Doesn't look good for today's flight

KOAK 191553Z 15003KT 10SM FEW019 14/12 A3015
     RMK AO2 SLP208 T01440117

KOAK 192345Z 190024 27012KT 6SM BR SCT008 OVC015 
     TEMPO 0003 5SM BR SCT006 OVC008 
     FM0300 27008KT 1SM BR OVC004 
     TEMPO 0406 1/2SM FG VV001 
     FM0600 26007KT 1/2SM FG VV001 
     FM1500 27006KT 3SM BR SCT009 OVC012 
     PROB30 1518 -RA 
     FM1800 30012KT P6SM BKN012 OVC019

Methinks the bird may be staying on the ground. Ah well, should be able to at least practice preflight. With a scheduled TO of 2200Z weather right now is marginal (CFI likes a ceiling of 2500), but looking really bad around 2345. But, the wx report has been wrong in the past.

Edit: 1745Z

KOAK 191653Z 15004KT 10SM SCT019 16/12 A3015
      RMK AO2 SLP209 T01560117

It's holding. Maybe it will break before 1400 local. Dew point and temperature are widening, this is good.

Edit: 1910Z

The Mark 1A eyeballs are telling me the plane will remain on the ground. That's OK, as said in my textbook "It's better to be on the ground wishing you were in the air than in the air and wishing you were on the ground".

I'd rather be flying

KOAK 152053Z 28008KT 10SM FEW250 18/12 A3001
RMK AO2 SLP163 T01830117 58013 $

I used to be able to decode these in my sleep, but now's as good a time as any to practice. So, what's this saying?

KOAK = Oakland Int'l Airport
152053Z = As of 11/15 2053Z (1253 PST)
28008KT = Winds from the west (280) at 8 knots (about 9 MPH)
10SM = Ten statute miles visibility
FEW250 = Few clouds at 25,000
18/12 = Temperature and dew point in Celsius
A3001 = Altimeter setting 30.01
RMK A02* = Automated observation station with precipitation discriminator
SLP163* = Sea Level Pressure in tens, units and decimals in hectopascals, so 1016.3 hectopascals (Corrected thanks to Aviatrix)
TO1830117* = Dew Point and temperature greater than 0C, Temp is 18.3C and Dew Point is 11.7C. If it said T11831117 it would be -18.3C and -11.C for temp/dew point
58013* = Pressure tendency 8=Steady or increasing, then decreasing; or decreasing then decreasing more rapidly, so pressure is lower than 3 hours ago by 013 tenths of a hectopascal (or .013)
$* = Station is due for maintenance

So, pressure is decreasing, but the temperature is nice, there's a few clouds at 25,000 feet and the winds are pretty quiet. In other words, a perfect time to go flying.

By the way, if I screwed up translating this, pilots, let me know :).




* I had to look these up.