Watertown Regional Airport

KATY / ATY

Watertown, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KATY 051033Z 0511/0606 16009KT 3SM BR OVC007 TEMPO 0511/0513 1SM BR FM051300 14008KT 4SM BR BKN007 FM051600 15013G21KT P6SM BKN009 FM051700 16014G22KT P6SM SCT130

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
11:00Z
+-1h
Thu
12:00Z
+0h
Thu
13:00Z
+1h
Thu
14:00Z
+2h
Thu
15:00Z
+3h
Thu
16:00Z
+4h
Thu
17:00Z
+5h
Thu
18:00Z
+6h
Thu
19:00Z
+7h
Thu
20:00Z
+8h
Thu
21:00Z
+9h
Thu
22:00Z
+10h
Thu
23:00Z
+11h
Fri
00:00Z
+12h
Fri
01:00Z
+13h
Fri
02:00Z
+14h
Fri
03:00Z
+15h
Fri
04:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
160°
S
160°
S
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
150°
SE
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
Wind Speed
9 kt
9 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
13 kt
G21 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
14 kt
G22 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
Visibility
3SM
3SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Clouds
OVC007
OVC007
BKN007
BKN007
BKN007
BKN009
SCT130
SCT130
SCT130
SCT130
SCT130
SCT130
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
Ceiling
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
900 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:34Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:34Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:34Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:34Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:34Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:24Z
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 occurrence • AGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
IFR
Wind
160° at 9 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 11:00Z - 13:00Z
IFR
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Mist
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
IFR
Wind
140° at 8 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southeast (140°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
IFR
Wind
150° at 13 kt
Gusts: 21 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN009
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (150°) at 13 kt. Gusts up to 21 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 900 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051700 17:00Z - 23:00Z
VFR
Wind
160° at 14 kt
Gusts: 22 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT130
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 14 kt. Gusts up to 22 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 13000 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.