KRCA/RCA METAR & TAF Ellsworth Air Force Base

Rapid City, South DakotaElevation 3,276 ftMedium airport

CURRENT STATUS

IFR31 min old

Ceiling 500 ft, visibility 3 SM.

FLIGHT CATEGORY

IFR

ceiling & visibility

WIND

170@11

steady

VISIBILITY

3 SM

4.8 km

CEILING

500 ft

lowest BKN/OVC

DENSITY ALT

2,175 ft

-1,101 ft vs field

ACTIVE NWS ALERTS

Active weather alerts

Special Weather StatementModerate · Expected · Observed

27 0425Z to 27 1200Z

Harding; Northern Perkins; Butte; Northern Meade Co Plains; Ziebach; Northern Foothills; Rapid City; Southern Foothills; Central Black Hills; Southern Black Hills; Custer Co Plains; Pennington Co Plains; Haakon; Western Fall River; Northern Oglala Lakota; Northern Jackson; Bennett; Mellette; Todd; Tripp; Sturgis/Piedmont Foothills; Southern Meade Co Plains; Hermosa Foothills; Eastern Fall River; Southern Oglala Lakota; Southern Jackson; Southern Perkins; Northern Campbell; Southern Campbell; Western Crook; Weston County Plains; Newcastle; Northeastern Crook

Areas of fog will continue overnight over most of northeastern Wyoming and western South Dakota. Patchy dense fog will occur through sunrise. With temperatures near freezing, elevated surfaces such as overpasses and bridges may become slick. Motorists should expect rapidly changing visibility, down to near zero at times. Remember to use your low beam headlights in fog, slow down, and provide ple…

Alerts from the National Weather Service. For situational awareness only; always confirm against an official briefing.

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 0623Z (12:23 AM local) · 31 min old

KRCA is currently IFR. Winds are from the south at 11 knots. Visibility is 3 statute miles. The ceiling is 500 feet AGL. Main concerns: Ceiling 500 ft AGL.

WIND

170° at 11 kt

Steady.

VISIBILITY

3 statute miles

4.8 km, reduced (MVFR).

CEILING & SKY

Ceiling 500 ft

Lowest broken or overcast layer.

TEMP / DEWPOINT

0°C / -1°C

32°F / 30°F. 1°C spread.

ALTIMETER

30.01 inHg

1016.3 hPa, near standard.

WEATHER & HAZARDS

LOW CIG, LOW VIS

Ceiling 500 ft AGL.

Codes in this report: BKN RMK CIG

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

REMARKS: DECODED

AO2A

automated station with observer augmentation

FZDZE0555FZDZB21E22

unrecognized remark group

CIG

unrecognized remark group

001

unrecognized remark group

RWY31

unrecognized remark group

SLP192

sea-level pressure 1019.2 hPa

TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 0340Z (9:40 PM local) · valid to 0900Z (3:00 AM local)

KRCA forecast starts LIFR at 03Z. Worst period is 03Z to 05Z with LIFR possible (LOW CIG, LOW VIS, FZ). Best period is 16Z to 18Z (VFR). Overall the forecast improves over the period.

Maximum temperature 19°C expected at 2200Z on day 27.
Minimum temperature 0°C expected at 0400Z on day 27.

BKN002200 ft · 1.5 SM

BKN004400 ft · 3 SM

VFR

0300Z9:00 PM0900Z3:00 AM1500Z9:00 AM2100Z3:00 PM0300Z9:00 PM0900Z3:00 AM

Codes in this report: BR BKN OVC TEMPO BECMG 9999 NSW SCT SKC

Tap any group to decode it.

FAA: no delays reported at RCA.

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

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Severe

›Conditions are IFR.

›Low ceiling: 500 ft AGL.

›Temporarily forecast: light freezing drizzle (-FZDZ).

›Forecast: ceiling 200 ft AGL.

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 from 170° at 11 kt, visibility 3 SM, ceiling 500 ft. Forecast suggests tuesday patchy fog then mostly sunny, high near 67F, low near 36F, 10% chance of precipitation. Key risks: strong winds in the forecast.

PILOT WEATHER NOTES

Strong winds in the forecastWeather.gov

Tuesday: winds up to 26 kt. Re-check crosswind components closer to departure.

