Pickle Lake Airport

CYPL / YPL

Pickle Lake, CA

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF AMD CYPL 140902Z 1409/1420 20005KT 5SM -SN OVC007 TEMPO 1409/1417 P6SM NSW SCT007 OVC012 FM141700 26005KT P6SM OVC015 RMK FCST BASED ON AUTO OBS. NXT FCST BY 141400Z

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sat
10:00Z
+-1h
Sat
11:00Z
+0h
Sat
12:00Z
+1h
Sat
13:00Z
+2h
Sat
14:00Z
+3h
Sat
15:00Z
+4h
Sat
16:00Z
+5h
Sat
17:00Z
+6h
Sat
18:00Z
+7h
Wind Dir
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
260°
W
260°
W
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
FCST, FCST
FCST FCST
FCST, FCST
FCST FCST
Clouds
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC015
OVC015
Ceiling
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:04Z
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
IFR
Wind
200° at 5 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 09:00Z - 17:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT007 OVC012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 700 feet, Overcast skies at 1200 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM141700 17:00Z - 23:00Z
MVFR
Wind
260° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
FCST, FCST
Clouds
OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (260°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: FCST, FCST. Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

📚 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.