WxDecoder

KMKJ METAR Mountain Empire Airport

Rural Retreat, VirginiaElevation 2,558 ftSmall airport
CURRENT STATUS
IFR14 min old
Ceiling 500 ft, visibility 10 SM.
FLIGHT CATEGORY
IFR
ceiling & visibility
WIND
Calm
no steady wind
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
500 ft
lowest BKN/OVC
DENSITY ALT
967 ft
-1,591 ft vs field
CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 0815Z (4:15 AM local) · 14 min old

KMKJ is currently IFR. Winds are calm. Visibility is 10 statute miles. The ceiling is 500 feet AGL. Main concerns: Ceiling 500 ft AGL.

WIND
Calm
No steady wind.
VISIBILITY
10 statute miles
16.1 km, good.
CEILING & SKY
Ceiling 500 ft
Lowest broken or overcast layer.
TEMP / DEWPOINT
1°C / 0°C
34°F / 32°F. 1°C spread.
ALTIMETER
30.45 inHg
1031.2 hPa, above standard.
WEATHER & HAZARDS
LOW CIG
Ceiling 500 ft AGL.

Codes in this report: AUTO BKN RMK AO2

Hover or tap any group for a plain-English explanation.

REMARKS: DECODED
AO2
automated station with a precipitation discriminator (can tell rain from snow)
T00110000
precise temperature 1.1°C, dew point 0.0°C
SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: High

›Conditions are IFR.
›Low ceiling: 500 ft AGL.
›No TAF available for this airport.

A suggested risk level for training and situational awareness only, not a go/no-go authority. Verify with official sources and apply your personal minimums.

FORECAST & PILOT NOTES · SUPPLEMENTAL

Extended forecast and pilot notes

Current aviation conditions show flight category IFR, wind calm, visibility 10 SM, ceiling 500 ft. Forecast suggests monday sunny, high near 67F, low near 38F, 0% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing.

DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
Monday Sunny 67/38 NW 4 kt – 0%
Tuesday Sunny 69/40 E 5 kt – 0%
Wednesday Partly Sunny 65/40 SE 5 kt – 0%
Thursday Mostly Sunny 70/41 0 kt – 0%
Friday Sunny 71/46 N 2 kt – 1%
Saturday Mostly Cloudy 68/48 SE 5 kt – 21%
Sunday Chance Rain Showers 64 SE 5 kt – 50%

Source: National Weather Service (office RNK). Forecast issued 0828Z.

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 · crosswind ranking
NESW0826CALMCALMCALMCALMCALM
WIND USED
Wind calm or variable
Crosswind ranking is unavailable until the wind has a steady direction.
Components are estimates from the current METAR wind and runway heading. Verify with the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.
RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

1 runway · longest 5,252 ft

08/26
Dimensions
5,252 x 75 ft
Surface
Asphalt (excellent)
Edge lights
MED
RWY 0873°T
REILYes
VGSIPAPI (P2L)
Traffic patternLeft
RWY 26253°T
ILSLOC/DME
REILYes
VGSIPAPI (P2L)
Traffic patternLeft

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

FIELD CONDITIONS

Performance & density altitude

Density altitude
967 ft
Pressure altitude
2,028 ft
Field elevation
2,558 ft MSL
Temperature
1°C (34°F)
Dewpoint
0°C (32°F)
Altimeter
30.45 inHg

Density altitude estimates how the aircraft performs versus standard atmosphere. Higher density altitude reduces climb performance and increases takeoff distance.

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset
2236Z 6:36 PM
Sunrise
1143Z 7:43 AM
Loggable night
2302Z (7:02 PM local) → 1116Z (7:16 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
2236Z (6:36 PM local) → 1143Z (7:43 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
2336Z (7:36 PM local) → 1043Z (6:43 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

Mountain Empire Airport is in Rural Retreat, Virginia. Field elevation 2,558 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPublicly owned
UseOpen to the public
TypeSmall airport
ManagerBRIAN BURKETT
Manager phone276-783-8805
AttendedALL MON-SAT, 0800–1800
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATAKMKJ
SectionalCINCINNATI
Center (ARTCC)ATLANTA
Flight service (AFSS)LEESBURG
RegionVirginia
CountryUnited States
Coordinates36.8949, -81.3499
Distance from city9 NM NE
SERVICES & LIGHTING
FuelJet A+
Control towerNon-towered
Field lightingSee remarks
BeaconSunset to sunrise · White-green (lighted land airport)
CTAF122.700
UNICOM122.700
FREQUENCIES

Communications

123.875
AWOS 3
AWOS
132.9
ATLANTA CNTR
CNTR
122.7
CTAF/UNICOM
UNIC
122.700
CTAF
CTAF
122.700
UNICOM
UNICOM

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

Current flight category at nearby reporting stations.

KBLF Mercer County Airport
25 NM N
VFR
KVJI Virginia Highlands Airport
35 NM W
VFR
KPSK New River Valley Airport
35 NM NE
LIFR
KUKF Wilkes County Airport
42 NM S
IFR
KBCB Virginia Tech Montgomery Executive Airport
49 NM NE
VFR
KBKW Raleigh County Memorial Airport
55 NM N
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›FOR CD CTC ATLANTA ARTCC AT 770-210-7692.
›AFT HRS CTC 276-685-1122.
›THIS AIRPORT HAS BEEN SURVEYED BY THE NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY.
›CALL 276-685-9314
›LCTD 9 NM NE MARION.
›8 FT BUSH 80 FT FRM THLD, 120 L OF CNTRLN ON APCH.
›17 FT ROADWAY CLNC PENETRATES APCH BY 9 FT. INTERSTATE TFC PENETRATES INTO PRI SFC.
›MIRL RWY 08/26 PRESET LOW INTST; ACTVT HIGHER INTST - CTAF.
›IN OPERATION PRIOR 1959.
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗Wikipedia
↗KMKJ on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does KMKJ have a METAR?
Yes. KMKJ has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.
Does KMKJ have a TAF?
When KMKJ issues a TAF, its decoded forecast timeline loads live on this page; otherwise use the nearest TAF-issuing field as a planning reference.
What is the field elevation at KMKJ?
KMKJ sits at 2,558 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for KMKJ?
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.