What Does VC Mean in a METAR?
VC means in the vicinity: within 5 to 10 SM of the airport, but not at it. It stands for in the ViCinity.
VC in a real report
VCSH
That reads as showers in the vicinity.
What it changes for you
VC is the only distance a METAR carries. Every other group describes the
observing point. A vicinity group is the station's one way to mention the world
just beyond the fence.
VCTSthunderstorm in the vicinityVCSHshowers in the vicinityVCFGfog in the vicinity
Why the absence proves nothing
A station reports only what it can detect. An automated one finds thunderstorms by lightning, so a cell with no strikes never appears.
Read a missing VC group as no information, not as nothing out there. That
matters most on a convective day, when cells are small and the gaps are clear.
Related codes
Decode a report containing this code
Paste a METAR, TAF, PIREP or SIGMET into the WxDecoder decoder. Every group comes back in plain English. The raw code sits beside it, so you can check the decode rather than trust it.
Frequently asked questions
What does VC mean in a METAR?
In the vicinity. The phenomenon is occurring between roughly 5 and 10 statute miles from the observing point, so it is near the station but not at it. VCTS and VCSH are the most common forms.
Is VCTS the same as a thunderstorm at the field?
No. VCTS means a thunderstorm within about 5 to 10 miles of the station, not over it. The field itself may be clear. It is a warning about what is nearby rather than a report of current conditions on the runway.