Williston Basin International Airport

KXWA / XWA

Williston, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KXWA 041743Z 0418/0518 36011KT 5SM BR OVC006 TEMPO 0418/0421 02012G17KT 3SM BR OVC003 FM042100 04013G18KT 6SM BR OVC004 FM050000 07015G23KT 4SM BR OVC005 FM050900 10014KT 2SM BR OVC005 FM051600 09010KT 3SM BR BKN007

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Wed
20:00Z
+-1h
Wed
21:00Z
+0h
Wed
22:00Z
+1h
Wed
23:00Z
+2h
Thu
00:00Z
+3h
Thu
01:00Z
+4h
Thu
02:00Z
+5h
Thu
03:00Z
+6h
Thu
04:00Z
+7h
Thu
05:00Z
+8h
Thu
06:00Z
+9h
Thu
07:00Z
+10h
Thu
08:00Z
+11h
Thu
09:00Z
+12h
Thu
10:00Z
+13h
Thu
11:00Z
+14h
Thu
12:00Z
+15h
Thu
13:00Z
+16h
Thu
14:00Z
+17h
Thu
15:00Z
+18h
Thu
16:00Z
+19h
Wind Dir
360°
N
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
70°
E
360°
N
360°
N
360°
N
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
100°
E
360°
N
90°
E
Wind Speed
11 kt
13 kt
G18 kt
13 kt
G18 kt
13 kt
G18 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
15 kt
G23 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
14 kt
14 kt
14 kt
14 kt
14 kt
14 kt
11 kt
10 kt
Visibility
5SM
6SM
6SM
6SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
4SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
2SM
5SM
3SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Clouds
OVC006
OVC004
OVC004
OVC004
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC006
OVC006
OVC006
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC005
OVC006
BKN007
Ceiling
600 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
400 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
500 ft
AGL
600 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
Flight Rules IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 06:27Z
🌙
Night
🌅 06:27Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 06:27Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:27Z
☀️
Day
🌅 06:27Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:32Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:32Z
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
360° at 11 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC006
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the North (360°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 600 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

TEMPO 18:00Z - 21:00Z
LIFR
Wind
20° at 12 kt
Gusts: 17 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Winds from the North-Northeast (20°) at 12 kt. Gusts up to 17 kt are expected. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM042100 21:00Z - 03:00Z
LIFR
Wind
40° at 13 kt
Gusts: 18 kt
Visibility
6SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC004
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Northeast (40°) at 13 kt. Gusts up to 18 kt are expected. Visibility will be excellent at 6SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 400 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM050000 00:00Z - 06:00Z
IFR
Wind
70° at 15 kt
Gusts: 23 kt
Visibility
4SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (70°) at 15 kt. Gusts up to 23 kt are expected. Visibility will be good at 4SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM050900 09:00Z - 15:00Z
IFR
Wind
100° at 14 kt
Visibility
2SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC005
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (100°) at 14 kt. Visibility will be moderate at 2SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 500 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
IFR
Wind
90° at 10 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East (90°) at 10 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 700 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

📚 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.