John Wayne Orange County International Airport

KSNA / SNA

Santa Ana, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSNA 032337Z 0400/0424 23008KT P6SM FEW250 FM040300 VRB04KT P6SM FEW015 FM041000 VRB04KT P6SM BKN012 TEMPO 0414/0416 6SM BR BKN005 FM041800 20010KT P6SM BKN250

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
04:00Z
+-1h
Wed
05:00Z
+0h
Wed
06:00Z
+1h
Wed
07:00Z
+2h
Wed
08:00Z
+3h
Wed
09:00Z
+4h
Wed
10:00Z
+5h
Wed
11:00Z
+6h
Wed
12:00Z
+7h
Wed
13:00Z
+8h
Wed
14:00Z
+9h
Wed
15:00Z
+10h
Wed
16:00Z
+11h
Wed
17:00Z
+12h
Wed
18:00Z
+13h
Wed
19:00Z
+14h
Wed
20:00Z
+15h
Wed
21:00Z
+16h
Wed
22:00Z
+17h
Wind Dir
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
230°
SW
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
200°
S
Wind Speed
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
6SM
6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
FEW250
FEW250
FEW250
FEW250
FEW250
FEW250
BKN012
BKN012
BKN012
BKN012
BKN005
BKN005
FEW250
FEW250
BKN250
BKN250
BKN250
BKN250
BKN250
Ceiling
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
25,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:21Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:21Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:21Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:38Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:38Z
🌙
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
VFR
Wind
230° at 8 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
FEW250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southwest (230°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Few clouds at 25000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM040300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
VFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
FEW015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Few clouds at 1500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM041000 10:00Z - 16:00Z
MVFR
Wind
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1200 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

TEMPO 14:00Z - 16:00Z
IFR
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM041800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
VFR
Wind
200° at 10 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN250
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southwest (200°) at 10 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken 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.