Day	Conditions	Temp F	Wind	Gusts	Precip	Pilot note
Tuesday	Patchy Fog then Mostly Sunny	67/36	W 15 kt	26 kt	10%	Strong winds in the forecast
Wednesday	Mostly Sunny	64/34	N 11 kt	22 kt	3%
Thursday	Sunny	66/37	SE 6 kt	16 kt	0%
Friday	Partly Sunny	60/42	SE 9 kt	–	23%
Saturday	Partly Sunny	65/40	W 7 kt	–	19%
Sunday	Light Rain Likely	62/39	SE 10 kt	–	69%
Monday	Rain Likely	55	NW 27 kt	–	63%

Source: National Weather Service (office UNR). Forecast issued 0653Z.

Radar

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

RUNWAYS & WIND

1 runway · 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

170° at 11 kt

Components computed from the current on-field METAR wind.

RECOMMENDED

RWY 139 kt headwind · 6 kt crosswind

RUNWAYS BY WIND · best end

13

HEAD

9 kt

CROSS

6 kt R

BEST

31

HEAD

9 kt tail

CROSS

6 kt L

OK

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 13,497 ft

13/31

Dimensions

13,497 x 300 ft

Surface

Concrete

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 13138°T

ILSILS

Approach lightsALSF1

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 31318°T

ILSILS

Approach lightsALSF1

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

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

2,175 ft

Pressure altitude

3,186 ft

Field elevation

3,276 ft MSL

Temperature

0°C (32°F)

Dewpoint

-1°C (30°F)

Altimeter

30.01 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

2351Z 5:51 PM

Sunrise

1322Z 7:22 AM

Loggable night

0020Z (6:20 PM local) → 1252Z (6:52 AM local)

end of evening to start of morning civil twilight

Position lights required

2351Z (5:51 PM local) → 1322Z (7:22 AM local)

sunset to sunrise (91.209)

Night passenger currency

0051Z (6:51 PM local) → 1222Z (6:22 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

Ellsworth Air Force Base is in Rapid City, South Dakota. Field elevation 3,276 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT

OwnershipAir Force owned

UsePrivate use

TypeMedium airport

ManagerBASE OPERATIONS

Manager phone605-385-1052

AttendedALL MON-THU, 1400–0730Z++

CHARTS & AIRSPACE

ICAO / IATAKRCA / RCA

SectionalCHEYENNE

Center (ARTCC)DENVER

Flight service (AFSS)HURON

RegionSouth Dakota

CountryUnited States

Coordinates44.1450, -103.1040

Distance from city5 NM SW

SERVICES & LIGHTING

Control towerTowered

Field lightingSee remarks

BeaconSunset to sunrise · Split white-green (military)

Traffic pattern alt4,500 ft MSL

FREQUENCIES

Communications

119.5

APP/DEP

A/D

120.625

ATIS

121.8

GND

37.577

PMSV METRO

PMSV

32.1

COMD POST

POST

37.22

PTD

126.05

TWR

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

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

KRCA traffic patterns

2026-06-12 to 2026-09-10, 17 days observed · data 2026-10-25

Insufficient confidence

TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)

AVG LANDINGS/DAY

2

AVG OPS/DAY

4

Operations trend (1 days)

Busiest day: Tue · Busiest month: Jul

FLEET MIX

Unknown 51%Airliner 49%

Fleet composition unclear from available data.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES

›R135 (Airliner) · ~4 landings/mo

›P8 (Unknown) · ~3 landings/mo

›V22 (Unknown) · ~3 landings/mo

›B744 (Airliner) · ~2 landings/mo

›C17 (Airliner) · ~2 landings/mo

LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT

Low-confidence estimate

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

›R135 (Airliner)

›V22 (Unknown)

›P8 (Unknown)

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.

KRAP Rapid City Regional Airport

6 NM S

LIFR

KSPF Black Hills Airport-Clyde Ice Field

KIEN Pine Ridge Airport

72 NM S

IFR

KCDR Chadron Municipal Airport

78 NM S

IFR

AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›FM OBS POINT WX TECHNICIANS UNABLE TO SEE THE TDZ OF BOTH RYS.

›JASU: (AM32A-95) (A/M32A-86)

›BASE OPS V675-1052/2861.

›CLSD WKND, HOLS AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD (GSC) DOWN DAYS.

›AIRFIELD LIGHTING ONLY AVAILABLE DURING TWR HOURS.

