diff --git a/nmc_met_io/read_micaps.py b/nmc_met_io/read_micaps.py
index 3137d57..bc6d232 100644
--- a/nmc_met_io/read_micaps.py
+++ b/nmc_met_io/read_micaps.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def read_micaps_1(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ def read_micaps_2(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ def read_micaps_3(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ def read_micaps_4(fname, limit=None, varname='data', varattrs={'units':''}, scal
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -475,7 +475,7 @@ def read_micaps_5(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ def read_micaps_7(fname):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -663,7 +663,7 @@ def read_micaps_8(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -748,7 +748,7 @@ def read_micaps_11(fname, limit=None, scale_off=None, no_level=False,
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try:
@@ -881,7 +881,7 @@ def read_micaps_14(fname):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     txt = None
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
@@ -1496,7 +1496,7 @@ def read_micaps_120(fname, limit=None):
         return None
 
     # read contents
-    encodings = ['utf-8', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
+    encodings = ['utf-8', 'utf_8_sig', 'gb18030', 'GBK']
     for encoding in encodings:
         txt = None
         try: