Great Falls International Airport

KGTF / GTF

Great Falls, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KGTF 041743Z 0418/0518 20012G20KT P6SM SCT050 BKN150 FM050000 25007KT 6SM -SHRA BR SCT025 OVC050 FM050900 34009KT 3SM -SNRA BR SCT009 OVC015

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
22:00Z
+-1h
Wed
23:00Z
+0h
Thu
00:00Z
+1h
Thu
01:00Z
+2h
Thu
02:00Z
+3h
Thu
03:00Z
+4h
Thu
04:00Z
+5h
Thu
05:00Z
+6h
Thu
06:00Z
+7h
Thu
07:00Z
+8h
Thu
08:00Z
+9h
Thu
09:00Z
+10h
Thu
10:00Z
+11h
Thu
11:00Z
+12h
Thu
12:00Z
+13h
Thu
13:00Z
+14h
Thu
14:00Z
+15h
Thu
15:00Z
+16h
Thu
16:00Z
+17h
Wind Dir
200°
S
200°
S
250°
W
250°
W
250°
W
250°
W
250°
W
250°
W
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
340°
N
340°
N
340°
N
340°
N
340°
N
340°
N
200°
S
200°
S
Wind Speed
12 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
7 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
9 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
12 kt
G20 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
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 Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
Light SNRA, Mist
-SNRA BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT050
BKN150
SCT050
BKN150
SCT025
OVC050
SCT025
OVC050
SCT025
OVC050
SCT025
OVC050
SCT025
OVC050
SCT025
OVC050
SCT050
BKN150
SCT050
BKN150
SCT050
BKN150
SCT009
OVC015
SCT009
OVC015
SCT009
OVC015
SCT009
OVC015
SCT009
OVC015
SCT009
OVC015
SCT050
BKN150
SCT050
BKN150
Ceiling
15,000 ft
AGL
15,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
15,000 ft
AGL
15,000 ft
AGL
15,000 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
15,000 ft
AGL
15,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:26Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:26Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
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
VFR
Wind
200° at 12 kt
Gusts: 20 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT050 BKN150
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 12 kt. Gusts up to 20 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 5000 feet, Broken clouds at 15000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050000 00:00Z - 06:00Z
VFR
Wind
250° at 7 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
SCT025 OVC050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Southwest (250°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Scattered clouds at 2500 feet, Overcast skies at 5000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050900 09:00Z - 15:00Z
MVFR
Wind
340° at 9 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light SNRA, Mist
Clouds
SCT009 OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North-Northwest (340°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light SNRA, Mist. Scattered clouds at 900 feet, 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.