Mason City Municipal Airport

KMCW / MCW

Mason City, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KMCW 040520Z 0406/0506 VRB04KT 1/4SM FZFG BKN002 FM041300 00000KT 1SM BR BKN003 FM041600 VRB03KT P6SM BKN016

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
09:00Z
+-1h
Wed
10:00Z
+0h
Wed
11:00Z
+1h
Wed
12:00Z
+2h
Wed
13:00Z
+3h
Wed
14:00Z
+4h
Wed
15:00Z
+5h
Wed
16:00Z
+6h
Wed
17:00Z
+7h
Wed
18:00Z
+8h
Wed
19:00Z
+9h
Wed
20:00Z
+10h
Wed
21:00Z
+11h
Wed
22:00Z
+12h
Wed
23:00Z
+13h
Thu
00:00Z
+14h
Thu
01:00Z
+15h
Thu
02:00Z
+16h
Thu
03:00Z
+17h
Thu
04:00Z
+18h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
 -- -- --
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
Wind Speed
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
 -- -- --
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
Visibility
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1SM
1SM
1SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
1/4SM
Weather
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Clouds
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN003
BKN003
BKN003
BKN016
BKN016
BKN016
BKN016
BKN016
BKN016
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
BKN002
Ceiling
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
1,600 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
Flight Rules LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:25Z
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
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
1/4SM
Weather
Freezing Fog
Clouds
BKN002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1/4SM. Weather conditions: Freezing Fog. Broken clouds at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM041300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
LIFR
Wind
0° at 0 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North (0°) at 0 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM041600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN016
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1600 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.