ASOS is the main weather reporting system that is part of the nationwide network of weather reporting stations. ASOS uses sophisticated sensors to generate minute-by-minute weather data. METAR reports use ASOS data for the most part. Unlike AWOS, ASOS gathers more information that is later used in weather forecasts.

AWOS is similar to ASOS and it collects and reports data primarily about specific airport weather conditions automatically. AWOS systems can be operated by private aviation service providers, such as airports, or government agencies. Thus, AWOS is not necessarily part of the nationwide network of weather reporting stations.

Weather Reports Walkthrough

The most important thing for the FAA part 107 exam is to be able to read abbreviations in weather reports. Both TAF and METAR reports use the same abbreviations and format. If you can read one, you will understand the other one too.

My studying strategy that worked was not to memorize all symbols and abbreviations. Instead, I focused on weather report excerpts from the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement. Those are given in Figure 12 and Figure 15.

So, let’s go over one METAR and one TAF in more detail. I will also provide more details and pointers on where to get extra material, if needed.

METAR Walkthrough for FAA Part 107 Exam

Consider this METAR report.

METAR KLAX 201853Z AUTO 24020G30KT 3/4SM R20L/1500FT +TSRA BR BKN007 OVC014CB 20/19 A2975 RMK PRESFR TSB30RAB30

• METAR: Type of report. In this case, it is METAR, which is the current surface weather observation. Besides METAR, you can also come across SPECI. SPECI stands for special METAR issued in case of rapid weather changes.
• KLAX: Station identifier. The unique station id is usually a 3-lettter combination preceded by the letter K in 48 contiguous states. So, KLAX means a weather station at the Los Angeles international airport.
• 201853Z: Date and time of the report. The first two digits mean the date. The last four digits are the time of the report given in coordinated universal time or Zulu time. This is not local time. So we have this report on the 20th day of the month at 18:53 Zulu time.
• AUTO: Modifier (can be omitted). This can be AUTO or COR, among others. AUTO is a report from the automated source, while COR stands for the corrected report.
• 24020G30KT: Wind information. The first three digits (240) denote the direction of wind in relation to true north. If the wind direction changes, you will see VRB in place of three digits. VRB stands for variable direction. We have wind at 240 degrees to true north. The next two digits denote wind speed reported in knots (20G30KT). If the wind speed is greater than 99 knots, you will see three digits. If the wind is gusting, you will see letter G. The next two or three digits denote gust peak speed. So what we have here is wind at 240 degrees to true north, speed at 20 knots gusting to 30 knots.
• 3/4SM: Visibility in statute miles (SM). The visibility is reported in both miles and fraction of miles. Here, the visibility is three quarters of a statute mile.
• R20L/1500FT: Runway visual range (RVR) at an airport. This shows the expected distance a pilot can see down the runway from the aircraft. RVR is shown with the letter R followed by the runway identifier, then slant symbol and the visual range in feet. In this case, the runway visual range is 1500 feet on runway 20 left.
• +TSRA BR: Weather phenomena.

Here is a table from the FAA Remote Pilot sUAS Study Guide, Chapter 3a that contains possible weather abbreviations.

While you can memorize all the descriptors in this table, this is not what I did. Instead, I memorized abbreviations that appear at the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement. Moreover, I made sure that I could at least vaguely remember the rest of them.

Looking at the table, we see that +TSRA BR stands for heavy thunderstorms with rain and mist. If there is no plus qualifier, it means that the precipitations intensity is moderate.

• BKN007 OVC014CB: Sky condition.

Sky condition is reported in the sequence of amount, height and type of cloud cover. The heights of cloud bases are shown in a 3-digit number in hundreds of feet above ground level. You could also see the types of clouds reported, such as towering cumulus (TCU) or cumulonimbus (CB). Here is the table that shows possible abbreviations for sky conditions.

Sky Cover	Abbreviations
Less than 1/8 (Clear)	SKC, CLR, FEW
1/8 – 2/8 (Few)	FEW
3/8 – 4/8 (Scattered)	SCT
5/8 – 7/8 (Broken)	BKN
8/8 or (Overcast)	OVC

The sky coverage is always reported in eights of the sky from horizon to horizon. What we have here is this: the ceiling is broken at 700 feet, overcast at 1,400 feet with cumulonimbus clouds.

