US
KSTL
TAF Forecast

St. Louis Lambert International Airport

KSTL / STL

St Louis, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:

TAF KSTL 042323Z 0500/0606 VRB04KT P6SM SCT005 BKN120 TEMPO 0500/0503 BKN005 FM050300 VRB04KT 3SM -TSRA BR OVC006CB FM050800 VRB04KT 1SM -SHRA BR OVC006 FM051000 VRB04KT 2SM BR OVC004 FM051800 27007KT P6SM SCT015 BKN060

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter	Thu 01:00Z +-1h	Thu 02:00Z +0h	Thu 03:00Z +1h	Thu 04:00Z +2h	Thu 05:00Z +3h	Thu 06:00Z +4h	Thu 07:00Z +5h	Thu 08:00Z +6h	Thu 09:00Z +7h	Thu 10:00Z +8h	Thu 11:00Z +9h	Thu 12:00Z +10h	Thu 13:00Z +11h	Thu 14:00Z +12h	Thu 15:00Z +13h	Thu 16:00Z +14h	Thu 17:00Z +15h	Thu 18:00Z +16h	Thu 19:00Z +17h	Thu 20:00Z +18h	Thu 21:00Z +19h	Thu 22:00Z +20h	Thu 23:00Z +21h	Fri 00:00Z +22h	Fri 01:00Z +23h	Fri 02:00Z +24h	Fri 03:00Z +25h	Fri 04:00Z +26h
Wind Dir	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	270° W	270° W	270° W	270° W	270° W	270° W	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB	VRB
Wind Speed	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	7 kt	7 kt	7 kt	7 kt	7 kt	7 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt	4 kt
Visibility	>6SM	>6SM	3SM	3SM	3SM	3SM	3SM	1SM	1SM	2SM	2SM	2SM	2SM	2SM	2SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM	>6SM
Weather	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist -TSRA BR	Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist -TSRA BR	Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist -TSRA BR	Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist -TSRA BR	Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist -TSRA BR	Light Showers Rain, Mist -SHRA BR	Light Showers Rain, Mist -SHRA BR	Mist BR	Mist BR	Mist BR	Mist BR	Mist BR	Mist BR	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear	☀️ Clear
Clouds	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120	OVC006CB	OVC006CB	OVC006CB	OVC006CB	OVC006CB	OVC006	OVC006	OVC004	OVC004	OVC004	OVC004	OVC004	OVC004	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120	SCT015 BKN060	SCT015 BKN060	SCT015 BKN060	SCT015 BKN060	SCT015 BKN060	SCT015 BKN060	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120	SCT005 BKN120
Ceiling	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	600 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	400 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	6,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL	12,000 ft AGL
Flight Rules	VFR	VFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	IFR	IFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	LIFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR	VFR
Day/Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night 🌅 06:22Z	🌙 Night 🌅 06:22Z	🌅 Dawn 🌅 06:22Z	☀️ Day 🌅 06:22Z	☀️ Day 🌅 06:22Z	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day	☀️ Day 🌇 17:37Z	☀️ Day 🌇 17:37Z	☀️ Day 🌇 17:37Z	🌇 Dusk 🌇 17:37Z	🌙 Night 🌇 17:37Z	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night	🌙 Night 🌅 06:21Z

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

VFR

Wind

VRB° at 4 kt

Visibility

>6SM

Clouds

SCT005 BKN120

📖 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. Scattered clouds at 500 feet, Broken clouds at 12000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 00:00Z - 03:00Z

IFR

Clouds

BKN005

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Broken clouds at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050300 03:00Z - 09:00Z

LIFR

Wind

VRB° at 4 kt

Visibility

3SM

Weather

Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist

Clouds

OVC006CB

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 600 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM050800 08:00Z - 14:00Z

IFR

Wind

VRB° at 4 kt

Visibility

1SM

Weather

Light Showers Rain, Mist

Clouds

OVC006

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 600 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051000 10:00Z - 16:00Z

LIFR

Wind

VRB° at 4 kt

Visibility

2SM

Weather

Mist

Clouds

OVC004

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 4 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM051800 18:00Z - 00:00Z

VFR

Wind

270° at 7 kt

Visibility

>6SM

Clouds

SCT015 BKN060

📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (270°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 1500 feet, Broken clouds at 6000 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.