Oakland County International Airport

KPTK / PTK

Pontiac, US

Current TAF Forecast

Raw TAF:
TAF KPTK 050520Z 0506/0606 04004KT 3SM BR SCT009 SCT045 BKN200 FM050800 04005KT 3SM BR BKN008 FM051200 06006KT P6SM BKN015 FM051600 06008KT P6SM -SHRA SCT025 BKN035 PROB30 0518/0522 3SM -TSRA BKN025CB OVC040 FM052200 05011KT P6SM BKN040 FM060300 04009KT P6SM SCT060 BKN120

Detailed TAF Table

Parameter
Sun
06:00Z
+-1h
Sun
07:00Z
+0h
Sun
08:00Z
+1h
Sun
09:00Z
+2h
Sun
10:00Z
+3h
Sun
11:00Z
+4h
Sun
12:00Z
+5h
Sun
13:00Z
+6h
Sun
14:00Z
+7h
Sun
15:00Z
+8h
Sun
16:00Z
+9h
Sun
17:00Z
+10h
Sun
18:00Z
+11h
Sun
19:00Z
+12h
Sun
20:00Z
+13h
Sun
21:00Z
+14h
Sun
22:00Z
+15h
Sun
23:00Z
+16h
Mon
00:00Z
+17h
Mon
01:00Z
+18h
Mon
02:00Z
+19h
Mon
03:00Z
+20h
Mon
04:00Z
+21h
Wind Dir
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
60°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
50°
NE
50°
NE
50°
NE
50°
NE
50°
NE
40°
NE
40°
NE
Wind Speed
4 kt
4 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
5 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
6 kt
8 kt
8 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
4 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
11 kt
9 kt
9 kt
Visibility
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
3SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
>6SM
Weather
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
Mist
BR
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Showers Rain
-SHRA
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
Light Thunderstorm Rain
-TSRA
30%
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
☀️ Clear
Clouds
SCT009
SCT045
SCT009
SCT045
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
BKN008
BKN015
BKN015
BKN015
BKN015
SCT025
BKN035
SCT025
BKN035
BKN025CB
OVC040
BKN025CB
OVC040
BKN025CB
OVC040
BKN025CB
OVC040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
BKN040
SCT060
BKN120
SCT060
BKN120
Ceiling
20,000 ft
AGL
20,000 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
800 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
1,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
3,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
2,500 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
4,000 ft
AGL
12,000 ft
AGL
12,000 ft
AGL
Flight Rules MVFR MVFR IFR IFR IFR IFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR MVFR MVFR MVFR MVFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR VFR
Day/Night
☀️
Day
🌅 04:40Z
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
☀️
Day
🌇 19:19Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:19Z
☀️
Day
🌇 19:19Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:19Z
🌙
Night
🌇 19:19Z
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌙
Night
🌅 04:40Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:40Z
🌙
Night
🌅 04:40Z
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
MVFR
Wind
40° at 4 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
SCT009 SCT045 BKN200
📖 Plain English Explanation:

This is the base forecast condition. Winds from the Northeast (40°) at 4 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Scattered clouds at 900 feet, Scattered clouds at 4500 feet, Broken clouds at 20000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM050800 08:00Z - 14:00Z
IFR
Wind
40° at 5 kt
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Mist
Clouds
BKN008
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Northeast (40°) at 5 kt. Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Mist. Broken clouds at 800 feet. Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions - instrument flying required.

FM051200 12:00Z - 18:00Z
MVFR
Wind
60° at 6 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN015
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (60°) at 6 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 1500 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM051600 16:00Z - 22:00Z
VFR
Wind
60° at 8 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Weather
Light Showers Rain
Clouds
SCT025 BKN035
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the East-Northeast (60°) at 8 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Weather conditions: Light Showers Rain. Scattered clouds at 2500 feet, Broken clouds at 3500 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

PROB30 18:00Z - 22:00Z
MVFR
Visibility
3SM
Weather
Light Thunderstorm Rain
Clouds
BKN025CB OVC040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

There is a 30% probability of: Visibility will be good at 3SM. Weather conditions: Light Thunderstorm Rain. Broken clouds at 2500 feet, Overcast skies at 4000 feet. Marginal VFR conditions - some restrictions for visual flying.

FM052200 22:00Z - 04:00Z
VFR
Wind
50° at 11 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
BKN040
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Northeast (50°) at 11 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Broken clouds at 4000 feet. Conditions will be suitable for Visual Flight Rules (VFR) operations.

FM060300 03:00Z - 09:00Z
VFR
Wind
40° at 9 kt
Visibility
>6SM
Clouds
SCT060 BKN120
📖 Plain English Explanation:

Winds from the Northeast (40°) at 9 kt. Visibility will be excellent at more than 6SM. Scattered clouds at 6000 feet, Broken clouds at 12000 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.