• 20/19: Temperature and dew point in degrees Celsius (C). A letter “M” will precede negative temperatures. In our case, we have an ambient temperature of 20 degrees and a dew point of 19 degrees Celsius.
• A2975 RMK PRESFR: Altimeter setting. Pilots use it to adjust their altimeters to determine the height of their aircrafts. It is always preceded by the letter A and is given in inches of mercury or Hg. Also, in the remarks section (RMK), you can see rising (PRESRR) or falling pressure (PRESFR). Here, we have barometric pressure at 29.75 inches of mercury. The pressure is falling rapidly as denoted by PRESFR in the remarks section
• RMK: Remarks followed by remarks information.
• TSB30RAB30: Additional information on weather phenomenon. Often, it denotes the time when a certain weather phenomenon began. In this case, it means a thunderstorm (TS) began (B) at 30 minutes past the hour (30). Also, rain (RA) began (B) at 30 minutes past the hour (30) when the report was issued. Because the report is dated at 1853Z, the thunderstorm and rain began at 1830Z.

TAF Walkthrough for the FAA Part 107 Exam

TAF reports use simliar notations as in METAR reports. But, TAF’s goal is to provide valid period dates/times for weather forecast conditions. Let’s pick the TAF report from the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement (Figure 15) and go over it in detail.

TAF KOKC 051130Z 0512/0618 14008KT 5SM BR BKN030 TEMPO 0513/0516 1 1/2SM BR FM051600 18010KT P6SM SKC BECMG 0522/0524 20013G20KT 4SM SHRA OVC020 PROB40 0600/0606 2SM TSRA OVC008CB BECMG 0606/0608 21015KT P6SM SCT040=

• TAF: Type of report. It could also be TAF AMD, which stands for an amended TAF report.
• KOKC: Station identifier.
• 051130Z: Date and time of report in UTC or Zulu time. Here, it is on the fifth day of the month at 11:30 Zulu time.
• 0512/0618: Forecast valid period dates and times in Zulu time for the entire report. The first two digits are the starting date and the next two digits are the starting hour. After the slant symbol, there is an ending date and hour. If the forecast period begins at midnight, you will see 00. If the end period is at midnight, it is annotated by the number 24. Here, we have a valid period from 12:00 o’clock Zulu time on the 5th of the month to 18:00 o’clock Zulu time on the 6th of the month.
• 14008KT 5SM BR BKN030: This is the first weather forecast block. It is valid from the beginning of the report (0512) until the next valid period. This forecast block reads as follows. Wind direction at 140 degrees true north with a speed of 8 knots (14008KT). The forecast visibility is 5 statute miles (5SM) with mist (BR). Broken cloud cover at 3,000 feet above ground level (BKN030).
• TEMPO 0513/0516 1 1/2SM BR: This block starts with the abbreviation TEMPO. It means that a temporary weather fluctuation is expected to last several hours. So, this block reads as follows. There is a temporary (TEMPO) change on the fifth of the month from 1300Z to 1600Z (0513/0516). The visibility is 1.5 statute mile (1 1/2SM) with mist (BR).
• FM051600 18010KT P6SM SKC: This block starts with the letters FM, which stands for “from”. FM denotes a rapid and significant weather change within an hour. Thus, this block reads: from 1600Z of fifth day of the month (FM051600), wind at 180 degrees at 10 knots (18010KT). Next, you have the letter P in front of the visibility value. It indicates greater than the highest reportable value. So this would read visibility greater than 6 statute miles (P6SM) with clear sky (SKC).
• BECMG 0522/0524 20013G20KT 4SM SHRA OVC020: The block starts with the abbreviation BECMG denoting “becoming”. In plain language, it means when the weather is turning into or changing to something else. So, this reads as follows. The weather is changing and becoming (BECMG) on the 5th day of the month from 2200Z to 2400Z (0522/0524) the following. A wind is at 200 degrees at 13 knots, gusting to 20 knots (20013G20KT). There will be 4 statute miles (4SM) visibility with showers and rain (SHRA). Also, expect overcast sky with clouds at 2000 feet (OVC020).
• PROB40 0600/0606 2SM TSRA OVC008CB: The next valid period starts with PROB40 denoting probability of precipitations. This valid time block reads as follows. Between 0000Z and 0600Z on the sixth day of the month, there is a 40 percent probability (PROB40 0600/0606) of the following. The visibility is 2 statute miles (2SM). Expect thunderstorms and rain (TSRA), overcast sky with cloud base at 800 feet, cumulonimbus clouds (OVC008CB).
• BECMG 0606/0608 21015KT P6SM SCT040=: This block reads as follows. Becoming from 0600Z to 0800Z on the sixth day of the month (BECMG 0606/0608). The wind is at 210 degrees at 15 knots (21015KT). Visibility is greater than 6 statute miles (P6SM). Clouds are at 4000 feet scattered (SCT040). End of report signified by the “=” sign.

