SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/sport-metar-broken

In a METAR, 'BKN' means the sky is covered by how much cloud?

5/8 to 7/8 of the sky.

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  1. 1/8 to 2/8
  2. 3/8 to 4/8
  3. 5/8 to 7/8 ✔

Why: METARs report sky cover in eighths. Broken (BKN) means 5/8 to 7/8 of the sky is covered, and overcast (OVC) means all 8/8.

Huh, didn't know that: A 'Z' after a time means Zulu, which is the same as UTC.

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References

Answer: 5/8 to 7/8. METARs report sky cover in eighths. Broken (BKN) means 5/8 to 7/8 of the sky is covered, and overcast (OVC) means all 8/8.

  1. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 12 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/14_phak_ch12.pdf
    broken when five-eighths to seven-eighths of the sky is covered
    Checked 2026-10-11.
  2. FAA Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, Chapter 13 www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/15_phak_ch13.pdf
    reported in statute miles as denoted by the letters "SM."
    Checked 2026-10-11.

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