What is the primary difference between METAR and TAF?

• A. METAR reports are current observations; TAFs are forecasts
• B. TAFs are forecasts; METARs are observations
• C. Both are not weather products
• D. TAFs are not weather products

Answer: (A)

METARs provide current weather observations for an aerodrome, issued regularly to reflect what is happening right now. TAFs, on the other hand, are forecasts for the same location, projecting weather conditions over the next 24 to 30 hours and describing expected changes in wind, visibility, weather phenomena, and cloud cover. The strongest answer captures this fundamental difference in purpose and content: METARs report the present state, while TAFs predict future conditions. It isn’t correct to say TAFs are observations or METARs are forecasts, and both products are indeed weather information used in ATC and flight planning.