Convective SIGMET Reports

What is more, weather briefing service providers may also issue a convective SIGMET report. SIGMET stands for significant meteorological information report. This report implies severe turbulence, significant icing and low-level wind shear. The circumstances when a convective SIGMET gets issued are:

1. Winds with velocity greater than or equal to 50 knots
2. Hail at the surface with the diameter greater than or equal to 3/4 inch
3. Tornadoes, embedded thunderstorms, lines of thunderstorms.

Weather Report FAA Part 107 Practice Questions

So let’s take a look at 10 practice questions to test your understanding of weather reports.

Practice Question #1

To get a complete weather overview for the planned flight, the remote pilot-in-command should obtain:

A. An outlook briefing.

B. An abbreviated briefing.

C. A standard briefing.

Here, you need know the type of a weather briefing a pilot should get for a complete weather overview. Choice A is not correct because an outlook briefing contains the weather forecast.

Choice B is incorrect too. This is so because the abbreviated briefing contains only limited weather information. This makes choice C the answer. Standard briefing contains the complete weather overview.

Practice Question #2

Which statement is true concerning ASOS/AWOS weather reporting systems?

A. Each AWOS station is part of a nationwide network of weather reporting stations.

B. ASOS locations perform weather observing functions necessary to generate METAR reports.

C. Both ASOS and AWOS have the capability of reporting density altitude, as long as it exceeds the airport elevation by more than 1,000 feet.

Choice A is incorrect. Private aviation parties, such as airports, can maintain AWOS stations. Thus, AWOS can be outside of a nationwide network of weather reporting stations.

Choice C is incorrect too. This is so because both AWOS and ASOS can report density altitude regardless of the height. Thus, choice B is the answer. ASOS stations perform weather observations necessary to generate METAR reports.

Practice Question #3

Refer to Figure 12. The wind direction and velocity at KJFK is from:

A. 180° true at 4 knots.

B. 180° magnetic at 4 knots.

C. 040° true at 18 knots.

The third question asks you to identify wind direction and velocity at KJFK station. Here is the excerpt from the METAR report (figure 12):

SPECI KJFK 121853Z 18004KT 1/2SM FG R04/2200 OVC005 20/18 A3006

But, before even looking at this information, we can tell that choice B is wrong. This is so because wind direction is always given in relation to true north.

Choice C is incorrect too. It tries to confuse you by putting the velocity before the direction number in the report. This makes choice A the answer. The wind direction always comes first, which is 180 degrees to true north. Velocity is at 4 knots.

Practice Question #4

Refer to Figure 12. What are the current conditions for Chicago Midway Airport (KMDW)?

A. Sky 700 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2 SM, rain.

B. Sky 7,000 feet overcast, visibility 1-1/2 SM, heavy rain.

C. Sky 700 feet overcast, visibility 11, occasionally 2SM, with rain.

The fourth question wants you to identify current conditions at a given location. Here is the special METAR excerpt:

SPECI KMDW 121856Z 32005KT 1 1/2SM RA OVC007 17/16 A2980 RMK RAB35

Looking at the excerpt, we see that the sky is overcast with the ceiling at 700 feet (OVC007). This excludes choice B. We can also see that the visibility is one and a half statute miles (1 1/2SM) with rain (RA). This excludes choice C and makes choice A the answer.

Practice Question #5

Refer to Figure 15. In the TAF for KMEM, what does “-RASN” stand for?

A. Light rain and snow.

B. A shift in wind direction is expected.

C. A significant change in precipitation is possible.

This question wants you to know what “-RASN” stands for. Remember, minus means light intensity; RA stands for rain, while SN denotes snow. This makes choice A the answer.

Practice Question #6

Refer to Figure 15. Between 1000Z and 1200Z the visibility at KMEM is forecast to be:

A. 1/2 statute mile.

B. 3 statute miles.

C. 6 statute miles.

KMEM 121720Z 1218/1324 20012KT 5SM HZ BKN030 PROB40 1220/1222 1SM TSRA OVC008CB FM122200 33015G20KT P6SM BKN015 OVC025 PROB40 1220/1222 3SM SHRA FM120200 35012KT OVC008 PROB40 1202/1205 2SM -RASN BECMG 1306/1308 02008KT BKN012 BECMG 1310/1312 00000KT 3SM BR SKC TEMPO 1212/1214 1/2SM FG FM131600 VRB06KT P6SM SKC=

Here, you need to find the forecast visibility in the TAF report between 1000Z and 1200Z. First, find this valid time block in the report:

BECMG 1310/1312 00000KT 3SM BR SKC

The block indicates the forecast visibility of 3 statute miles. This makes choice B the answer to this question.

