SA Report

The SA report is a concise picture of the weather on the surface where an airport weather station or other weather facility is located (station designator). This report might contain up to the 10 separate elements listed here.

  • Station designator (airport or other type of aviation facility)

  • Time of report and type (this could be a record observation or a special report)

  • Sky condition and ceiling

  • Visibility

  • Weather and obstructions to vision

  • Sea level pressure (in millibars)

  • Temperature and dew point

  • Wind information

  • Altimeter setting

  • Remarks and coded data

A sample SA is shown below.

 
ICT  SP1432  3 SCT M8 BKN 20 OVC  2  TRW  132/72/64/0214G25/ 992/ 

RO1VR30V50 T SW MOVG E RB15

REPORT CODE

INFORMATION GIVEN

ICT

Station from which weather is being reported

SP 1432

Type of report (SP = special); last 4 digits give the time

3 SCT M8 BKN
20 OVC

Sky condition and ceiling: First digit is in hundreds of feet followed by description of clouds; M = measured, with next digit in hundreds of feet followed by description of clouds; next digits in hundreds of feet followed by description of clouds. ( CLR = clear less than 0.1 sky cover; SCT = scattered 0.1 - 0.5 sky cover; BKN = broken 0.6 - 0.9 sky cover; - = is usually placed in front of the cloud descriptors and means "thin"; -X = partial obscuration; X = obscuration)

2

visibility given in statute miles

TRW

weather and obstructions to vision (abbreviations below):

A = hail
BN = blowing sand
BY = blowing spray
F = fog
H = haze
IF = ice fog
IPW = ice pellet shower
L = drizzle
RW = rain shower
SG = snow grains
SW = snow shower
T+ = severe thunderstorm
ZR = freezing rain

 

BD = blowing dust
BS = blowing snow
D = dust
GF = ground fog
IC = ice crystals
IP = ice pellets
K = smoke
R = rain
S = snow
SP = snow pellets
T = thunderstorm
ZL = freezing drizzle

132/

Sea level pressure measured in millibars

72/64/

temperature and dewpoint given in Fahrenheit

0214G25

Wind information: first 2 digits give compass direction (02 = 20 degrees; whereas 20 = 200 degrees); next 2 digits give wind speed in knots; G = gusts followed by digits indicating speed in knots of the gusts;

v992/

altimeter setting

RO1VR30V50 T
SW MOVG E RB15

This is reserved for additional weather data which is written in a standard coded format (think of it as a special shorthand) for this notation decoded below:
R = runway following 2 digits indicate which runway (by compass direction); VR = visual range, V = variable with the 2-two digit numbers representing hundreds of feet (30 = 3,000; 50 = 5,000); T = thunderstorm; SW = direction southwest; MOVG = moving; E = east; R = rain; B = began followed by numbers which indicate number of minutes past the hour)


SA Report Decoded below:

Wichita Mid-Continent Airport . . . unscheduled special observation 1432 UTC . . . 300 feet scattered; measured ceiling 800 feet broken; 2,000 feet overcast . . . visibility 2 statute miles . . . thunderstorms and moderate rain showers . . . sea level pressure 1013.2 millibars . . . temperature 72 degrees Fahrenheit; dewpoint 64 degrees F . . . wind from 020 degrees at 14 knots; peak gusts at 25 knots . . . altimeter setting 29.92 . . . runway 01 visual range variable between 3,000 and 5,000 feet . . . thunderstorm to the southwest moving east . . . rain began at 15 minutes after the hour