Santa Barbara Municipal Airport

KSBA / SBA

Santa Barbara, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSBA 041711Z 0417/0512 VRB03KT 2SM BR VCFG OVC004 FM041800 16005KT P6SM SCT008 BKN250 FM042000 18006KT P6SM SCT250 FM050200 29010KT P6SM SKC FM050700 35008KT P6SM SKC

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
17:00Z
+-1h
Wed
18:00Z
+0h
Wed
19:00Z
+1h
Wed
20:00Z
+2h
Wed
21:00Z
+3h
Wed
22:00Z
+4h
Wed
23:00Z
+5h
Thu
00:00Z
+6h
Thu
01:00Z
+7h
Thu
02:00Z
+8h
Thu
03:00Z
+9h
Thu
04:00Z
+10h
Thu
05:00Z
+11h
Thu
06:00Z
+12h
Thu
07:00Z
+13h
Thu
08:00Z
+14h
Thu
09:00Z
+15h
Thu
10:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
VRB
160°
S
160°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
350°
N
350°
N
350°
N
350°
N
Wind Speed
3 kt
5 kt
5 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
Visibility
2SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist, Vicinity Fog
BR VCFG
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
OVC004
SCT008
BKN250
SCT008
BKN250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
SCT250
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
Ceiling
400 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules LIFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:20Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:20Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:20Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:20Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:20Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
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
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Mist, Vicinity Fog
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Mist, Vicinity Fog. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM041800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
VFR
Wind
160° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT008 BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 800 feet, Broken clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM042000 20:00Z - 02:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (180°) 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.

FM050200 02:00Z - 08:00Z
VFR
Wind
290° at 10 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
CLR
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Northwest (290°) at 10 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Skies will be clear. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM050700 07:00Z - 13:00Z
VFR
Wind
350° at 8 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
CLR
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North (350°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Skies will be clear. 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.