What does "BR" indicate in a METAR report?

In METAR reports, "BR" signifies mist. This term is used specifically to denote weather conditions where visibility is reduced but not to the extent that it can be classified as fog. According to aviation weather standards, mist occurs when visibility is between 1,000 meters (approximately 3,280 feet) and 5 kilometers (approximately 3.1 miles) and is often associated with high humidity and light precipitation, although not necessarily significant rain.

Each of the other options refers to different weather phenomena: "rain" is often indicated by the letters "RA," "fog" is represented by "FG" and generally denotes even lower visibility than mist, while "overcast conditions" are indicated by a cloud cover descriptor without a specific code like "BR." Knowing these distinctions is crucial for pilots and meteorologists who rely on METAR reports to assess flying conditions.