How is a sky condition with 1/8 obscuration encoded?

A sky condition with 1/8 obscuration indicates that there is a small amount of cloud cover, specifically classified as "few" clouds. In aviation meteorology, cloud cover categories are used to describe the extent of clouds in the sky. The term "FEW" is used when clouds cover 1 to 2 oktas of the sky, which corresponds to the 1/8 obscuration mentioned in the question.

The encoding follows a specific format where the first part indicates the type of obscuration (in this case, "FEW") and the second part typically states the altitude of the cloud base in hundreds of feet above ground level. Therefore, FEW001 signifies that there are few clouds at 100 feet above ground level, which is consistent with the description of 1/8 obscuration.

Understanding this encoding can assist pilots and meteorologists in assessing weather conditions for flight safety and operations.