Applicability of reported weather minimums

When determining if weather meets minimums for takeoff, landing, or instrument approaches under Part 121, pilots normally use the ceiling and visibility reported in the main body of the weather report—this applies to all runways at the airport.

However, if a more specific measurement is available for a particular runway, that takes precedence. Specifically, if the weather report (including verbal reports from the tower) includes runway visibility (RVV) or runway visual range (RVR) for a specific runway, you must use that value instead of the general visibility when operating on that runway.

This matters because RVR and RVV are measured directly at the runway and often differ from the general airport visibility. A runway might have better or worse visibility than the rest of the airport, and this regulation ensures you're using the most accurate, runway-specific data for your operation rather than airport-wide conditions that may not reflect what you'll actually encounter.

*This is a plain-English summary for study only. The official 14 CFR text on this page is controlling — always read the current regulation and consult a CFI.*