Charleston International Airport

KCHS / CHS

Charleston, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KCHS 041738Z 0418/0518 16005KT P6SM SCT030 FM041900 18009KT P6SM SCT035 FM050600 VRB02KT 4SM BR SCT005 BKN012 FM050900 00000KT 1SM BR FEW002 BKN005 FM051400 19006KT P6SM FEW005 SCT020

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
23:00Z
+-1h
Thu
00:00Z
+0h
Thu
01:00Z
+1h
Thu
02:00Z
+2h
Thu
03:00Z
+3h
Thu
04:00Z
+4h
Thu
05:00Z
+5h
Thu
06:00Z
+6h
Thu
07:00Z
+7h
Thu
08:00Z
+8h
Thu
09:00Z
+9h
Thu
10:00Z
+10h
Thu
11:00Z
+11h
Thu
12:00Z
+12h
Thu
13:00Z
+13h
Thu
14:00Z
+14h
Thu
15:00Z
+15h
Thu
16:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
VRB
VRB
VRB
-- -- -- -- --
190°
S
190°
S
190°
S
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
2 kt
2 kt
2 kt
-- -- -- -- --
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT030
SCT030
SCT030
SCT030
SCT030
SCT030
SCT030
SCT005
BKN012
SCT005
BKN012
SCT005
BKN012
FEW002
BKN005
FEW002
BKN005
FEW002
BKN005
FEW002
BKN005
FEW002
BKN005
FEW005
SCT020
FEW005
SCT020
FEW005
SCT020
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:19Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:19Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:19Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:19Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:19Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:40Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:40Z
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
160° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT030
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 3000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM041900 19:00Z - 01:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (180°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 3500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050600 06:00Z - 12:00Z
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 2 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
SCT005 BKN012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 2 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Scattered clouds at 500 feet, Broken clouds at 1200 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050900 09:00Z - 15:00Z
IFR
Wind
0° at 0 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
FEW002 BKN005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North (0°) at 0 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Few clouds at 200 feet, Broken clouds at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051400 14:00Z - 20:00Z
VFR
Wind
190° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
FEW005 SCT020
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (190°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Few clouds at 500 feet, Scattered clouds at 2000 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.