Decatur Airport

KDEC / DEC

Decatur, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KDEC 042321Z 0500/0524 03004KT 3SM BR OVC003 FM050500 12005KT 1 1/2SM SHRA BR OVC002 PROB30 0505/0511 3/4SM TSRA BR OVC001CB FM051400 22006KT 3SM BR OVC003 FM051800 26009KT P6SM OVC005 FM052000 24009KT P6SM BKN014 FM052300 26005KT P6SM BKN023

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
01:00Z
+-1h
Thu
02:00Z
+0h
Thu
03:00Z
+1h
Thu
04:00Z
+2h
Thu
05:00Z
+3h
Thu
06:00Z
+4h
Thu
07:00Z
+5h
Thu
08:00Z
+6h
Thu
09:00Z
+7h
Thu
10:00Z
+8h
Thu
11:00Z
+9h
Thu
12:00Z
+10h
Thu
13:00Z
+11h
Thu
14:00Z
+12h
Thu
15:00Z
+13h
Thu
16:00Z
+14h
Thu
17:00Z
+15h
Thu
18:00Z
+16h
Thu
19:00Z
+17h
Thu
20:00Z
+18h
Thu
21:00Z
+19h
Thu
22:00Z
+20h
Wind Dir
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
260°
W
260°
W
240°
SW
240°
SW
240°
SW
Wind Speed
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
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
Visibility
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
TSRA BR
30%
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC001CB
OVC001CB
OVC001CB
OVC001CB
OVC001CB
OVC001CB
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC005
OVC005
BKN014
BKN014
BKN014
Ceiling
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
100 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
Flight Rules LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:23Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:23Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:23Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:23Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:23Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:36Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:36Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:36Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:36Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:36Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
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
LIFR
Wind
30° at 4 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the North-Northeast (30°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM050500 05:00Z - 11:00Z
LIFR
Wind
120° at 5 kt
Visibility
1/2SM
Weather
Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (120°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1/2SM. Weather conditions: Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

PROB30 05:00Z - 11:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
3/4SM
Weather
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC001CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 3/4SM. Weather conditions: Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 100 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051400 14:00Z - 20:00Z
LIFR
Wind
220° at 6 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southwest (220°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
IFR
Wind
260° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (260°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM052000 20:00Z - 02:00Z
MVFR
Wind
240° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN014
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Southwest (240°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1400 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM052300 23:00Z - 05:00Z
MVFR
Wind
260° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN023
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (260°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 2300 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.