The Eastern Iowa Airport

KCID / CID

Cedar Rapids, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KCID 041927Z 0419/0518 10007KT 6SM HZ OVC015 FM050500 07005KT 4SM BR OVC010 PROB30 0510/0513 3SM -SHRA BR BKN008 FM051300 02006KT 2SM BR OVC006

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
19:00Z
+-1h
Wed
20:00Z
+0h
Wed
21:00Z
+1h
Wed
22:00Z
+2h
Wed
23:00Z
+3h
Thu
00:00Z
+4h
Thu
01:00Z
+5h
Thu
02:00Z
+6h
Thu
03:00Z
+7h
Thu
04:00Z
+8h
Thu
05:00Z
+9h
Thu
06:00Z
+10h
Thu
07:00Z
+11h
Thu
08:00Z
+12h
Thu
09:00Z
+13h
Thu
10:00Z
+14h
Thu
11:00Z
+15h
Thu
12:00Z
+16h
Thu
13:00Z
+17h
Thu
14:00Z
+18h
Thu
15:00Z
+19h
Thu
16:00Z
+20h
Wind Dir
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
20°
N
20°
N
20°
N
20°
N
Wind Speed
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
Visibility
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
Weather
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
30%
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
30%
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
30%
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Clouds
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
Ceiling
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
Flight Rules MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌇 17:34Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:24Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:24Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:35Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:35Z
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
MVFR
Wind
100° at 7 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Haze
Clouds
OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the East (100°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Haze. Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM050500 05:00Z - 11:00Z
IFR
Wind
70° at 5 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (70°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

PROB30 10:00Z - 13:00Z
IFR
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
BKN008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Broken clouds at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
IFR
Wind
20° at 6 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North-Northeast (20°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 600 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.