Spirit of St Louis Airport

KSUS / SUS

St Louis, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KSUS 050158Z 0502/0524 VRB03KT P6SM SCT005 BKN120 TEMPO 0502/0503 -SHRA BKN005 FM050300 VRB03KT 3SM -TSRA BR OVC006CB FM050800 VRB03KT 1SM -SHRA BR OVC008 FM051000 VRB03KT 2SM BR OVC004 FM051800 27006KT P6SM SCT015 BKN060

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Thu
04:00Z
+-1h
Thu
05:00Z
+0h
Thu
06:00Z
+1h
Thu
07:00Z
+2h
Thu
08:00Z
+3h
Thu
09:00Z
+4h
Thu
10:00Z
+5h
Thu
11:00Z
+6h
Thu
12:00Z
+7h
Thu
13:00Z
+8h
Thu
14:00Z
+9h
Thu
15:00Z
+10h
Thu
16:00Z
+11h
Thu
17:00Z
+12h
Thu
18:00Z
+13h
Thu
19:00Z
+14h
Thu
20:00Z
+15h
Thu
21:00Z
+16h
Thu
22:00Z
+17h
Wind Dir
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
VRB
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
270°
W
Wind Speed
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
3 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
1SM
1SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
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
Clouds
SCT005
BKN120
SCT005
BKN120
SCT005
BKN120
SCT005
BKN120
OVC008
OVC008
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
SCT005
BKN120
SCT005
BKN120
SCT015
BKN060
SCT015
BKN060
SCT015
BKN060
SCT015
BKN060
SCT015
BKN060
Ceiling
12,000 ft
AGL
12,000 ft
AGL
12,000 ft
AGL
12,000 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 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
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/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
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
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT005 BKN120
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds will be variable in direction at 3 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 02:00Z - 03:00Z
IFR
Weather
Light Showers Rain
Clouds
BKN005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

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

FM050300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Thunderstorm Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC006CB
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3 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 3 kt
Visibility
1SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain, Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 1SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain, Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051000 10:00Z - 16:00Z
LIFR
Wind
VRB° at 3 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds will be variable in direction at 3 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 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT015 BKN060
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the West (270°) at 6 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.