Laurence G Hanscom Field

KBED / BED

Bedford, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KBED 142320Z 1500/1524 36003KT 5SM -SHRADZ BR SCT007 BKN015 FM150100 01003KT 3SM -SHRADZ BKN007 FM150600 01003KT 3SM -DZ BR VCSH OVC003 FM151500 03007KT 5SM BR VCSH OVC008 FM152200 01005KT P6SM BKN010

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Fri
00:00Z
+-1h
Fri
01:00Z
+0h
Fri
02:00Z
+1h
Fri
03:00Z
+2h
Fri
04:00Z
+3h
Fri
05:00Z
+4h
Fri
06:00Z
+5h
Fri
07:00Z
+6h
Fri
08:00Z
+7h
Fri
09:00Z
+8h
Fri
10:00Z
+9h
Fri
11:00Z
+10h
Fri
12:00Z
+11h
Fri
13:00Z
+12h
Fri
14:00Z
+13h
Fri
15:00Z
+14h
Fri
16:00Z
+15h
Fri
17:00Z
+16h
Fri
18:00Z
+17h
Fri
19:00Z
+18h
Fri
20:00Z
+19h
Fri
21:00Z
+20h
Fri
22:00Z
+21h
Wind Dir
360°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
10°
N
360°
N
360°
N
360°
N
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
30°
NE
360°
N
10°
N
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
3 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
7 kt
3 kt
5 kt
Visibility
5SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
5SM
>6SM
Weather
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
-SHRADZ BR
Light Showers RADZ
-SHRADZ
Light Showers RADZ
-SHRADZ
Light Showers RADZ
-SHRADZ
Light Showers RADZ
-SHRADZ
Light Showers RADZ
-SHRADZ
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Drizzle, Mist
-DZ BR
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
-SHRADZ BR
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
-SHRADZ BR
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
-SHRADZ BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
-SHRADZ BR
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT007
BKN015
BKN007
BKN007
BKN007
BKN007
BKN007
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
OVC003
SCT007
BKN015
SCT007
BKN015
SCT007
BKN015
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
OVC008
SCT007
BKN015
BKN010
Ceiling
1,500 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
700 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
300 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR LIFR MVFR MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR
Day/Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 04:55Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:55Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:55Z
☀️
Day
🌅 04:55Z
☀️
Day
🌅 04:55Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 19:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:04Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:04Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:04Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:04Z
🌙
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
MVFR
Wind
360° at 3 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Light Showers RADZ, Mist
Clouds
SCT007 BKN015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the North (360°) at 3 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers RADZ, Mist. Scattered clouds at 700 feet, Broken clouds at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM150100 01:00Z - 07:00Z
IFR
Wind
10° at 3 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Showers RADZ
Clouds
BKN007
📖 Plain English Explanation:

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

FM150600 06:00Z - 12:00Z
LIFR
Wind
10° at 3 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Drizzle, Mist
Clouds
OVC003
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North (10°) at 3 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Drizzle, Mist. Overcast skies at 300 feet. Low IFR conditions - challenging even for instrument operations.

FM151500 15:00Z - 21:00Z
IFR
Wind
30° at 7 kt
Visibility
5SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
OVC008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North-Northeast (30°) at 7 kt. Visibility will be good at 5SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Overcast skies at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM152200 22:00Z - 04:00Z
MVFR
Wind
10° at 5 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN010
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the North (10°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

📚 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.