Queenstown International Airport

NZQN / ZQN

Queenstown, NZ

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF AMD NZQN 040316Z 0403/0424 26008KT 9999 -RA BKN050 TEMPO 0403/0405 6000 SHRA BECMG 0410/0412 18010KT TEMPO 0412/0418 6000 SHRA BKN014 BECMG 0416/0418 18015G25KT TEMPO 0418/0424 4000 SHSN

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sat
05:00Z
+-1h
Sat
06:00Z
+0h
Sat
07:00Z
+1h
Sat
08:00Z
+2h
Sat
09:00Z
+3h
Sat
10:00Z
+4h
Sat
11:00Z
+5h
Sat
12:00Z
+6h
Sat
13:00Z
+7h
Sat
14:00Z
+8h
Sat
15:00Z
+9h
Sat
16:00Z
+10h
Sat
17:00Z
+11h
Sat
18:00Z
+12h
Sat
19:00Z
+13h
Sat
20:00Z
+14h
Sat
21:00Z
+15h
Sat
22:00Z
+16h
Wind Dir
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
260°
W
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
180°
S
Wind Speed
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
8 kt
10 kt
10 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
15 kt
G25 kt
Visibility
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
10+ km
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
6 km
4 km
4 km
4 km
4 km
4 km
Weather
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
Light Rain
-RA
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Rain
SHRA
Showers Snow
SHSN
Showers Snow
SHSN
Showers Snow
SHSN
Showers Snow
SHSN
Showers Snow
SHSN
Clouds
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
BKN050
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
BKN014
BKN014
BKN014
BKN014
BKN014
BKN014
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
☀️ CLR
Ceiling
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
5,000 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
1,400 ft
AGL
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
🌤️ Unlimited
Flight Rules VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌅 07:23Z
🌙
Night
🌅 07:23Z
🌅
Dawn
🌅 07:23Z
☀️
Day
🌅 07:23Z
☀️
Day
🌅 07:23Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 16:36Z
☀️
Day
🌇 16:36Z
☀️
Day
🌇 16:36Z
🌇
Dusk
🌇 16:36Z
🌙
Night
🌇 16:36Z
🌙
Night
🌙
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
260° at 8 kt
Visibility
10+ km
Weather
Light Rain
Clouds
BKN050
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the West (260°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at 10+ km. Weather conditions: Light Rain. Broken clouds at 5000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 03:00Z - 05:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
6 km
Weather
Showers Rain
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be good at 6 km. Weather conditions: Showers Rain. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

BECMG 10:00Z - 12:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 10 kt
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Conditions will gradually change to become: Winds from the South (180°) at 10 kt. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 12:00Z - 18:00Z
IFR
Visibility
6 km
Weather
Showers Rain
Clouds
BKN014
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be good at 6 km. Weather conditions: Showers Rain. Broken clouds at 1400 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

BECMG 16:00Z - 18:00Z
VFR
Wind
180° at 15 kt
Gusts: 25 kt
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Conditions will gradually change to become: Winds from the South (180°) at 15 kt. Gusts up to 25 kt are expected. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

TEMPO 18:00Z - 00:00Z
IFR
Visibility
4 km
Weather
Showers Snow
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Temporary conditions (lasting less than an hour at a time) may include: Visibility will be moderate at 4 km. Weather conditions: Showers Snow. 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.