What information is typically contained in a METAR?

• A. Wind, visibility, present weather, sky condition, temperature/dew point, altimeter.
• B. Wind, visibility, and turbulence data.
• C. Cloud cover only.
• D. Temperature and dew point only.

Answer: (A)

METAR is the standard aviation weather observation that conveys the current conditions at an airport. It includes wind direction and speed, visibility, present weather (like precipitation or haze), sky condition with cloud cover and height, temperature and dew point, and the altimeter setting. These elements give pilots a quick, complete snapshot of the flying environment—how strong or gusty the wind is, how far visibility is, what weather phenomena are present, what the cloud cover looks like, and the exact altitude reference for the altimeter.

The other options miss critical parts: turbulence data isn’t part of a routine METAR (that information comes from other products like PIREPs or SIGMETs), cloud cover alone is insufficient, and listing only temperature and dew point omits wind, visibility, sky condition, and altimeter.