Santa Monica Municipal Airport

KSMO / SMO

Santa Monica, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
KSMO 152335Z 1600/1624 22008KT 6SM HZ SKC FM160200 VRB03KT 5SM HZ BKN010 FM160500 VRB03KT 4SM BR OVC007 FM161300 VRB03KT 6SM BR OVC010 FM161700 22009KT P6SM SKC

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Tue
01:00Z
+-1h
Tue
02:00Z
+0h
Tue
03:00Z
+1h
Tue
04:00Z
+2h
Tue
05:00Z
+3h
Tue
06:00Z
+4h
Tue
07:00Z
+5h
Tue
08:00Z
+6h
Tue
09:00Z
+7h
Tue
10:00Z
+8h
Tue
11:00Z
+9h
Tue
12:00Z
+10h
Tue
13:00Z
+11h
Tue
14:00Z
+12h
Tue
15:00Z
+13h
Tue
16:00Z
+14h
Tue
17:00Z
+15h
Tue
18:00Z
+16h
Tue
19:00Z
+17h
Tue
20:00Z
+18h
Tue
21:00Z
+19h
Tue
22:00Z
+20h
Wind Dir
220°
SW
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
220°
SW
220°
SW
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
Wind Speed
8kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
8kt
8kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
9kt
9kt
9kt
9kt
9kt
9kt
Visibility
6SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
CLR
BKN010
BKN010
BKN010
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
CLR
CLR
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
OVC010
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
CLR
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 05:53
🌙
Night
🌅 05:53
🌙
Night
🌅 05:53
☀️
Day
🌅 05:53
☀️
Day
🌅 05:53
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 18:06
☀️
Day
🌇 18:06
☀️
Day
🌇 18:06
🌙
Night
🌇 18:06
🌙
Night
🌇 18:06
🌙
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 occurrenceAGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
VFR
Wind
220° at 8 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Haze
Clouds
CLR
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southwest (220°) at 8kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Haze. Skies will be clear. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM160200 2025-09-16 02:00:00 - 2025-09-16 08:00:00
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Haze
Clouds
BKN010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Haze. Broken clouds at 1000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM160500 2025-09-16 05:00:00 - 2025-09-16 11:00:00
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM161300 2025-09-16 13:00:00 - 2025-09-16 19:00:00
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM161700 2025-09-16 17:00:00 - 2025-09-16 23:00:00
VFR
Wind
220° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
CLR
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southwest (220°) at 9kt. 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.