Hickory Regional Airport

KHKY / HKY

Hickory, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KHKY 100955Z 1010/1106 20005KT 5SM BR OVC005 FM101400 24006KT P6SM SCT050 BKN250 PROB30 1017/1022 4SM TSRA BR OVC025CB FM110200 VRB02KT P6SM BKN250

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
11:00Z
+-1h
Wed
12:00Z
+0h
Wed
13:00Z
+1h
Wed
14:00Z
+2h
Wed
15:00Z
+3h
Wed
16:00Z
+4h
Wed
17:00Z
+5h
Wed
18:00Z
+6h
Wed
19:00Z
+7h
Wed
20:00Z
+8h
Wed
21:00Z
+9h
Wed
22:00Z
+10h
Wed
23:00Z
+11h
Thu
00:00Z
+12h
Thu
01:00Z
+13h
Thu
02:00Z
+14h
Thu
03:00Z
+15h
Thu
04:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
240°
SW
240°
SW
240°
SW
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
VRB
VRB
VRB
Wind Speed
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
2 kt
2 kt
2 kt
Visibility
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
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%
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
SCT050
BKN250
SCT050
BKN250
SCT050
BKN250
OVC025CB
OVC025CB
OVC025CB
OVC025CB
OVC025CB
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
BKN250
BKN250
BKN250
Ceiling
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 19:08Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:08Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:08Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:08Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:08Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 04:51Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:51Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:51Z
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
IFR
Wind
200° at 5 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM101400 14:00Z - 20:00Z
VFR
Wind
240° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT050 BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Southwest (240°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 5000 feet, Broken clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 17:00Z - 22:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC025CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 2500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM110200 02:00Z - 08:00Z
VFR
Wind
VRB° at 2 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 2 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 25000 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.