Buffalo Niagara International Airport

KBUF / BUF

Buffalo, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KBUF 210531Z 2106/2206 19005KT P6SM FEW250 FM211200 18007KT P6SM BKN100 FM211900 19010G19KT P6SM BKN070 FM220100 18009KT P6SM BKN045 FM220300 20012G20KT P6SM BKN040 PROB30 2203/2205 4SM -SHRA OVC025

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Tue
11:00Z
+-1h
Tue
12:00Z
+0h
Tue
13:00Z
+1h
Tue
14:00Z
+2h
Tue
15:00Z
+3h
Tue
16:00Z
+4h
Tue
17:00Z
+5h
Tue
18:00Z
+6h
Tue
19:00Z
+7h
Tue
20:00Z
+8h
Tue
21:00Z
+9h
Tue
22:00Z
+10h
Tue
23:00Z
+11h
Wed
00:00Z
+12h
Wed
01:00Z
+13h
Wed
02:00Z
+14h
Wed
03:00Z
+15h
Wed
04:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
190°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
180°
S
180°
S
190°
S
190°
S
Wind Speed
5 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
5 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
10 kt
G19 kt
9 kt
9 kt
5 kt
G20 kt
5 kt
G20 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
4SM
4SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
30%
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
30%
Clouds
FEW250
BKN100
BKN100
BKN100
BKN100
BKN100
BKN100
FEW250
BKN070
BKN070
BKN070
BKN070
BKN070
BKN070
BKN045
BKN045
OVC025
OVC025
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
10,000 ft
AGL
10,000 ft
AGL
10,000 ft
AGL
10,000 ft
AGL
10,000 ft
AGL
10,000 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
7,000 ft
AGL
7,000 ft
AGL
7,000 ft
AGL
7,000 ft
AGL
7,000 ft
AGL
7,000 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 18:39Z
☀️
Day
🌇 18:39Z
☀️
Day
🌇 18:39Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 18:39Z
🌙
Night
🌇 18:39Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 05:19Z
🌙
Night
🌅 05:19Z
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
VFR
Wind
190° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
FEW250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South (190°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Few clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM211200 12:00Z - 18:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 7 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN100
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (180°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 10000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM211900 19:00Z - 01:00Z
VFR
Wind
190° at 10 kt
Gusts: 19 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN070
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (190°) at 10 kt. Gusts up to 19 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 7000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM220100 01:00Z - 07:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN045
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (180°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 4500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM220300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
VFR
Wind
200° at 12 kt
Gusts: 20 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 12 kt. Gusts up to 20 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 4000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 03:00Z - 05:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain
Clouds
OVC025
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain. Overcast skies at 2500 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.