WxDecoder

MT86 Weather Bar E Airport

Helena, MontanaElevation 3,875 ftSmall airport
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE
Nearest report: KHLN · 34 NM S · 21 min old
Ceiling 1,800 ft, visibility 10 SM.
No on-field report, so no field flight category. Conditions at the field may differ.
OFF-FIELD REFERENCE · KHLN
WIND
190@3
steady
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
1,800 ft
lowest BKN/OVC
ACTIVE NWS ALERTS

Active weather alerts

Dense Fog AdvisoryModerate · Expected · Likely
25 1034Z to 25 1700Z
Southern Rocky Mountain Front; Southern High Plains; Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass; Gates of the Mountains; Helena Valley; Elkhorn and Boulder Mountains; Canyon Ferry Area; Missouri Headwaters; Gallatin Valley; Northwest Beaverhead County; Gallatin and Madison County Mountains and Centennial Mountains
* WHAT...Visibility below a quarter of a mile at times in dense fog. * WHERE...Portions of central, north central, and southwest Montana. * WHEN...Until 11 AM MDT this morning. * IMPACTS...Low visibility could make driving conditions hazardous.
If driving, slow down, use your headlights, and leave plenty of distance ahead of you.
Special Weather StatementModerate · Expected · Observed
25 0922Z to 25 1445Z
Southern Rocky Mountain Front; Southern High Plains; Upper Blackfoot and MacDonald Pass; Gates of the Mountains; Helena Valley; Elkhorn and Boulder Mountains; Canyon Ferry Area
Patchy dense fog has developed around Helena, Lincoln, Craig and Augusta this morning. Visibility is below a half mile in some areas. Those traveling early this morning should be alert for quickly changing visibility conditions. Reminder, reduce your driving speeds in areas of poor visibility.

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

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 from 135° at 14 kt, temperature 14.44C. This observation is older than usual, so treat it with extra caution. Treat this as supplemental, not an aviation observation. Forecast suggests sunday areas of fog then partly sunny, high near 38F, low near 24F, 4% chance of precipitation. Key risks: strong winds in the forecast.

PILOT WEATHER NOTES
Strong winds in the forecastWeather.gov
Tuesday: winds up to 27 kt. Re-check crosswind components closer to departure.
DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
Sunday Areas Of Fog then Partly Sunny 38/24 N 7 kt – 4%
Monday Mostly Cloudy 45/32 SE 3 kt – 57%
Tuesday Chance Rain And Snow then Mostly Cloudy 47/31 WSW 18 kt 27 kt 35% Strong winds in the forecast
Wednesday Mostly Sunny 50/29 SSW 8 kt – 14%
Thursday Slight Chance Light Snow 42/27 N 6 kt – 44%
Friday Chance Light Snow 40/26 NNW 4 kt – 33%
Saturday Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Sunny 43 SW 6 kt – 20%

Source: National Weather Service (office TFX). Forecast issued 1127Z.

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 MT86. Enter a runway number or heading to estimate wind components.
RUNWAYS

Runway detail & declared distances

1 runway · longest 4,975 ft

04/22
Dimensions
4,975 x 50 ft
Surface
Asphalt
Edge lights
MED
RWY 04
Approach lightsNSTD
RWY 22
Approach lightsNSTD

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
3,875 ft MSL

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

DAYLIGHT & NIGHT

Sun & logging windows

Sunset
0025Z 6:25 PM
Sunrise
1400Z 8:00 AM
Loggable night
0056Z (6:56 PM local) → 1329Z (7:29 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
0025Z (6:25 PM local) → 1400Z (8:00 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
0125Z (7:25 PM local) → 1300Z (7:00 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

Bar E Airport is in Helena, Montana. Field elevation 3,875 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipPrivately owned
UsePrivate use
TypeSmall airport
ManagerRYAN FOWLER
Manager phone406-235-4269
AttendedUNATNDD
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATAMT86
SectionalGREAT FALLS
Center (ARTCC)SALT LAKE CITY
Flight service (AFSS)GREAT FALLS
RegionMontana
CountryUnited States
Coordinates47.1644, -112.1132
Distance from city34 NM NW
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Control towerNon-towered
Field lightingSee remarks
CTAF122.900
FREQUENCIES

Communications

122.900
CTAF
CTAF

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

MT86 has no on-field report. Nearest reporting station: KHLN (34 NM S, MVFR).

KHLN Helena Regional Airport
34 NM S
MVFR
KGTF Great Falls International Airport
36 NM NE
VFR
KBTM Bert Mooney Airport
74 NM S
VFR
KMSO Missoula Montana Airport
82 NM W
VFR
KSBX Shelby Airport
83 NM N
VFR
KCTB Cut Bank International Airport
87 NM N
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›PRVDD VFR OPNS ONLY.
›FOR CD CTC HELENA APCH AT 406-449-5756/5761, WHEN APCH CLSD CTC SALT LAKE ARTCC AT 801-320-2568.
›ACTVT MIRLS RWY 04/22 - CTAF
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗MT86 on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does MT86 have a METAR?
No on-field METAR is issued for MT86. This page uses the nearest reporting station as a reference.
Does MT86 have a TAF?
No TAF is issued directly for MT86. Use the nearest TAF-issuing field as a planning reference.
What is the field elevation at MT86?
MT86 sits at 3,875 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for MT86?
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.