WxDecoder

KS52 METAR Methow Valley State Airport

Winthrop, WashingtonElevation 1,706 ftSmall airport
CURRENT STATUS
VFR11 min old
No ceiling, visibility 10 SM.
FLIGHT CATEGORY
VFR
ceiling & visibility
WIND
Calm
no steady wind
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
None
no BKN/OVC layer
DENSITY ALT
749 ft
-957 ft vs field
CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 0335Z (8:35 PM local) · 11 min old

KS52 is currently VFR. Winds are calm. Visibility is 10 statute miles. There is no ceiling.

WIND
Calm
No steady wind.
VISIBILITY
10 statute miles
16.1 km, good.
CEILING & SKY
CLR
FEW and SCT layers are not ceilings.
TEMP / DEWPOINT
5°C / 4°C
41°F / 39°F. 1°C spread.
ALTIMETER
30.09 inHg
1019 hPa, above standard.
WEATHER & HAZARDS
No significant hazards
No precipitation or obscuration reported.

Codes in this report: AUTO 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)
T00470039
precise temperature 4.7°C, dew point 3.9°C
SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Low

›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 VFR, wind calm, visibility 10 SM, ceiling none. Forecast suggests tonight light rain likely, low near 32F, 67% chance of precipitation. Key risks: no significant hazards are highlighted right now, but always confirm against an official briefing. Note: the NWS forecast for now reads "Slight Chance Light Rain" but the current METAR shows none of it; the observation and forecast differ, so trust the METAR for current conditions.

DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
Tonight Light Rain Likely 32 N 3 kt – 67%
Monday Light Rain Likely 55/35 NW 2 kt – 71%
Tuesday Partly Sunny then Slight Chance Light Rain 58/35 SW 4 kt – 61%
Wednesday Rain And Snow Likely 50/25 SE 3 kt – 78%
Thursday Light Snow then Rain And Snow 47/24 NE 1 kt – 78%
Friday Slight Chance Light Snow 48/21 NE 1 kt – 23%
Saturday Mostly Sunny 51/22 E 1 kt – 8%
Sunday Mostly Sunny 51 NW 1 kt – 8%

Note: the NWS forecast for now reads "Slight Chance Light Rain" but the current METAR shows none of it; the observation and forecast differ, so trust the METAR for current conditions.

Source: National Weather Service (office OTX). Forecast issued 0345Z.

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
NESW1331CALMCALMCALMCALMCALM
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 5,049 ft

13/31
Dimensions
5,049 x 75 ft
Surface
Asphalt (excellent)
Edge lights
MED
RWY 13
Landing length (LDA)4,619 ft
TORA / TODA / ASDA5,049 / 5,049 / 4,749 ft
Displaced threshold129 ft
VGSIPAPI (P2L)
Traffic patternLeft
RWY 31
Landing length (LDA)4,619 ft
TORA / TODA / ASDA5,049 / 5,049 / 4,919 ft
Displaced threshold231 ft
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
749 ft
Pressure altitude
1,536 ft
Field elevation
1,706 ft MSL
Temperature
5°C (41°F)
Dewpoint
4°C (39°F)
Altimeter
30.09 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
0053Z 5:53 PM
Sunrise
1436Z 7:36 AM
Loggable night
0125Z (6:25 PM local) → 1404Z (7:04 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
0053Z (5:53 PM local) → 1436Z (7:36 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
0153Z (6:53 PM local) → 1336Z (6:36 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

Methow Valley State Airport is in Winthrop, Washington. Field elevation 1,706 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPublicly owned
UseOpen to the public
TypeSmall airport
ManagerJOHN WILSON
Manager phone360-618-2477
AttendedUNATNDD
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATAKS52
SectionalSEATTLE
Center (ARTCC)SEATTLE
Flight service (AFSS)SEATTLE
RegionWashington
CountryUnited States
Coordinates48.4249, -120.1460
Distance from city3 NM SE
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Fuel100LL · Jet A
Control towerNon-towered
Field lightingSee remarks
BeaconSee remarks · White-green (lighted land airport)
CTAF122.800
UNICOM122.800
FREQUENCIES

Communications

118.425
AWOS
AWOS
122.8
CTAF/UNICOM
UNIC
122.800
CTAF
CTAF
122.800
UNICOM
UNICOM

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

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

KS52 traffic patterns

2026-06-14 to 2026-10-16, 7 days observed · data 2026-10-23

Low confidence
TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)
AVG LANDINGS/DAY
1
AVG OPS/DAY
1.7
Activity trend over 3 days: flat, from 1 to 1 operations per dayOperations trend (3 days)

Busiest day: Thu · Busiest month: Jun

FLEET MIX
Helicopter 80%Unknown 20%

Mostly rotorcraft.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES
›B407 (Helicopter) · ~3 landings/mo
›C175 (Unknown) · ~1 landings/mo
›H47 (Helicopter) · ~1 landings/mo
›C150 (Piston single) · ~0 landings/mo
›C182 (Piston single) · ~0 landings/mo
LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT
Low-confidence estimate

Aircraft likely based near this airport (estimate), mostly aircraft of unknown type.

›C175 (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.

KOMK Omak Airport
25 NM E
VFR
KEAT Pangborn Memorial Airport
62 NM S
VFR
CYYF Penticton Airport
66 NM N
VFR
KEPH Ephrata Municipal Airport
72 NM S
VFR
CYHE Hope Airport / FVRD Regional Airpark
78 NM NW
VFR
KMWH Grant County International Airport
80 NM SE
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›CENTER PIVOT.
›SOME OBSTNS IN PRIMARY AND TRANSITIONAL SFCS.
›PEDESTRIANS, VEHICLES, AND ANIMALS ON AND INVOF RY.
›SMOKE JUMPER BASE PRCHT OPS COMMON DURG SPRING AND SUMMER MONTHS.
›AGRI-IRRIGATION SYSTEM
›USDA FOREST SVC SMOKE JUMP BASE UNICOM. LTD ADVISORIES RELATED TO BASE OPS MOSTLY DURING SUMMER FIRE SEASON.
›ROTG BCN PCL - CTAF.
›ACTVT MIRL RY 13/31 - CTAF.
›PILOTS PROVD OWN CHAINS FOR TIEDOWN.
›ROAD 0 FT, 125 FT L, ROAD 182 FT, +5 FT STEEL POST & FENCE AT 78 FT, 80 FT L.
›ROAD AT 0 FT.
›RWY 31 APCH SLOPE TO DSPLCD +65 FT TREE 538 FT FM THLD, 39 FT RIGHT OF CENTERLINE.
›MOST RESTRICTIVE TREE.
›IRRIGATION CENTER PIVOT. DISTANCE FROM END VARIES FROM 200 FEET TO 280 FEET FROM RY END. DISTANCE FROM THRESHOLD VARIES FROM 330 FEET TO 410 FEET.
›MULTIPLE TREES. DISTANCE FROM END VARIES FROM 425 TO 730 FEET FROM RY END. DISTANCE FROM THRESHOLD 725 FEET TO 1030 FEET.
›CENTER PIVOT IRRIGATION. RWY 13 APCH SLOPE 0:1 TO +13' SERVICE ROAD @ 0', 92' R FROM DSPLCD THR.
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗KS52 on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does KS52 have a METAR?
Yes. KS52 has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.
Does KS52 have a TAF?
When KS52 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 KS52?
KS52 sits at 1,706 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for KS52?
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.