Patuxent River Naval Air Station (Trapnell Field)

KNHK / NHK

Patuxent River, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KNHK 0507/0607 VRB06KT 6000 BR BKN020 OVC050 QNH3015INS TEMPO 0507/0513 0800 FG VV002 OVC030 BECMG 0514/0516 VRB06KT 9999 NSW FEW010 OVC050 QNH3013INS TEMPO 0518/0522 11010KT 4800 BR AUTOMATED SENSOR METWATCH 0507 TIL 0509 TX16/0518Z TN06/0509Z FN00282

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
08:00Z
+-1h
Thu
09:00Z
+0h
Thu
10:00Z
+1h
Thu
11:00Z
+2h
Thu
12:00Z
+3h
Thu
13:00Z
+4h
Thu
14:00Z
+5h
Thu
15:00Z
+6h
Thu
16:00Z
+7h
Thu
17:00Z
+8h
Thu
18:00Z
+9h
Thu
19:00Z
+10h
Thu
20:00Z
+11h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
110°
E
110°
E
110°
E
Wind Speed
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
Visibility
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
0.509 km
0.509 km
0.509 km
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Clouds
BKN020
OVC050
BKN020
OVC050
BKN020
OVC050
BKN020
OVC050
BKN020
OVC050
BKN020
OVC050
FEW010
OVC050
FEW010
OVC050
FEW010
OVC050
FEW010
OVC050
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
Ceiling
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
2,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR LIFR LIFR LIFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
🌅 06:22Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:37Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:37Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:37Z
🌙
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 occurrenceAGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 6 kt
Visibility
6 km
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN020 OVC050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 6 kt. Visibility will be good at 6 km. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 2000 feet, Overcast skies at 5000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

TEMPO 07:00Z - 13:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
0.8 km
Weather
Fog
Clouds
VV002 OVC030
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be poor at 0.8 km. Weather conditions: Fog. Vertical visibility at 200 feet, Overcast skies at 3000 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

BECMG 14:00Z - 16:00Z
VFR
Wind
VRB° at 6 kt
Visibility
10+ km
Clouds
FEW010 OVC050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Conditions will gradually change to become: Winds will be variable in direction at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 10+ km. Few clouds at 1000 feet, Overcast skies at 5000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 18:00Z - 22:00Z
LIFR
Wind
110° at 10 kt
Visibility
0.509 km
Weather
Mist
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Winds from the East-Southeast (110°) at 10 kt. Visibility will be poor at 0.509 km. Weather conditions: Mist. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument 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.