Saint Cloud Regional Airport

KSTC / STC

Saint Cloud, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSTC 050256Z 0503/0524 14002KT 4SM BR BKN008 FM050800 10003KT 1/2SM FG OVC002 FM051500 11007KT 5SM BR BKN008 FM051800 12012KT P6SM BKN025

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
05:00Z
+-1h
Thu
06:00Z
+0h
Thu
07:00Z
+1h
Thu
08:00Z
+2h
Thu
09:00Z
+3h
Thu
10:00Z
+4h
Thu
11:00Z
+5h
Thu
12:00Z
+6h
Thu
13:00Z
+7h
Thu
14:00Z
+8h
Thu
15:00Z
+9h
Thu
16:00Z
+10h
Thu
17:00Z
+11h
Thu
18:00Z
+12h
Thu
19:00Z
+13h
Thu
20:00Z
+14h
Thu
21:00Z
+15h
Thu
22:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
140°
SE
140°
SE
140°
SE
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
140°
SE
110°
E
110°
E
110°
E
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
120°
SE
Wind Speed
2 kt
2 kt
2 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
2 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
12 kt
12 kt
12 kt
12 kt
12 kt
Visibility
4SM
4SM
4SM
1/2SM
1/2SM
1/2SM
1/2SM
1/2SM
1/2SM
4SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Fog
FG
Fog
FG
Fog
FG
Fog
FG
Fog
FG
Fog
FG
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
OVC002
OVC002
OVC002
OVC002
OVC002
OVC002
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
BKN025
BKN025
BKN025
BKN025
BKN025
Ceiling
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
200 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR IFR IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:26Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:26Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:33Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
Night
🌇 17:33Z
🌙
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 occurrence • AGL: Above Ground Level

Forecast Periods

BASE
IFR
Wind
140° at 2 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Southeast (140°) at 2 kt. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050800 08:00Z - 14:00Z
LIFR
Wind
100° at 3 kt
Visibility
1/2SM
Weather
Fog
Clouds
OVC002
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (100°) at 3 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1/2SM. Weather conditions: Fog. Overcast skies at 200 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051500 15:00Z - 21:00Z
IFR
Wind
110° at 7 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (110°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051800 18:00Z - 00:00Z
MVFR
Wind
120° at 12 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN025
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Southeast (120°) at 12 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 2500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

📚 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.