KPMD/PMD METAR & TAF Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport

Palmdale, CaliforniaElevation 2,543 ftMedium airport

CURRENT STATUS

VFR20 min old

No ceiling, visibility 10 SM.

FLIGHT CATEGORY

VFR

ceiling & visibility

WIND

230@9

steady

VISIBILITY

10 SM

16.1 km

CEILING

None

no BKN/OVC layer

DENSITY ALT

3,823 ft

+1,280 ft vs field

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 0053Z (5:53 PM local) · 20 min old

KPMD is currently VFR. Winds are from the southwest at 9 knots. Visibility is 10 statute miles. There is no ceiling.

WIND

230° at 9 kt

Steady.

VISIBILITY

10 statute miles

16.1 km, good.

CEILING & SKY

CLR

FEW and SCT layers are not ceilings.

TEMP / DEWPOINT

22°C / 4°C

72°F / 39°F. 18°C spread.

ALTIMETER

30.07 inHg

1018.3 hPa, above standard.

WEATHER & HAZARDS

No significant hazards

No precipitation or obscuration reported.

Codes in this report: CLR 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)

SLP172

sea-level pressure 1017.2 hPa

T02170039

precise temperature 21.7°C, dew point 3.9°C

$

station needs maintenance

TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 2331Z (4:31 PM local) · valid to 0000Z (5:00 PM local)

KPMD forecast starts VFR at 00Z. Conditions are roughly steady over the period.

VFR

0000Z5:00 PM0448Z9:48 PM0936Z2:36 AM1424Z7:24 AM1912Z12:12 PM0000Z5:00 PM

Codes in this report: P6SM SKC

Tap any group to decode it.

FAA: no delays reported at PMD.

Source: FAA System Operations (ASWS). Operational status only; verify with official FAA sources and NOTAMs.

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Low

›No significant weather concerns in the current report.

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 VFR, wind from 230° at 9 kt, visibility 10 SM, ceiling none. Forecast suggests tonight mostly clear, low near 46F, 0% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing.

Day	Conditions	Temp F	Wind	Gusts	Precip
Tonight	Mostly Clear	46	WSW 9 kt	–	0%
Monday	Sunny	77/45	WSW 13 kt	22 kt	0%
Tuesday	Sunny	75/45	WSW 13 kt	22 kt	0%
Wednesday	Mostly Sunny	74/46	WSW 9 kt	–	1%
Thursday	Partly Sunny	69/46	WSW 9 kt	–	5%
Friday	Mostly Sunny	66/44	SW 13 kt	–	9%
Saturday	Mostly Sunny then Slight Chance Rain Showers	62/43	WSW 9 kt	–	29%
Sunday	Chance Rain Showers	59	SW 9 kt	–	37%

Source: National Weather Service (office LOX). Forecast issued 0113Z.

Radar

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

RUNWAYS & WIND

2 runways · crosswind ranking

ON-FIELD METAR

READING THE BARB · SWIPE FOR MORE →

Calm

5 kt

10 kt

15 kt

20 kt

25 kt

30 kt

35 kt

40 kt

45 kt

50 kt

65 kt

75 kt

100 kt

105 kt

Half feather = 5 kt, full = 10 kt, filled pennant = 50 kt; add them up. The staff points the direction the wind blows from.

WIND USED

230° at 9 kt

Components computed from the current on-field METAR wind.

RECOMMENDED

RWY 229 kt headwind · no crosswind

RUNWAYS BY WIND · best end

22

HEAD

9 kt

CROSS

calm

BEST

25

HEAD

7 kt

CROSS

5 kt L

OK

07

HEAD

7 kt tail

CROSS

5 kt R

OK

04

HEAD

9 kt tail

CROSS

calm

OK

Components are estimates from the current METAR wind and runway heading. Verify with the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs.

RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

3 runways · longest 12,002 ft

04/22

Dimensions

12,001 x 150 ft

Surface

Concrete (good)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 0452°T

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternRight

RWY 22232°T

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

07/25

Dimensions

12,002 x 200 ft

Surface

Concrete (good)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 0786°T

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 25266°T

ILSILS

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternRight

072/252

Dimensions

6,000 x 75 ft

Surface

Concrete (excellent)

RWY 072

RWY 252

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

3,823 ft

Pressure altitude

2,393 ft

Field elevation

2,543 ft MSL

Temperature

22°C (72°F)

Dewpoint

4°C (39°F)

Altimeter

30.07 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

0106Z 6:06 PM

Sunrise

1407Z 7:07 AM

Loggable night

0131Z (6:31 PM local) → 1341Z (6:41 AM local)

end of evening to start of morning civil twilight

Position lights required

0106Z (6:06 PM local) → 1407Z (7:07 AM local)

sunset to sunrise (91.209)

Night passenger currency

0206Z (7:06 PM local) → 1307Z (6:07 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

Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport is in Palmdale, California. Field elevation 2,543 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT

OwnershipAir Force owned

UseOpen to the public

TypeMedium airport

ManagerMATT FISHER

Manager phone661-275-9342

AttendedDaily, 1330–0600Z++

CHARTS & AIRSPACE

ICAO / IATAKPMD / PMD

SectionalLOS ANGELES

Center (ARTCC)LOS ANGELES

Flight service (AFSS)RIVERSIDE

RegionCalifornia

CountryUnited States

Coordinates34.6294, -118.0850

Distance from city3 NM NE

SERVICES & LIGHTING

Control towerTowered

Field lightingSee remarks

BeaconSunset to sunrise · White-green (lighted land airport)

CTAF123.700

FREQUENCIES

Communications

124.55

JOSHUA APP/DEP

A/D

118.275

ASOS

123.7

CTAF

121.9

GND

123.7

TWR

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

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

KPMD traffic patterns

2026-06-12 to 2026-10-23, 53 days observed · data 2026-10-23

High confidence

TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)

AVG LANDINGS/DAY

12.5

AVG OPS/DAY

22

Operations trend (16 days)

Busiest day: Tue · Busiest month: Aug

FLEET MIX

Turboprop 34%Airliner 28%Unknown 18%Jet 15%Twin 2%Piston single 2%Helicopter 1%

Mostly turboprop aircraft.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES

›BE20 (Turboprop) · ~30 landings/mo

›B350 (Turboprop) · ~28 landings/mo

›C17 (Airliner) · ~19 landings/mo

›LJ25 (Unknown) · ~17 landings/mo

›B762 (Airliner) · ~13 landings/mo

LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT

Low-confidence estimate

Aircraft likely based near this airport (estimate), mostly turboprop aircraft.

›BE20 (Turboprop)

›C30J (Airliner)

›B762 (Airliner)

›T38 (Unknown)

›B350 (Turboprop)

This is an estimate based on repeated flight patterns, not registration data. Do not rely on it to identify specific aircraft or owners.

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

Current flight category at nearby reporting stations.

KWJF General William J Fox Airfield

9 NM NW

VFR

KEDW Edwards Air Force Base

20 NM NE

VFR

KMHV Mojave Air & Space Port

26 NM N

VFR

KWHP Whiteman Airport

28 NM SW

VFR

KBUR Hollywood Burbank/Bob Hope Airport

29 NM SW

VFR

KVNY Van Nuys Airport

32 NM SW

VFR

AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›UNUSBL BYD 5.0 NM DUE TO TRRN.

›23000' FM THR.

›PAPI RWY 04, 07, 22, & 25 OPR CONSLY.

›ESTABD PRIOR TO 5/15/59.

›TPA OHD 1957 FT. RECTANGULAR 1457 FT. EXP RIGHT TFC RWY 04, 25.

›CHIEF OF USAF AIRFIELD OPERATIONS.

›PRIMLY TRMG 747-707-727.

›KEN NEITZEL, FLIGHT DIRECTOR, PHONE 661-275-9341.

›THIS AIRPORT HAS BEEN SURVEYED BY THE NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY.

›MISC: INDUS INSTLN - NO TRNSPN, LODGING OR NML SVC AVBL ON SITE.

›UNLGT OBSTN SURROUND AFLD.

›DRAINAGE DITCHES PARL RWY 22 FM TWY S TO TWY U.

›BIRD HAZ POTENTIAL EXISTS. MIGRATORY SEASON PHASE II 1 OCT - 31 MAR. DURG BWC MODERATE, TKOF AND LNDG PERMITTED. DURG BWC SEVERE, TKOF AND LNDG PROHIBITED.

›MILITARY USE: ASSAULT LDG ZONE LCTD 1ST 6,000 EAST END OF TWY B. RWY 252 MRK ONLY FOR C-130 ASSAULT OPR; ONE-WAY LDG ONLY.

