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2 Answers

What is the first line of a TAF mean?

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General Aviation

I am slightly confused what the first line of a TAF means. I can easily read TAFs, but nobody seems to explain this (books included).

Example: 

KJFK 171738Z 1718/1824 22006KT P6SM FEW050
  FM171900 18008KT P6SM FEW050 FEW250
  FM180200 21005KT P6SM FEW070 FEW250
  FM180600 28004KT P6SM FEW070 SCT250
  FM181200 35007KT P6SM FEW050 SCT250
  FM181900 31007KT P6SM FEW050 SCT250

So it reads, at KJFK, TAF issued on the 17th at 1738z, from the 17th at 18z to the 18th at 24z... Is the bolded portion a summary (or average) of all of the following weather reports? Or is it the current conditions when the TAF was issued? 

 

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2 Answers



  1. sadkjfasla fasdjflaskd on Sep 17, 2014

    That is the forecast conditions at the valid time of the forecast. It’s synonymous to:

    FM171800 22006KT P6SM FEW050

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  2. Russ Roslewski on Sep 18, 2014

    I think of it as “this is the forecast for the next 24 (or 36) hours, unless otherwise indicated below”.

    Sometimes you’ll see a one-line TAF if the weather is very stable. So,

    KJFK 171738Z 1718/1824 22006KT P6SM FEW050

    could be the whole TAF. What follows are, essentially, exceptions to that forecast. In your example, this will be the weather until it is modified by the next line:

    FM171900 18008KT P6SM FEW050 FEW250

    So the first line forecast is only good for an hour, from 1800-1900. THen at 1900 the weather changes (slightly), and on for the other TAF lines.

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