Alpena County Regional Airport

KAPN / APN

Alpena, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KAPN 101428Z 1014/1112 29005KT P6SM BKN006 TEMPO 1014/1016 SCT006 FM101600 29006KT P6SM SCT016 FM110300 14004KT 6SM -SHRA BR OVC029 FM110500 18004KT 6SM -SHRA BR VCTS OVC040CB FM110700 20005KT 6SM -SHRA BR BKN029

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
14:00Z
+-1h
Wed
15:00Z
+0h
Wed
16:00Z
+1h
Wed
17:00Z
+2h
Wed
18:00Z
+3h
Wed
19:00Z
+4h
Wed
20:00Z
+5h
Wed
21:00Z
+6h
Wed
22:00Z
+7h
Wed
23:00Z
+8h
Thu
00:00Z
+9h
Thu
01:00Z
+10h
Thu
02:00Z
+11h
Thu
03:00Z
+12h
Thu
04:00Z
+13h
Thu
05:00Z
+14h
Thu
06:00Z
+15h
Thu
07:00Z
+16h
Thu
08:00Z
+17h
Thu
09:00Z
+18h
Thu
10:00Z
+19h
Wind Dir
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
140°
SE
140°
SE
180°
S
180°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Clouds
BKN006
BKN006
SCT016
SCT016
SCT016
SCT016
SCT016
SCT016
BKN006
BKN006
BKN006
BKN006
BKN006
OVC029
OVC029
OVC040CB
OVC040CB
BKN029
BKN029
BKN029
BKN029
Ceiling
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
2,900 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 19:23Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:23Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:23Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:23Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:23Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 04:36Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:36Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:36Z
☀️
Day
🌅 04:36Z
☀️
Day
🌅 04:36Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
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
290° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the West-Northwest (290°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 600 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 14:00Z - 16:00Z
VFR
Clouds
SCT006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Scattered clouds at 600 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM101600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
VFR
Wind
290° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT016
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Northwest (290°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 1600 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM110300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
MVFR
Wind
140° at 4 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC029
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southeast (140°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 2900 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM110500 05:00Z - 11:00Z
MVFR
Wind
180° at 4 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC040CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (180°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 4000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM110700 07:00Z - 13:00Z
MVFR
Wind
200° at 5 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
BKN029
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Broken clouds at 2900 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.