Helena Regional Airport

KHLN / HLN

Helena, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KHLN 042339Z 0500/0524 27011KT P6SM OVC050 FM050700 27011KT 5SM -RASN SCT015 OVC025 PROB30 0510/0516 1SM -SN OVC015 FM051700 29017G30KT P6SM BKN035 PROB30 0519/0524 3SM -SHSN OVC030

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
05:00Z
+-1h
Thu
06:00Z
+0h
Thu
07:00Z
+1h
Thu
08:00Z
+2h
Thu
09:00Z
+3h
Thu
10:00Z
+4h
Thu
11:00Z
+5h
Thu
12:00Z
+6h
Thu
13:00Z
+7h
Thu
14:00Z
+8h
Thu
15:00Z
+9h
Thu
16:00Z
+10h
Thu
17:00Z
+11h
Thu
18:00Z
+12h
Thu
19:00Z
+13h
Thu
20:00Z
+14h
Thu
21:00Z
+15h
Thu
22:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
290°
W
290°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
Wind Speed
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
17 kt
G30 kt
17 kt
G30 kt
11 kt
G30 kt
11 kt
G30 kt
11 kt
G30 kt
11 kt
G30 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light RASN
-RASN
Light RASN
-RASN
Light RASN
-RASN
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
Light Snow
-SN
30%
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Showers Snow
-SHSN
30%
Light Showers Snow
-SHSN
30%
Light Showers Snow
-SHSN
30%
Light Showers Snow
-SHSN
30%
Clouds
OVC050
OVC050
SCT015
OVC025
SCT015
OVC025
SCT015
OVC025
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC015
OVC050
BKN035
BKN035
OVC030
OVC030
OVC030
OVC030
Ceiling
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 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
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,000 ft
AGL
3,000 ft
AGL
3,000 ft
AGL
3,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:26Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
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 occurrence • AGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
VFR
Wind
270° at 11 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the West (270°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 5000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050700 07:00Z - 13:00Z
MVFR
Wind
270° at 11 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light RASN
Clouds
SCT015 OVC025
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (270°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light RASN. Scattered clouds at 1500 feet, Overcast skies at 2500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

PROB30 10:00Z - 16:00Z
IFR
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Snow
Clouds
OVC015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Snow. Overcast skies at 1500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051700 17:00Z - 23:00Z
VFR
Wind
290° at 17 kt
Gusts: 30 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Northwest (290°) at 17 kt. Gusts up to 30 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 3500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 19:00Z - 00:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Showers Snow
Clouds
OVC030
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Snow. Overcast skies at 3000 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.