About Our Data

Transparency in aviation weather data. Learn where our information comes from and how we ensure accuracy.

Official Data Sources

MetarCentral aggregates aviation weather and airport data exclusively from official government and international aviation sources. We do not generate, estimate, or fabricate any weather observations or forecasts. All data displayed comes directly from authoritative sources used by professional pilots, air traffic controllers, and meteorologists worldwide.

Weather Data

METAR & TAF

Primary Source: NOAA Aviation Weather Center
Update Frequency: Every 1-5 minutes
Coverage: 12,000+ airports worldwide
Data Format: ICAO standard METAR/TAF

Airport Database

Locations & Runways

Primary Source: OurAirports.com
Update Frequency: Weekly sync
Coverage: 70,000+ airports worldwide
License: Public Domain

NOTAMs

Notices to Air Missions

Primary Source: FAA NOTAM System
Update Frequency: Real-time via SWIM
Coverage: US + International
Format: ICAO NOTAM format

AIP References

Charts & Procedures

Sources: National AIPs
US Charts: FAA Aeronav
Europe: EUROCONTROL EAD
Type: Links to official sources

Data Quality & Processing

No Data Fabrication

We never generate, estimate, or simulate weather data. If official data is unavailable for an airport, we clearly indicate this rather than providing approximations. Aviation safety requires accurate information.

Real-Time Updates

METAR observations are fetched every 1-5 minutes from NOAA. TAF forecasts are updated as soon as new forecasts are issued. Our caching layer ensures fast page loads while keeping data current.

METAR Decoding

Raw METAR strings are decoded following ICAO Annex 3 and WMO standards. Our decoder handles international variations including visibility in meters (CAVOK, 9999) and regional reporting differences.

Historical Statistics

Weather statistics shown on airport pages are computed from actual METAR observations collected over time. Statistics include observation count and date range to provide transparency about the data sample.

Important Limitations

For Informational Purposes Only: MetarCentral is not an official weather briefing service. Data is provided to help pilots plan and stay informed, but does not replace an official weather briefing.

Verify Before Flight: Pilots must obtain official weather briefings through approved sources (1800wxbrief.com, FSS, approved EFB applications) before conducting flight operations.

Data Latency: While we update frequently, there may be brief delays between when observations are issued and when they appear on MetarCentral. Weather conditions can change rapidly.

Coverage Gaps: Not all airports report weather observations. Smaller airports, private fields, and airports in some countries may not have METAR services available.

Report Data Issues

Found incorrect airport information, missing data, or a decoding error? We appreciate reports from the pilot community to help improve data quality.

Report an Issue About MetarCentral

Technical Specifications

METAR/TAF API

  • Endpoint: aviationweather.gov/api/data
  • Format: JSON with raw + decoded
  • Polling: 60-300 second intervals
  • Caching: Redis with 60s TTL

Airport Database

  • Source: OurAirports CSV exports
  • Fields: ICAO, IATA, coordinates, runways
  • Sync: Weekly automated import
  • Storage: PostgreSQL with PostGIS

Decoding Standards

  • ICAO Annex 3 (Meteorological Service)
  • WMO Manual on Codes (FM 15/16)
  • FAA Order 7900.5 (US specifics)

Availability

  • Uptime target: 99.5%
  • CDN: Cloudflare edge caching
  • Failover: Multi-region hosting