Does anyone know of a good website where you can get METAR weather reports?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/METAR

I'm thinking it would be useful for determining the cloud ceiling as well visibility at various altitudes.

If not METAR does anyone know of any other forecasts that give visibility and cloud ceiling information?

Check out http://www.flightplanning.navcanada.ca

METAR/TAF first row in the middle

Only big airports have online reports.
Smaller airports broadcast on VHF.

So you are extrapolating from both MTN and aviation weather? Good idea
Further to Claus here's an extended link and click on the Aerodrome nearest to your destination.

http://www.flightplanning.navcanada....f&TypeDoc=html

PIREPS (Pilot reports) may or may not be of some benefit and some aerodromes have a link for a WXcam.

Here is aviation weather reading in a nutshell but possibly too much information for your needs.
http://www.langleyflyingschool.com/P...formation.html

A metar just reports the observed weather, forecast cloud base(s) can be found from forecast tephigrams, timeheights and various other products. UW and UBC all have these freely available online

http://weather.eos.ubc.ca/wxfcst/use...?location=3130.

http://weather.eos.ubc.ca/wxfcst/use...YVR_2-Week.php

http://www.atmos.washington.edu/mm5r...gi?current_gfs

Thanks for that! The reports from that site are excellent.

It's letting me know that less than an hour ago the cloud ceiling is as low as 2100ft asl in Whistler.

The code system is actually pretty useful. I can easily tell windspeed, direction, visibility, weather and ceiling at at a glance. Looks like the updates are hourly also.

Thanks for the other links, I'll check them later.

You can also use this report from Nav Canada. It's an area report... just select Pacific (or whatever area you like) and select the METAR/TAF Plain Language button (unless you can read pilot speak).

http://www.flightplanning.navcanada....b&TypeDoc=html

Of course, with the METAR/TAF link provided in a previous post you can look at multiple reports on the same page so the area report above might be over kill.

And the TAF reports are forecasts (Terminal Area Forecast) and they do include predicted cloud levels and intensity. But TAFs are only provided for selected aerodromes and there can be huge local differences.

for example as per joker's comment if you clicked on the whistler aerodrome you will note at the bottom of the METAR it states TAF unavailable for this aerodrome, Good luck with it

Not quite what you were looking for, but I was just told about the following:
http://spotwx.com/

Select the spot you want, and see what the various models say for the location (you probably want the GEM Lam West, which I understand to be the most accurate but doesn't go out as far.

-Ryan

Cool link Ryan - I hadn't seen that before!