›MISC: WINDS ARE EST DUE TO FMQ-13 WIND SENSORS BEING ACCURATE TO WITHIN ONLY +/- 2 KT. ATC/WX WILL NOT INCL/RELAY WIND CORR INTO FCST/PHRASEOLOGY. THEREFORE, AIRCREWS WILL INCORPORATE A +/- 2 KT ACCURACY INTO THEIR DECISION MAKING PROCESS FOR FLYING OPR.

›TRAN ALERT (1 OF 2): NO FLEET SVC AVBL. NO FLW ME SVC AVBL. EXP PROGRESSIVE TAXI TO PRK. AIRCREW RESPONSIBLE FOR ACFT PINNING/SAFING.

›MISC: COMSEC STORAGE UNAVBL.

›PRKG RAMP LCTD S OF RWY 22 & TWY V NOT VSB FM ATCT.

›CAUTION: USE EXTREME CAUTION FOR UNMANNED AERIAL SYSTEMS (UAS) OPS IN VCNTY.

›FUEL: A++ AVBL. NO TRANS ACFT FUEL SVC AVBL. LTD FUELING AVBL; GOVT ACFT ONLY 1600-2300Z++ MON-FRI. 24 HR PN WITH AFLD MGR RQR; NO SAME DAY REQ; GAS AND GO UNAVBL. EXPECT 2+ HR DELAY FOR FUEL.

›RSTD - OFFL BUS ONLY. MIL ARPT. CIVIL USE RQR USAF APVL AND DD FORM 2400/01/02. PPR RQR FOR FULL STOP LDG ONLY. CALL C661-275-9342.

›TRAN ALERT (2 OF 2): UNABLE TO SVC ACFT WITH ORDNANCE. LTD GRD SUPPORT EQUIPMENT AVBL. NO POTABLE WATER SVC. NO TRAN MAINT AVBL. GND SVC UNAVBL WHEN LIGHTNING WITHIN 5 NM.

›MISC: FLT PLANS MUST BE FILED AND ACTIVATED WITH P42 AFLD MGMT. USE FLT SVC WHEN P42 AFLD MGMT CLSD.

›CAUTION: VARIOUS ACFT TEST OPS MARKINGS PAINTED IN WHITE ON TAXIWAY UNIFORM.

›CAUTION: RWY 25 NSTD MRK: SPOT LDG ZONE MRK LCTD AT 6000 FT REMAINING MRK. RWY 07-25 DECEPTIVE SFC MRK EXCEED STANDARD BY APPROX 50 FT.

›RSTD: OVERNIGHT PRK UNAUTHD ON C-RAMP.

›RSTD: TWY L BTN RWY 04/22 AND PAX TRML UNLGTD AND USABLE FOR DAYLT VFR ONLY.

›ALL DEPT ACFT MUST FILE FPL WITH P42 AFLD MGMT OPS.

›SERVICE-JASU: POWER CARS UNAVBL.

›MISC: BASE OPS OPR 1330-0600Z++, CLSD FEDERAL HOL.

›CAUTION: CONTRACTOR LEASED SITES ARE INTENDED FOR ACFT BASED THEREIN; ENTRY GATES AND APRONS MAY NOT MEET AF OBST STDS.

›CAUTION: CIV ACFT MAY NOT BE GRANTED ACCESS TO KPMD CLASS D FOR PRACTICE APCH OR TRSN OVER ARPT BDRYS.

›CIVILIAN AIRPORT CONTACT AT 39516 NORTH 25TH STREET E, PALMDALE, CA 93550, CURRENTLY CLOSED.

›CLSD FED HOL.

›OTHER TIMES CLSD TO ALL TFC WITHOUT WRITTEN APVL.

›OFFICAL BUSINESS ONLY. MILITARY ARPT. CIVIL USE REQUIRES USAF APPROVAL AND DD FORM 2400/01/02.

›RY USED AS A MILITARY ASSAULT STRIP.

›1000 FT ASPH OVRN EACH END; OVRN POOR COND EMERG USE ONLY.

›UNUSBL BYD 5.0 NM.

OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES

↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov

↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)

↗Wikipedia

↗KPMD on OurAirports

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Does KPMD have a METAR?

Yes. KPMD has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.

Does KPMD have a TAF?

Yes, a TAF is issued for KPMD; the decoded forecast timeline is shown above.

What is the field elevation at KPMD?

KPMD sits at 2,543 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.

Is this an official preflight weather briefing for KPMD?

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.