›TPA: RECTANGULAR 4500 FT MSL, 5000 FT MSL OVHD, AVOID OVFT OF BASE PROPER WHEN CRC TO LDG.

›OIL: O-132-133-148

›MISC: INBD VIP CODE 7 OR HI, CTC RAYMOND 33 15 MIN PRIOR TO BLOCK TIME WITH NAME, RANK AND PURPOSE OF VISIT.

›SERVICE - TRAN ALERT- SVC AVBL 1400-2300Z++ MON-FRI; CLSD SAT, SUN, HOL, AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS. FLEET SVC AVBL 1400-2300Z++ MON-FRI; CLSD SAT, SUN, HOL, AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS

›RSTD: ALL ACFT MAINT AT OR ABV 7700 FT & 2640 FT HORIZONTAL SEPARATION IN THE IMMED VCNTY OF MT. RUSHMORE; AVOID DEVILS TWR BY 5 NM. PPR ALL FULL STOP ACFT CTC BASE OPS NO EARLIER THAN 72 HR PRIOR TO ETA. FAX DSN 675-1053, C605-385-1053.

›RSTD: PPR MIN 24 HR NTC, CTC DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.

›GLOBAL STRIKE COMD RSRS APPLIED TO GLOBAL STRIKE COMD ONLY

›EXTV GENERAL AVN AND COML TFC IN VCNTY OF RAPID CITY ARPT 6.5 NM SE OF ARPT.

›CSTMS/AG/IMG: LTD TO US DOD ACFT ONLY; AVBL WITH 24 HR NOTICE. IMG SERVICE UNAVBL FOR NON-DOD PERS. CTC 28 OSS/OSAA, DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.

›RSTD: AIRCREW SHOULD AVOID BEAR BUTTE, DEFINED BY THE RCA 317/25 FIX, BY FLYING NO LOWER THAN 10,000 FT MSL WITHIN 2NM.

›FUEL: A++. HOT REFUEL AVBL TO B-1 AND EA-18 ACFT ONLY.

›CAUTION: MIGRATORY BIRD ACT BASH (PHASE II) MAY AND AUG-OCT OR ACTIVE VIA NOTAM. DEER HAZ, RPT ANY ACT TO TWR/PTD.

›COMSEC ISSUING AND CLASSIFIED MATERIAL STORAGE UNAVBL FROM AMOPS, CTC COMD POST FOR STORAGE.

›MISC: TRAN ACFT REQ FOR APCH AND PATTERN WORK, RQR 24 HR NTC, CTC OPS DSN 675-1052, C605-385-1052.

›OPR 1400-0730Z++ MON-THUR; 1400-0100Z++ FRI. CLSD WKENDS, HOL AND GLOBAL STRIKE COMD DOWN DAYS.

›PRIM FREQ 311.0.

›MISC: WX STN AUGMENTS FOR VIS AT OR BELOW 3 SM WHEN NEEDEDED. VIS LTD NE TO SE DUE TO BLDGS.

›"VERIFY POWDER RIVER TRAINING COMPLEX STATUS BEFORE FILING IFR FPL" VIA SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE SITE: HTTPS://SUA.FAA.GOV/SUA/"

›WHEN ATCT CLSD, FOR CD CTC DENVER ARTCC AT 303-651-4257.

›LGT: RWY 31 NSTD ALSF-1, MISSING FIRST CNTRLN BARRETTE PRIOR TO THLD.

›MISC: ARFF CRITICAL LVL OF SVC (RED) FOR NFPA CAT 9-10 AND USAF VEH SETS 5-6. REDUCED LEVEL OF SVC (YELLOW) FOR NFPA CAT 1-8 AND USAF VEH SETS 1-4. ONLY APPLICABLE WKD EXCLD FEDERAL HOL AND USAF GLOBAL STRIKE FAMILY DAYS. CTC FD C605-385-1113 FOR FURTHER INFO.

›CAUTION: HI POTENTIAL FOR MID-AIR COLLISION EXISTS WITH ACFT FR RAPID CITY ARPT LCTD APRX 6.5 NM SE OF ARPT.

OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES

↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov

↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)

↗Official airport website

↗Wikipedia

↗KRCA on OurAirports

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Does KRCA have a METAR?

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

Does KRCA have a TAF?

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

What is the field elevation at KRCA?

KRCA sits at 3,276 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.

Is this an official preflight weather briefing for KRCA?

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.