John Wayne Orange County International Airport

KSNA / SNA

Santa Ana, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSNA 030354Z 0304/0324 23005KT 5SM BR BKN010 FM030500 VRB03KT 5SM BR OVC009 FM030900 VRB03KT 3SM BR OVC007 FM031600 VRB04KT 5SM BR BKN010 FM031800 22007KT 6SM HZ FEW013 SCT250

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Mon
06:00Z
+-1h
Mon
07:00Z
+0h
Mon
08:00Z
+1h
Mon
09:00Z
+2h
Mon
10:00Z
+3h
Mon
11:00Z
+4h
Mon
12:00Z
+5h
Mon
13:00Z
+6h
Mon
14:00Z
+7h
Mon
15:00Z
+8h
Mon
16:00Z
+9h
Mon
17:00Z
+10h
Mon
18:00Z
+11h
Mon
19:00Z
+12h
Mon
20:00Z
+13h
Mon
21:00Z
+14h
Mon
22:00Z
+15h
Wind Dir
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
230°
SW
VRB
VRB
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
220°
SW
Wind Speed
5kt
5kt
5kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
3kt
5kt
4kt
4kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
7kt
Visibility
5SM
5SM
5SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Haze
HZ
Clouds
BKN010
BKN010
BKN010
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
OVC007
BKN010
BKN010
BKN010
FEW013
SCT250
FEW013
SCT250
FEW013
SCT250
FEW013
SCT250
FEW013
SCT250
Ceiling
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
700ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
1000ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:44
☀️
Day
🌅 06:44
☀️
Day
🌅 06:44
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:15
☀️
Day
🌇 17:15
☀️
Day
🌇 17:15
🌙
Night
🌇 17:15
🌙
Night
🌇 17:15
🌙
Night
🌙
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
IFR
Wind
230° at 5 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southwest (230°) at 5kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM030500 2025-12-03 05:00:00 - 2025-12-03 11:00:00
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC009
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 900 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM030900 2025-11-03 09:00:00 - 2025-11-03 15:00:00
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

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

FM031600 2025-11-03 16:00:00 - 2025-11-03 22:00:00
IFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 1000 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM031800 2025-11-03 18:00:00 - 2025-11-04 00:00:00
VFR
Wind
220° at 7 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Haze
Clouds
FEW013 SCT250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southwest (220°) at 7kt. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Haze. Few clouds at 1300 feet, Scattered clouds at 25000 feet. 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.