WxDecoder

53U Weather Ferndale Airfield

Bigfork, MontanaElevation 3,060 ftSmall airport
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE
Nearest report: KGPI · 18 NM NW · 53 min old
No ceiling, visibility 10 SM.
No on-field report, so no field flight category. Conditions at the field may differ.
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE · KGPI
WIND
020@13
steady
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
None
no BKN/OVC layer
FORECAST & PILOT NOTES · SUPPLEMENTAL

Extended forecast and pilot notes

No aviation METAR is published for this airport. The nearest National Weather Service station reports wind from 20° at 10 kt, visibility 10 SM, temperature 7C. Treat this as supplemental, not an aviation observation. Forecast suggests tonight mostly cloudy, low near 26F, 0% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing.

DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
Tonight Mostly Cloudy 26 ESE 3 kt – 0%
Monday Mostly Cloudy 52/31 SSW 1 kt – 87%
Tuesday Rain And Snow 45/30 SSW 5 kt – 95%
Wednesday Rain And Snow 47/26 S 4 kt – 76%
Thursday Chance Light Snow 46/23 NE 2 kt – 41%
Friday Slight Chance Light Snow then Partly Sunny 45/23 NNE 1 kt – 20%
Saturday Partly Sunny 47/24 0 kt – 14%
Sunday Chance Rain And Snow 49 SSE 1 kt – 26%

Source: National Weather Service (office MSO). Forecast issued 0048Z.

Radar

Radar data: NOAA/NWS MRMS composite reflectivity. For situational awareness only, not a substitute for an official weather briefing.

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RUNWAYS & WIND
1 runway
NESW1533
WIND
No on-field weather data
No reporting weather station on the field, so wind components cannot be computed. See nearby stations below.
RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

1 runway · longest 3,500 ft

15/33
Dimensions
3,500 x 95 ft
Surface
Turf (good)
RWY 15171°T
Traffic patternLeft
RWY 33351°T
Traffic patternLeft

Runway data from the FAA NASR dataset (effective 2026-06-11). Verify with the current Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.

FIELD CONDITIONS

Field elevation

Field elevation
3,060 ft MSL

Density and pressure altitude need a current temperature and altimeter from the METAR.

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset
0029Z 6:29 PM
Sunrise
1411Z 8:11 AM
Loggable night
0101Z (7:01 PM local) → 1339Z (7:39 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
0029Z (6:29 PM local) → 1411Z (8:11 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
0129Z (7:29 PM local) → 1311Z (7:11 AM local)
1 hr after sunset to 1 hr before sunrise (61.57(b))

FAA definitions, shown in Zulu with airport-local time. Verify for your operation.

AIRPORT INFORMATION

Facility & services

Ferndale Airfield is in Bigfork, Montana. Field elevation 3,060 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPublicly owned
UseOpen to the public
TypeSmall airport
ManagerROB RATKOWSKI
Manager phone406-257-5994
AttendedUNATNDD
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATA53U
SectionalGREAT FALLS
Center (ARTCC)SALT LAKE CITY
Flight service (AFSS)GREAT FALLS
RegionMontana
CountryUnited States
Coordinates48.0610, -114.0014
Distance from city3 NM NE
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Control towerNon-towered
CTAF122.900
FREQUENCIES

Communications

122.900
CTAF
CTAF

Not all tower/ground/approach frequencies are in our datasets. Verify with the FAA Chart Supplement.

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

Traffic patterns

Aircraft activity data is not available for this airport yet.

NEARBY AIRPORTS

Weather reference stations

53U has no on-field report. Nearest reporting station: KGPI (18 NM NW, VFR).

KGPI Glacier Park International Airport
18 NM NW
VFR
KMSO Missoula Montana Airport
69 NM S
VFR
KCTB Cut Bank International Airport
73 NM NE
VFR
CZPC Pincher Creek Airport
88 NM N
VFR
KSBX Shelby Airport
90 NM E
VFR
CYQL Lethbridge County Airport
105 NM NE
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›CALL FOR RPRS: 406-253-5688
›PROVIDED COMPATIBLE INGRESS/EGRESS ARE ESTABLISHED IN ORDER TO AVOID CONGESTED AREAS AND ASSUME SAFETY TO PERSONS AND PROPERTY ON THE SURFACE.
›DEP PROC STRAIGHT OUT THRU TPA OF 4072 FT MSL (1000 FT AGL).
›RWY 33 +50 FT TREE ON CNTRLN 500 FT FM END OF RWY AT 10:1.
›FREE BICYCLES FOR ARPT USE LCTD IN STORAGE SHED. TO ACCESS USE EMERG FREQ ON LOCK.
›TREES IN TRANSITION SFC BOTH SIDES OF RY FULL LENGTH.
›RWY 15 +100 FT TREES 1570 FT FM END OF RWY ON CNTRLN; RWY 33 +80 FT TREES 1500 FT FM END OF RWY; RWY 15 +15 FT ROAD 250 FT FM END OF RWY ON CNTRLN.
›15/33 NSTD MARKINGS - WHITE CONES MARK FULL RY LENGTH. RED TRAFFIC CONES MARK EACH RY THRESHOLD WITH 100 FOOT DISPLACED THRESHOLD
›SNOW REMOVAL MAY BE DELAYED CALL FOR CONDITIONS 406-257-5994.
›FOR CD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗Wikipedia
↗53U on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does 53U have a METAR?
No on-field METAR is issued for 53U. This page uses the nearest reporting station as a reference.
Does 53U have a TAF?
No TAF is issued directly for 53U. Use the nearest TAF-issuing field as a planning reference.
What is the field elevation at 53U?
53U sits at 3,060 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for 53U?
No. wxdecoder.com is for education and situational awareness only. It is not an official weather briefing or a substitute for official sources, NOTAM review, and pilot judgment.
This app is for aviation weather education, training, and situational awareness only. It is not a substitute for an official weather briefing, approved flight-planning software, flight service, dispatch procedures, current FAA regulations, or pilot judgment. Always verify weather with official sources before flight.