How often are METARs issued and how often are TAFs issued?

• A. METAR hourly; TAF every 12 hours
• B. METAR every 6 hours; TAF hourly
• C. METAR hourly; TAF every 6 hours (with updates as needed)
• D. METAR daily; TAF every 24 hours

Answer: (C)

METARs are the routine, current-weather observations for an airport, issued hourly to give pilots a fresh snapshot of wind, visibility, weather, sky condition, and other key elements. If a significant change occurs between regular reports, a special METAR can be issued to capture that moment.

TAFs are forecasts for the airport area covering roughly the next 24 to 30 hours. They’re issued four times a day, every six hours, with amendments or corrections issued as needed when the forecast changes.

So, the combination of hourly METARs and TAFs issued every six hours (with updates as needed) matches how these products are normally produced and used in flight planning. The other options misstate the frequency of either METARs or TAFs.