Sault Ste Marie Airport

CYAM / YAM

Sault Ste Marie, CA

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF CYAM 100741Z 1008/1020 30005KT 1/4SM -DZ FG OVC001 TEMPO 1008/1014 1/2SM FG OVC002 FM101400 30005KT 2SM -DZ BR OVC003 TEMPO 1014/1016 6SM BR OVC008 BECMG 1016/1018 P6SM NSW FEW050 RMK NXT FCST BY 101400Z

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
09:00Z
+-1h
Wed
10:00Z
+0h
Wed
11:00Z
+1h
Wed
12:00Z
+2h
Wed
13:00Z
+3h
Wed
14:00Z
+4h
Wed
15:00Z
+5h
Wed
16:00Z
+6h
Wed
17:00Z
+7h
Wed
18:00Z
+8h
Wind Dir
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
6SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Fog
-DZ FG
Light Drizzle, Fog
-DZ FG
Light Drizzle, Fog
-DZ FG
Light Drizzle, Fog
-DZ FG
Light Drizzle, Fog
-DZ FG
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
FCST
FCST
FCST
FCST
FCST
FCST
Clouds
OVC001
OVC001
OVC001
OVC001
OVC001
OVC008
OVC008
FEW050
FEW050
FEW050
Ceiling
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 19:25Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:25Z
Flight Rules
VFR: Visual Flight Rules
MVFR: Marginal VFR
IFR: Instrument Flight Rules
LIFR: Low IFR
Ceiling Colors
Red: < 500ft
Amber: 500-1000ft
Blue: 1000-3000ft
Green: > 3000ft
⛈️ TCU: Towering Cumulus
🌩️ CB: Cumulonimbus
+Nh: Hours from now%: Probability of occurrenceAGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
LIFR
Wind
300° at 5 kt
Visibility
1/4SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Fog
Clouds
OVC001
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the West-Northwest (300°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1/4SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Fog. Overcast skies at 100 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

TEMPO 08:00Z - 14:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
1/2SM
Weather
Fog
Clouds
OVC002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be moderate at 1/2SM. Weather conditions: Fog. Overcast skies at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM101400 14:00Z - 20:00Z
LIFR
Wind
300° at 5 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Northwest (300°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

TEMPO 14:00Z - 16:00Z
IFR
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

BECMG 16:00Z - 18:00Z
VFR
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
FCST
Clouds
FEW050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Conditions will gradually change to become: Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: FCST. Few clouds at 5000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

📚 Understanding TAF Forecasts

Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) provides detailed weather forecasts specifically for aviation operations. Our system translates complex meteorological codes into plain English to help pilots of all experience levels understand forecasted conditions.

What TAF Includes:

  • • Wind direction, speed, and gusts
  • • Visibility in statute miles or kilometers
  • • Weather phenomena (rain, snow, fog, thunderstorms)
  • • Cloud coverage types and altitudes
  • • Forecast changes with timing
  • • Flight rules categories (VFR/IFR)

Change Indicators Explained:

  • BASE - Main forecast conditions
  • FM - Permanent change from specific time
  • BECMG - Gradual change over 2-4 hours
  • TEMPO - Temporary changes (less than 1 hour)
  • PROB30/40 - 30% or 40% probability

🛩️ Flight Rules Categories

VFR

Visual Flight Rules

  • • Ceiling ≥ 3000 ft
  • • Visibility ≥ 5 miles
  • • Good for visual flying

MVFR

Marginal VFR

  • • Ceiling 1000-3000 ft
  • • Visibility 3-5 miles
  • • Caution for VFR

IFR

Instrument Flight Rules

  • • Ceiling 500-1000 ft
  • • Visibility 1-3 miles
  • • Instruments required

LIFR

Low IFR

  • • Ceiling < 500 ft
  • • Visibility < 1 mile
  • • Challenging conditions

💡 TAF Reading Tips

For Student Pilots:

  • • Focus on the plain English explanations above
  • • Pay attention to flight rules categories
  • • Look for wind direction relative to runway headings
  • • Check for temporary conditions (TEMPO)

For Experienced Pilots:

  • • Cross-reference with raw TAF for precise timing
  • • Consider probability forecasts for alternate planning
  • • Monitor BECMG periods for gradual changes
  • • Always check current METAR vs TAF forecast

Important: TAF forecasts should always be supplemented with current METAR observations, PIREPs, and other weather information for complete situational awareness. Weather can change rapidly, and forecasts have inherent limitations.