You probably noticed that there are typos in the time frames in this report excerpt. For instance, this block references 0200Z to 0500Z time on the 12th day:

PROB40 1202/1205 2SM -RASN

But, if you look before and after this valid forecast period, it becomes clear that it should read 1302/1305.

Practice Question #7

Refer to Figure 15. What is the forecast wind for KMEM from 1600Z until the end of the forecast?

A. No significant wind.

B. Variable in direction at 4 knots.

C. Variable in direction at 6 knots.

KMEM 121720Z 1218/1324 20012KT 5SM HZ BKN030 PROB40 1220/1222 1SM TSRA OVC008CB FM122200 33015G20KT P6SM BKN015 OVC025 PROB40 1220/1222 3SM SHRA FM120200 35012KT OVC008 PROB40 1202/1205 2SM -RASN BECMG 1306/1308 02008KT BKN012 BECMG 1310/1312 00000KT 3SM BR SKC TEMPO 1212/1214 1/2SM FG FM131600 VRB06KT P6SM SKC=

The seventh question wants you to find the forecast wind from 1600Z until the end of the forecast. To find this valid period, we have to look at the very end of the forecast report. This valid period block starts and ends as follows:

FM131600 VRB06KT P6SM SKC

The relevant information about wind direction and velocity is “VRB06KT”. VRB stands for variable direction, while the speed is 6 knots. This would make choice C the answer.

Practice Question #8

Refer to Figure 15. According to the KMEM forecast, what is the earliest time on the 12th (today) at which the visibility may be reduced below the 3 SM minimum for sUAS operations?

A. 1720Z.

B. 2200Z.

C. 2000Z.

KMEM 121720Z 1218/1324 20012KT 5SM HZ BKN030 PROB40 1220/1222 1SM TSRA OVC008CB FM122200 33015G20KT P6SM BKN015 OVC025 PROB40 1220/1222 3SM SHRA FM120200 35012KT OVC008 PROB40 1202/1205 2SM -RASN BECMG 1306/1308 02008KT BKN012 BECMG 1310/1312 00000KT 3SM BR SKC TEMPO 1212/1214 1/2SM FG FM131600 VRB06KT P6SM SKC=

Here, you need to identify the earliest time on the 12th, when the visibility is below 3 SM. First, scan each valid time block in sequential order while focusing on visibility numbers.

In the first time block (20012KT 5SM HZ BKN030), the visibility is 5 SM. The next time block (PROB40 1220/1222 1SM TSRA OVC008CB) starts at 2000Z. This is the first time visibility is 1SM, which is below 3 SM. This makes choice C the answer to this question.

Practice Question #9

Under what circumstances will a convective SIGMET be issued for?

A. Squall line thunderstorms.

B. Visibility less than 3 miles.

C. Surface winds greater than 40 knots.

This question tests your knowledge of circumstances when convective SIGMET reports are issued. From before, the wind velocity must be above 50 knots. This makes choice C incorrect.

Moreover, Choice B is incorrect too. This is so since reduced visibility does not give rise to the issuance of SIGMET. Thus, choice A is the answer to this question. The squall lines of a thunderstorm are one of the reasons for SIGMET reports to be issued.

Practice Question #10

Refer to Figure 12. The remarks section for KMDW has “RAB35” listed. This means

A. blowing mist has reduced the visibility to 1-1/2 SM.

B. rain began at 1835Z.

C. the barometer has risen .35 “Hg.

The tenth question about the meaning of RAB35 in the remarks section. This question refers to this part of the METAR report.

SPECI KMDW 121856Z 32005KT 1 1/2SM RA OVC007 17/16 A2980 RMK RAB35

RA denotes rain. Usually, remarks in METAR reports talk about precipitations and time when they began. Here, the letter B stands for began, while 35 means that the rain began 35 minutes past the hour when the METAR got issued. Because the report was produced at 1856Z, this means that the rain began at 1835Z. This makes choice B the answer to this question.

Concluding Remarks

That is is it for this tutorial. We made many more FAA Part 107 exam tutorials that will help you prepare for the test. If you have any questions about this material, let us know in the comments section.