Terminal Area Forecast (TAF)

Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) is a weather forecast for a specific airport and its surrounding area, typically a 24 to 30-hour period, used to guide flight operations. It's a critical tool for pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight planners to make informed decisions about flight safety, scheduling, and planning. The FAA, in conjunction with the National Weather Service, produces TAFs for airports, with forecasts provided at specific times (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z).

Key Points about the TAF

Purpose: Provides detailed weather information for a specific airport, including wind, visibility, cloud cover, precipitation, and other significant weather phenomena.

Scope: Covers the terminal area (within a few nautical miles of the airport's runway complex) and may extend to the airport's vicinity.

Usage: Used by pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight planners for flight planning, scheduling, and safety decision-making.

Issuance: TAFs are issued by meteorological authorities and are updated periodically.

Content: Includes wind speed and direction, cloud coverage, ceiling height, visibility, and precipitation type.

Variations: There are different types of TAFs, such as routine forecasts and amended forecasts.

International Standards: TAFs are issued in a standardized code format, making them understandable globally.

Historical Context: TAFs have a long history within aviation, evolving alongside aviation technology and weather forecasting capabilities.

TAF-M (TAF Modernization): The FAA has a modernized TAF system (TAF-M) that utilizes advanced modeling and data processing to improve the accuracy and efficiency of TAF forecasts.

TAF-L (TAF Legacy): TAF-L refers to the older, more traditional TAF systems that are still in use at some airports.