WxDecoder

IS79 Weather Jackson Seaplane Base

Crystal Lake, IllinoisElevation 890 ftSeaplane base
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE
Nearest report: KDPA · 20 NM S · 28 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 · KDPA
WIND
Calm
no steady wind
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 calm, visibility 10 SM, temperature 11C. Treat this as supplemental, not an aviation observation. Forecast suggests tonight mostly cloudy then patchy fog, low near 49F, 2% chance of precipitation. Key risks: thunderstorms in the forecast.

PILOT WEATHER NOTES
Thunderstorms in the forecastWeather.gov
Thursday: Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms. Watch for developing convection and plan alternates.
DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
Tonight Mostly Cloudy then Patchy Fog 49 W 9 kt – 2%
Monday Patchy Fog then Mostly Cloudy 61/47 NE 9 kt 17 kt 3%
Tuesday Mostly Cloudy 66/54 SE 9 kt – 10%
Wednesday Mostly Sunny 70/56 SSW 9 kt – 17%
Thursday Chance Rain Showers then Slight Chance Showers And Thunderstorms 74/54 SW 9 kt – 25% Thunderstorms in the forecast
Friday Chance Rain Showers 72/56 SSE 4 kt – 38%
Saturday Chance Rain Showers 70/55 SSE 4 kt – 52%
Sunday Chance Rain Showers 68 SW 4 kt – 35%

Source: National Weather Service (office LOT). Forecast issued 0419Z.

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
Crosswind calculator
No runway layout is available for IS79. Enter a runway number or heading to estimate wind components.
RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

1 runway · longest 6,000 ft

09W/27W
Dimensions
7,250 x 2,500 ft
Surface
Water
RWY 09W
RWY 27W

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
890 ft MSL

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

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset
2256Z 5:56 PM
Sunrise
1218Z 7:18 AM
Loggable night
2325Z (6:25 PM local) → 1150Z (6:50 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
2256Z (5:56 PM local) → 1218Z (7:18 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
2356Z (6:56 PM local) → 1118Z (6:18 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

Jackson Seaplane Base is in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Field elevation 890 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPrivately owned
UsePrivate use
TypeSeaplane base
ManagerRICHARD H. JACKSON
Manager phone815-477-7424
AttendedUNATNDD
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATAIS79
SectionalCHICAGO
Center (ARTCC)CHICAGO
Flight service (AFSS)KANKAKEE
RegionIllinois
CountryUnited States
Coordinates42.2367, -88.3523
Distance from city2 NM SW
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Control towerNon-towered
AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

IS79 traffic patterns

2026-07-23 to 2026-10-05, 3 days observed · data 2026-10-23

Low confidence
TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)
AVG LANDINGS/DAY
1
AVG OPS/DAY
1
Operations trend (1 days)

Busiest day: Thu · Busiest month: Jul

FLEET MIX
Piston single 100%

Mostly small piston aircraft.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES
›C172 (Piston single) · ~1 landings/mo
›B06 (Helicopter) · ~0 landings/mo
Data limitations (4)
›ADS-B coverage is incomplete; counts are an observed lower bound, not official totals.
›Some aircraft do not transmit usable ADS-B and are not counted.
›Aircraft types and based estimates are inferred and may be wrong.
›This is not official ATC, FAA, or airport data.
NEARBY AIRPORTS

Weather reference stations

IS79 has no on-field report. Nearest reporting station: KDPA (20 NM S, VFR).

KDPA Dupage Airport
20 NM S
VFR
KUGN Waukegan National Airport
24 NM NE
VFR
KORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport
25 NM SE
VFR
KARR Aurora Municipal Airport
28 NM S
VFR
KENW Kenosha Regional Airport
29 NM NE
VFR
KRFD Chicago Rockford International Airport
33 NM W
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›DUE TO HEAVY BOAT TRAFFIC & DENSELY POPULATED AREA AROUND THE LAKE.
›EMAIL ADDRESS: RJLAWONTHELAKE@GMAIL.COM OR RICHJAXN@YAHOO.COM (ALL LOWER CASES)
›FOR CD CTC CHICAGO APCH AT 847-289-0926.
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗IS79 on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does IS79 have a METAR?
No on-field METAR is issued for IS79. This page uses the nearest reporting station as a reference.
Does IS79 have a TAF?
No TAF is issued directly for IS79. Use the nearest TAF-issuing field as a planning reference.
What is the field elevation at IS79?
IS79 sits at 890 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for IS79?
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.