Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport

KDTW / DTW

Detroit, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KDTW 041522Z 0415/0518 VRB03KT 1SM BR OVC002 FM041600 10005KT 4SM BR SCT005 BKN010 FM041800 13005KT P6SM SCT015 BKN250 FM050100 14005KT 4SM -DZ BR OVC010 FM050800 09005KT 1SM -DZ BR OVC004 FM051300 06005KT 1SM -RA BR OVC006

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
17:00Z
+-1h
Wed
18:00Z
+0h
Wed
19:00Z
+1h
Wed
20:00Z
+2h
Wed
21:00Z
+3h
Wed
22:00Z
+4h
Wed
23:00Z
+5h
Thu
00:00Z
+6h
Thu
01:00Z
+7h
Thu
02:00Z
+8h
Thu
03:00Z
+9h
Thu
04:00Z
+10h
Thu
05:00Z
+11h
Thu
06:00Z
+12h
Thu
07:00Z
+13h
Thu
08:00Z
+14h
Thu
09:00Z
+15h
Thu
10:00Z
+16h
Thu
11:00Z
+17h
Thu
12:00Z
+18h
Thu
13:00Z
+19h
Thu
14:00Z
+20h
Thu
15:00Z
+21h
Thu
16:00Z
+22h
Wind Dir
VRB
130°
SE
130°
SE
130°
SE
130°
SE
130°
SE
130°
SE
VRB
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
VRB
90°
E
90°
E
90°
E
90°
E
90°
E
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
Wind Speed
3 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
3 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
3 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
Visibility
1SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
1SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
Weather
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Mist
BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Light Rain, Mist
-RA BR
Clouds
OVC002
SCT015
BKN250
SCT015
BKN250
SCT015
BKN250
SCT015
BKN250
SCT015
BKN250
SCT015
BKN250
OVC002
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC002
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
Ceiling
200 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
Flight Rules LIFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
🌇 17:34Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:34Z
🌙
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
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM041600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
IFR
Wind
100° at 5 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
SCT005 BKN010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (100°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Scattered clouds at 500 feet, Broken clouds at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM041800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
VFR
Wind
130° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT015 BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southeast (130°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 1500 feet, Broken clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050100 01:00Z - 07:00Z
IFR
Wind
140° at 5 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southeast (140°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050800 08:00Z - 14:00Z
LIFR
Wind
90° at 5 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (90°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
IFR
Wind
60° at 5 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (60°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Rain, 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.