Wichita Falls Municipal Airport / Sheppard Air Force Base

KSPS / SPS

Wichita Falls, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSPS 050539Z 0506/0606 VRB04KT P6SM OVC008 PROB30 0509/0513 4SM TSRA BR OVC008CB FM051300 11009KT P6SM OVC008 FM051600 15011KT P6SM BKN012 FM052000 17016G22KT P6SM BKN015 FM060000 16016KT P6SM BKN040

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
10:00Z
+-1h
Thu
11:00Z
+0h
Thu
12:00Z
+1h
Thu
13:00Z
+2h
Thu
14:00Z
+3h
Thu
15:00Z
+4h
Thu
16:00Z
+5h
Thu
17:00Z
+6h
Thu
18:00Z
+7h
Thu
19:00Z
+8h
Thu
20:00Z
+9h
Thu
21:00Z
+10h
Thu
22:00Z
+11h
Thu
23:00Z
+12h
Fri
00:00Z
+13h
Fri
01:00Z
+14h
Fri
02:00Z
+15h
Fri
03:00Z
+16h
Fri
04:00Z
+17h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
110°
E
110°
E
110°
E
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
150°
SE
170°
S
170°
S
170°
S
170°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
160°
S
Wind Speed
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
9 kt
9 kt
9 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
G22 kt
16 kt
16 kt
16 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
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
BKN012
BKN012
BKN012
BKN012
BKN015
BKN015
BKN015
BKN015
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
Ceiling
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,200 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:39Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:39Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:39Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:39Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:39Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:19Z
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
VRB° at 4 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

PROB30 09:00Z - 13:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC008CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051300 13:00Z - 19:00Z
IFR
Wind
110° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (110°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
MVFR
Wind
150° at 11 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN012
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (150°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1200 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM052000 20:00Z - 02:00Z
MVFR
Wind
170° at 16 kt
Gusts: 22 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South (170°) at 16 kt. Gusts up to 22 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM060000 00:00Z - 06:00Z
VFR
Wind
160° at 16 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the South-Southeast (160°) at 16 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.