Lethbridge County Airport

CYQL / YQL

Lethbridge, CA

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF CYQL 041740Z 0418/0506 07005KT 5SM BR OVC008 TEMPO 0418/0420 1SM BR OVC004 FM042000 08008KT P6SM BKN080 TEMPO 0420/0424 P6SM -SHRA BKN040 PROB30 0420/0422 4SM BR BKN006 FM050000 07007KT P6SM SCT020 BKN060 TEMPO 0500/0506 6SM -RA BR OVC020 PROB30 0503/0506 P6SM -FZRA RMK NXT FCST BY 050000Z

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
19:00Z
+-1h
Wed
20:00Z
+0h
Wed
21:00Z
+1h
Wed
22:00Z
+2h
Wed
23:00Z
+3h
Thu
00:00Z
+4h
Thu
01:00Z
+5h
Thu
02:00Z
+6h
Thu
03:00Z
+7h
Thu
04:00Z
+8h
Wind Dir
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
5SM
4SM
4SM
>6SM
>6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
30%
Mist
BR
30%
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Freezing Rain, FCST
-FZRA FCST
30%
Light Freezing Rain, FCST
-FZRA FCST
30%
Clouds
OVC008
BKN006
BKN006
BKN040
BKN040
OVC020
OVC020
OVC020
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
Ceiling
800 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌇 17:30Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:27Z
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
70° at 5 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the East-Northeast (70°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 18:00Z - 20:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM042000 20:00Z - 02:00Z
VFR
Wind
80° at 8 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN080
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (80°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 8000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 20:00Z - 00:00Z
VFR
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain. Broken clouds at 4000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 20:00Z - 22:00Z
IFR
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 600 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050000 00:00Z - 06:00Z
VFR
Wind
70° at 7 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT020 BKN060
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (70°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 2000 feet, Broken clouds at 6000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 00:00Z - 06:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC020
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 2000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

PROB30 03:00Z - 06:00Z
VFR
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
Light Freezing Rain, FCST
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Freezing Rain, FCST. 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.