Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (CYOW · YOW) METAR & TAF
Live METAR, TAF & runway wind for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport.
Get the current CYOW (YOW) weather for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Canada. The decoder below pulls the live METAR and TAF, breaks them into plain language, and uses the published runway headings to show which runway end is best lined up with the reported wind. It is the same operational weather language tested across the EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning syllabus.
Other major airports in North America with live SkyStudy weather pages include Charlotte (CLT), Phoenix (PHX) and Houston (IAH).
Studying for the EASA ATPL? Practice Meteorology questions free.
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport airport facts
- ICAO code
- CYOW
- IATA code
- YOW
- Location
- Ottawa, Canada
- Elevation
- 374 ft
- Runways
- 3
- Coordinates
- 45.322, -75.669
- Timezone
- America/Toronto
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport runways
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport has 3 published runways (04/22, 07/25, 14/32). The longest runway, 14/32, is about 10,000 ft (3,048 m) long. SkyStudy uses these runway headings with the live METAR wind to show the best-aligned runway end.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Headings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 04/22 | 3,300 ft | ASP | 04 (26°) / 22 (206°) |
| 07/25 | 8,000 ft | ASP | 07 (57°) / 25 (237°) |
| 14/32 | 10,000 ft | ASP | 14 (126°) / 32 (306°) |
Want to work a runway scenario by hand? Open the wind component calculator to get headwind, crosswind, and the gust case for any heading.
How to read the CYOW METAR
A METAR always follows the same order, so once you know the pattern you can read any station, including CYOW, at a glance:
- Station & time, the ICAO code (CYOW) and the observation time in UTC (Zulu).
- Wind, direction in degrees true and speed in knots, with gusts after a G. This is what SkyStudy matches against the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport runways above.
- Visibility & weather: prevailing visibility, then any precipitation or obscuration codes.
- Cloud, cover and base in hundreds of feet AGL (FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC).
- Temperature / dewpoint and the altimeter setting close out the report.
This is the same operational weather language tested across EASA ATPL Meteorology and Flight Planning. Prefer a guided walkthrough? Use the full METAR & TAF decoder.
CYOW weather, frequently asked questions
What is the ICAO code for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport?
The ICAO code for Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport in Ottawa, Canada is CYOW, and its IATA code is YOW. Pilots use the ICAO code CYOW to request the METAR and TAF for this airport.
How do I read the CYOW METAR?
Read the CYOW METAR in order: station and time, then wind (direction in degrees true and speed in knots), visibility, weather and cloud, temperature and dewpoint, and finally the altimeter setting. The decoder above turns the raw CYOW METAR into this plain-language order automatically.
Where does the CYOW weather data come from?
The live METAR and TAF are pulled from the public NOAA Aviation Weather Center feed, the same authoritative source used in flight planning, and refreshed every few minutes. SkyStudy then layers its runway and wind logic on top.
How many runways does Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport have?
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport has 3 published runways (04/22, 07/25, 14/32). SkyStudy combines these runway headings with the live CYOW wind to show which runway end is best aligned right now.
Is the CYOW METAR and TAF decoder free?
Yes. SkyStudy publishes this CYOW weather page as a free tool. If you are studying for EASA ATPL exams, the same METAR and TAF language appears in Meteorology, Flight Planning, and Operational Procedures, and SkyStudy turns it into practice questions and mock exams.
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