Columbia Regional Airport

KCOU / COU

Columbia, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KCOU 050520Z 0506/0606 VRB03KT 2SM BR OVC003 FM050700 VRB04KT 1/2SM FG VV002 FM051300 VRB04KT 3SM BR OVC005 FM051800 VRB04KT P6SM BKN012 FM052100 VRB04KT P6SM SCT022 BKN040

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
09:00Z
+-1h
Thu
10:00Z
+0h
Thu
11:00Z
+1h
Thu
12:00Z
+2h
Thu
13:00Z
+3h
Thu
14:00Z
+4h
Thu
15:00Z
+5h
Thu
16:00Z
+6h
Thu
17:00Z
+7h
Thu
18:00Z
+8h
Thu
19:00Z
+9h
Thu
20:00Z
+10h
Thu
21:00Z
+11h
Thu
22:00Z
+12h
Thu
23:00Z
+13h
Fri
00:00Z
+14h
Fri
01:00Z
+15h
Fri
02:00Z
+16h
Fri
03:00Z
+17h
Fri
04:00Z
+18h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
Wind Speed
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
3 kt
3 kt
Visibility
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
2SM
2SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Clouds
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
BKN012
BKN012
BKN012
SCT022
BKN040
SCT022
BKN040
SCT022
BKN040
SCT022
BKN040
SCT022
BKN040
SCT022
BKN040
OVC003
OVC003
Ceiling
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
Flight Rules LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR LIFR LIFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:37Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:37Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:21Z
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
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM050700 07:00Z - 13:00Z
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
1/2SM
Weather
Fog
Clouds
VV002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1/2SM. Weather conditions: Fog. Vertical visibility at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1200 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM052100 21:00Z - 03:00Z
VFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT022 BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 2200 feet, Broken clouds at 4000 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.