Fort Smith Regional Airport

KFSM / FSM

Fort Smith, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KFSM 042324Z 0500/0524 32004KT 6SM -SHRA SCT012 OVC035 TEMPO 0501/0504 2SM +TSRA BR OVC007CB FM050400 25006KT 5SM -SHRA BR OVC008 PROB30 0504/0509 3SM TSRA BR OVC015CB FM051200 28004KT 4SM BR VCSH OVC007 FM051900 06006KT P6SM OVC015

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
02:00Z
+-1h
Thu
03:00Z
+0h
Thu
04:00Z
+1h
Thu
05:00Z
+2h
Thu
06:00Z
+3h
Thu
07:00Z
+4h
Thu
08:00Z
+5h
Thu
09:00Z
+6h
Thu
10:00Z
+7h
Thu
11:00Z
+8h
Thu
12:00Z
+9h
Thu
13:00Z
+10h
Thu
14:00Z
+11h
Thu
15:00Z
+12h
Thu
16:00Z
+13h
Thu
17:00Z
+14h
Thu
18:00Z
+15h
Thu
19:00Z
+16h
Thu
20:00Z
+17h
Thu
21:00Z
+18h
Thu
22:00Z
+19h
Wind Dir
320°
NW
320°
NW
320°
NW
320°
NW
320°
NW
320°
NW
320°
NW
250°
W
320°
NW
320°
NW
280°
W
280°
W
280°
W
280°
W
280°
W
280°
W
320°
NW
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
Wind Speed
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
6 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
Visibility
6SM
6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
5SM
6SM
6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
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%
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT012
OVC035
SCT012
OVC035
OVC015CB
OVC015CB
OVC015CB
OVC015CB
OVC015CB
OVC008
SCT012
OVC035
SCT012
OVC035
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
SCT012
OVC035
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
Ceiling
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:21Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:21Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
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
VFR
Wind
320° at 4 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain
Clouds
SCT012 OVC035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Northwest (320°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain. Scattered clouds at 1200 feet, Overcast skies at 3500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 01:00Z - 04:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Heavy Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC007CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Heavy Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM050400 04:00Z - 10:00Z
IFR
Wind
250° at 6 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Southwest (250°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

PROB30 04:00Z - 09:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC015CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM051200 12:00Z - 18:00Z
IFR
Wind
280° at 4 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (280°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051900 19:00Z - 01:00Z
MVFR
Wind
60° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (60°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 1500 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.