Oakland County International Airport

KPTK / PTK

Pontiac, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KPTK 041743Z 0418/0518 12006KT P6SM SCT250 FM042100 11005KT P6SM BKN250 FM050300 12005KT 3SM -DZ BR OVC010 FM050700 08005KT 3/4SM -SHRA BR OVC004 FM051200 07009KT 3/4SM -DZ BR OVC004 FM051700 08011KT 1SM RA BR OVC004

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
21:00Z
+-1h
Wed
22:00Z
+0h
Wed
23:00Z
+1h
Thu
00:00Z
+2h
Thu
01:00Z
+3h
Thu
02:00Z
+4h
Thu
03:00Z
+5h
Thu
04:00Z
+6h
Thu
05:00Z
+7h
Thu
06:00Z
+8h
Thu
07:00Z
+9h
Thu
08:00Z
+10h
Thu
09:00Z
+11h
Thu
10:00Z
+12h
Thu
11:00Z
+13h
Thu
12:00Z
+14h
Thu
13:00Z
+15h
Thu
14:00Z
+16h
Thu
15:00Z
+17h
Thu
16:00Z
+18h
Wind Dir
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
80°
E
80°
E
80°
E
80°
E
80°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
Wind Speed
6 kt
6 kt
6 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
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
3/4SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Showers Rain, Mist
-SHRA BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Clouds
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:24Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:24Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:24Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:35Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:35Z
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
120° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the East-Southeast (120°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM042100 21:00Z - 03:00Z
VFR
Wind
110° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (110°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
IFR
Wind
120° at 5 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (120°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050700 07:00Z - 13:00Z
LIFR
Wind
80° at 5 kt
Visibility
3/4SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (80°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 3/4SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051200 12:00Z - 18:00Z
LIFR
Wind
70° at 9 kt
Visibility
3/4SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (70°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be good at 3/4SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051700 17:00Z - 23:00Z
LIFR
Wind
80° at 11 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (80°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. 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.