Hickory Regional Airport

KHKY / HKY

Hickory, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KHKY 171731Z 1718/1818 23007KT P6SM FEW060 PROB30 1805/1808 5SM -RASN OVC027 FM180800 VRB02KT P6SM OVC018 PROB30 1808/1813 5SM -RASN OVC008 FM181300 VRB03KT P6SM SCT008 OVC015 FM181500 31004KT P6SM BKN027

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sat
23:00Z
+-1h
Sun
00:00Z
+0h
Sun
01:00Z
+1h
Sun
02:00Z
+2h
Sun
03:00Z
+3h
Sun
04:00Z
+4h
Sun
05:00Z
+5h
Sun
06:00Z
+6h
Sun
07:00Z
+7h
Sun
08:00Z
+8h
Sun
09:00Z
+9h
Sun
10:00Z
+10h
Sun
11:00Z
+11h
Sun
12:00Z
+12h
Sun
13:00Z
+13h
Sun
14:00Z
+14h
Sun
15:00Z
+15h
Sun
16:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
VRB
VRB
310°
NW
310°
NW
Wind Speed
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
3kt
3kt
4kt
4kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
Light RASN
-RASN
30%
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
FEW060
FEW060
FEW060
FEW060
FEW060
FEW060
OVC027
OVC027
OVC027
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
SCT008
OVC015
SCT008
OVC015
BKN027
BKN027
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
2700ft
AGL
2700ft
AGL
2700ft
AGL
800ft
AGL
800ft
AGL
800ft
AGL
800ft
AGL
800ft
AGL
1500ft
AGL
1500ft
AGL
2700ft
AGL
2700ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 07:02
🌙
Night
🌅 07:02
🌅
Dawn
🌅 07:02
☀️
Day
🌅 07:02
☀️
Day
🌅 07:02
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 16:57
☀️
Day
🌇 16:57
☀️
Day
🌇 16:57
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
230° at 7 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
FEW060
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southwest (230°) at 7kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Few clouds at 6000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 2026-01-18 05:00:00 - 2026-01-18 08:00:00
MVFR
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light RASN
Clouds
OVC027
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light RASN. Overcast skies at 2700 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM180800 2026-01-18 08:00:00 - 2026-01-18 14:00:00
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 2 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC018
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 2kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 1800 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

PROB30 2026-01-18 08:00:00 - 2026-01-18 13:00:00
IFR
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light RASN
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light RASN. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM181300 2026-01-18 13:00:00 - 2026-01-18 19:00:00
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT008 OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 800 feet, Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM181500 2026-01-18 15:00:00 - 2026-01-18 21:00:00
MVFR
Wind
310° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN027
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Northwest (310°) at 4kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 2700 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.