Fort Smith Regional Airport

KFSM / FSM

Fort Smith, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KFSM 050520Z 0506/0606 VRB03KT 5SM -SHRA BR SCT012 OVC035 PROB30 0506/0510 3SM TSRA BR OVC015CB FM051000 24005KT 4SM -SHRA BR OVC010 PROB30 0510/0515 -TSRA OVC004CB FM051500 12007KT 5SM BR VCSH OVC007 FM051800 15008KT P6SM OVC015 FM060000 10007KT P6SM BKN050

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
06:00Z
+-1h
Thu
07:00Z
+0h
Thu
08:00Z
+1h
Thu
09:00Z
+2h
Thu
10:00Z
+3h
Thu
11:00Z
+4h
Thu
12:00Z
+5h
Thu
13:00Z
+6h
Thu
14:00Z
+7h
Thu
15:00Z
+8h
Thu
16:00Z
+9h
Thu
17:00Z
+10h
Thu
18:00Z
+11h
Thu
19:00Z
+12h
Thu
20:00Z
+13h
Thu
21:00Z
+14h
Thu
22:00Z
+15h
Thu
23:00Z
+16h
Fri
00:00Z
+17h
Fri
01:00Z
+18h
Fri
02:00Z
+19h
Fri
03:00Z
+20h
Fri
04:00Z
+21h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
Wind Speed
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
Visibility
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT012
OVC035
SCT012
OVC035
SCT012
OVC035
SCT012
OVC035
OVC004CB
OVC004CB
OVC004CB
OVC004CB
OVC004CB
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
Ceiling
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 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
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌅
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
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:20Z
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
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
SCT012 OVC035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Scattered clouds at 1200 feet, Overcast skies at 3500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

PROB30 06:00Z - 10:00Z
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.

FM051000 10:00Z - 16:00Z
IFR
Wind
240° at 5 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Southwest (240°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

PROB30 10:00Z - 15:00Z
LIFR
Weather
Light Thunderstorm Rain
Clouds
OVC004CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Weather conditions: Light Thunderstorm Rain. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051500 15:00Z - 21:00Z
IFR
Wind
120° at 7 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (120°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
MVFR
Wind
150° at 8 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (150°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM060000 00:00Z - 06:00Z
VFR
Wind
100° at 7 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (100°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 5000 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.