Les Eplatures Airport

LSGC

La Chaux-de-Fonds, CH

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF LSGC 140825Z 1409/1418 04008KT 0200 FG VV001 TEMPO 1409/1418 0700 VV003 PROB40 TEMPO 1411/1418 SN

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sat
10:00Z
+-1h
Sat
11:00Z
+0h
Sat
12:00Z
+1h
Sat
13:00Z
+2h
Sat
14:00Z
+3h
Sat
15:00Z
+4h
Sat
16:00Z
+5h
Wind Dir
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
Wind Speed
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
Visibility
0.2 km
0.2 km
0.2 km
0.2 km
0.2 km
0.2 km
0.2 km
Weather
Fog
FG
Snow
SN
40%
Snow
SN
40%
Snow
SN
40%
Snow
SN
40%
Snow
SN
40%
Snow
SN
40%
Clouds
VV001
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
Ceiling
100 ft 🌫️
Indefinite
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules LIFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 17:07Z
☀️
Day
🌇 17:07Z
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
LIFR
Wind
40° at 8 kt
Visibility
0.2 km
Weather
Fog
Clouds
VV001
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Northeast (40°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be poor at 0.2 km. Weather conditions: Fog. Vertical visibility at 100 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

TEMPO 09:00Z - 18:00Z
LIFR
Visibility
0.7 km
Clouds
VV003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be poor at 0.7 km. Vertical visibility at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

PROB40 TEMPO 11:00Z - 18:00Z
VFR
Weather
Snow
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 40% probability of: Weather conditions: Snow. 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.