Salinas Municipal Airport

KSNS / SNS

Salinas, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSNS 212346Z 2200/2224 29013KT P6SM BKN060 FM220300 26007KT P6SM -RA BKN040 FM220800 VRB03KT P6SM OVC045 FM221300 14009KT 4SM -RA BKN035 FM222000 30010KT P6SM BKN040

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
00:00Z
+-1h
Wed
01:00Z
+0h
Wed
02:00Z
+1h
Wed
03:00Z
+2h
Wed
04:00Z
+3h
Wed
05:00Z
+4h
Wed
06:00Z
+5h
Wed
07:00Z
+6h
Wed
08:00Z
+7h
Wed
09:00Z
+8h
Wed
10:00Z
+9h
Wed
11:00Z
+10h
Wed
12:00Z
+11h
Wed
13:00Z
+12h
Wed
14:00Z
+13h
Wed
15:00Z
+14h
Wed
16:00Z
+15h
Wed
17:00Z
+16h
Wed
18:00Z
+17h
Wed
19:00Z
+18h
Wed
20:00Z
+19h
Wed
21:00Z
+20h
Wed
22:00Z
+21h
Wind Dir
290°
W
290°
W
290°
W
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
290°
W
300°
NW
300°
NW
300°
NW
Wind Speed
13 kt
13 kt
13 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
13 kt
10 kt
10 kt
10 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
BKN060
BKN060
BKN060
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
OVC045
OVC045
OVC045
OVC045
OVC045
BKN035
BKN035
BKN035
BKN035
BKN035
BKN035
BKN060
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
Ceiling
6,000 ft
AGL
6,000 ft
AGL
6,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
4,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
6,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 05:24Z
🌙
Night
🌅 05:24Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 05:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 05:24Z
☀️
Day
🌅 05:24Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 18:35Z
☀️
Day
🌇 18:35Z
☀️
Day
🌇 18:35Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 18:35Z
🌙
Night
🌇 18:35Z
🌙
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
290° at 13 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN060
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the West-Northwest (290°) at 13 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 6000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM220300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
VFR
Wind
260° at 7 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
Light Rain
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (260°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Rain. Broken clouds at 4000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM220800 08:00Z - 14:00Z
VFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC045
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 4500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM221300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
MVFR
Wind
140° at 9 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Light Rain
Clouds
BKN035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Southeast (140°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Light Rain. Broken clouds at 3500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM222000 20:00Z - 02:00Z
VFR
Wind
300° at 10 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West-Northwest (300°) at 10 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 4000 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.