What information is typically included in a METAR wind group?

• A. Wind direction and speed at the surface
• B. Wind direction aloft
• C. Gusts only
• D. Wind shear intensity

Answer: (A)

The wind group in a METAR communicates the wind at the surface: the direction the wind is blowing from and the speed, listed in knots. It’s encoded in a compact format like dddssKT, where the three-digit direction is the wind’s origin and the two-digit speed is in knots. If gusts are present, you’ll see a G followed by the gust speed (for example, 21015G25KT means wind from 210 degrees at 15 knots, gusting to 25). If the wind direction is varying, you may see VRB in place of a numeric direction.

Winds aloft are provided in a separate forecast product, not in the surface wind group, and wind shear isn’t described by the main wind group. So the primary information conveyed by the METAR wind group is the surface wind direction and speed, with optional gusts, which is why that option is the best answer.