Sandy Lake Airport

CZSJ / ZSJ

Sandy Lake, CA

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF AMD CZSJ 151104Z 1511/1523 22005KT 1SM -SN BR OVC004 TEMPO 1511/1514 5SM BR OVC008 FM151400 15005KT P6SM OVC010 TEMPO 1514/1518 3SM -SN OVC008 FM151800 16008KT 2SM -SN OVC009 TEMPO 1518/1522 5SM -SN FEW009 OVC020 PROB30 1518/1521 1SM -SN OVC006 FM152200 16008KT 3SM -SN OVC012 RMK FCST BASED ON AUTO OBS. NXT FCST BY 151800Z

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sun
11:00Z
+-1h
Sun
12:00Z
+0h
Sun
13:00Z
+1h
Sun
14:00Z
+2h
Sun
15:00Z
+3h
Sun
16:00Z
+4h
Sun
17:00Z
+5h
Sun
18:00Z
+6h
Sun
19:00Z
+7h
Sun
20:00Z
+8h
Sun
21:00Z
+9h
Wind Dir
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
1SM
1SM
1SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
5SM
Weather
Light Snow, Mist
-SN BR
Light Snow, Mist
-SN BR
Light Snow, Mist
-SN BR
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
Clouds
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
FEW009
OVC020
Ceiling
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:04Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:04Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:04Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
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
220° at 5 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Snow, Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southwest (220°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow, Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

TEMPO 11:00Z - 14:00Z
IFR
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM151400 14:00Z - 20:00Z
MVFR
Wind
150° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (150°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

TEMPO 14:00Z - 18:00Z
IFR
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM151800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
IFR
Wind
160° at 8 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
OVC009
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Overcast skies at 900 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 18:00Z - 22:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
FEW009 OVC020
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Few clouds at 900 feet, Overcast skies at 2000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

PROB30 18:00Z - 21:00Z
IFR
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
OVC006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Overcast skies at 600 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM152200 22:00Z - 04:00Z
IFR
Wind
160° at 8 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Snow, FCST, FCST
Clouds
OVC012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow, FCST, FCST. Overcast skies at 1200 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

📚 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.