PABE/BET METAR & TAF Bethel Airport

Bethel, AlaskaElevation 126 ftMedium airport

CURRENT STATUS

MVFR6 min old

Ceiling 1,800 ft, visibility 8 SM, gusts to 43 kt.

FLIGHT CATEGORY

MVFR

ceiling & visibility

WIND

170@30

gust 43 kt

VISIBILITY

8 SM

12.9 km

CEILING

1,800 ft

lowest BKN/OVC

DENSITY ALT

-844 ft

-970 ft vs field

ACTIVE NWS ALERTS

Active weather alerts

Wind AdvisoryModerate · Expected · Likely

26 0000Z to 26 1800Z

Kuskokwim Delta Coast and Nunivak Island; Interior Kuskokwim Delta

* WHAT...Southwest winds 30 to 40 mph with gusts up to 55 mph expected. * WHERE...Kuskokwim Delta, including Kipnuk, Kwigillingok, and Bethel. * WHEN...From 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM AKDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Gusty winds will blow around unsecured objects and a few power outages may result. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Southwest winds will become strong and gusty by this afternoon. Winds are expec…

Winds this strong can make driving difficult, especially for high profile vehicles. Use extra caution.

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

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 0153Z (5:53 PM local) · 6 min old

PABE is currently MVFR. Winds are from the south at 30 knots gusting 43. Visibility is 8 statute miles. The ceiling is 1,800 feet AGL. Main concerns: Wind gusting to 43 kt (gust spread 13 kt). Sustained wind 30 kt.

WIND

170° at 30 kt, gust 43

Gusts 13 kt above the steady wind.

VISIBILITY

8 statute miles

12.9 km, good.

CEILING & SKY

Ceiling 1,800 ft

Lowest broken or overcast layer.

TEMP / DEWPOINT

6°C / 4°C

43°F / 39°F. 2°C spread.

ALTIMETER

29.85 inHg

1010.8 hPa, near standard.

WEATHER & HAZARDS

LOW CIG, GUST, WIND

Ceiling 1800 ft AGL (MVFR).

Codes in this report: AUTO FEW BKN OVC 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)

PK WND 17043/0152

peak wind 43 knots from 170 degrees at 01:52

RAB06E49

rain began at :06 past the hour, ended at :49 past the hour

SLP111

sea-level pressure 1011.1 hPa

P0000

0.00 inches of precipitation in the last hour

T00560039

precise temperature 5.6°C, dew point 3.9°C

TSNO

thunderstorm/lightning sensor not operating

station needs maintenance

TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 2320Z (3:20 PM local) · valid to 0000Z (4:00 PM local)

PABE forecast starts MVFR at 00Z. Worst period is 00Z to 04Z with LIFR possible (GUST, LOW CIG, LOW VIS). Best period is 04Z to 12Z (MVFR). Overall the forecast improves over the period.

OVC0101,000 ft · 5 SM

OVC0121,200 ft

OVC007700 ft

0000Z4:00 PM0448Z8:48 PM0936Z1:36 AM1424Z6:24 AM1912Z11:12 AM0000Z4:00 PM

Codes in this report: BR OVC TEMPO P6SM

Tap any group to decode it.

FAA: no delays reported at BET.

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

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: High

›Conditions are MVFR.

›Wind gusting to 43 kt (gust spread 13 kt).

›Sustained wind 30 kt.

›Large gust spread: 30 kt gusting 43 kt.

›Temporarily forecast: ceiling 300 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 MVFR, wind from 170° at 30 kt, gusting 43 kt, visibility 8 SM, ceiling 1,800 ft. Forecast suggests this afternoon light rain, high near 43F, low near 41F, 98% chance of precipitation. Key risks: gusty winds; strong winds; crosswind component. Note: the NWS forecast for now reads "Light Rain" but the current METAR shows none of it; the observation and forecast differ, so trust the METAR for current conditions.

PILOT WEATHER NOTES

Gusty windsMETAR

Winds gusting to 43 kt. Plan for the gust factor on approach and landing.

Strong windsMETAR

Sustained winds 30 kt. Check your personal crosswind limits and runway suitability.

Crosswind componentMETAR

Best runway 19R still has about 16 kt of crosswind. Confirm it is below your personal minimums.

Day	Conditions	Temp F	Wind	Gusts	Precip
This Afternoon	Light Rain	43/41	S 26 kt	39 kt	98%
Monday	Light Rain Likely	45/39	SW 26 kt	39 kt	58%
Tuesday	Slight Chance Light Rain then Cloudy	44/38	S 17 kt	30 kt	89%
Wednesday	Light Rain	44/32	S 26 kt	–	90%
Thursday	Chance Rain And Snow then Rain And Snow	40/35	SE 26 kt	–	78%
Friday	Light Rain Likely	41/32	S 22 kt	–	73%
Saturday	Chance Rain And Snow	37/29	W 17 kt	–	33%

Note: the NWS forecast for now reads "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 ALU). Forecast issued 0159Z.

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RUNWAYS & WIND

3 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

170° at 30 kt, gust 43

Components computed from the current on-field METAR wind.

RECOMMENDED

RWY 19R25 kt headwind · 16 kt crosswind

RUNWAYS BY WIND · best end

19R

HEAD

25 kt

CROSS

16 kt L

BEST

19L

HEAD

25 kt

CROSS

16 kt L

X-WIND

HEAD

22 kt

CROSS

20 kt R

X-WIND

HEAD

22 kt tail

CROSS

20 kt L

X-WIND

01L

HEAD

25 kt tail

CROSS

16 kt R

X-WIND

01R

HEAD

25 kt tail

CROSS

16 kt R

X-WIND

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 6,400 ft

01L/19R

Dimensions

6,400 x 150 ft

Surface

Asphalt (good)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 01L23°T

Landing length (LDA)6,400 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA6,400 / 6,400 / 6,400 ft

ILSMLS

Approach lightsMALSR

VGSIVASI (V4L)

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 19R203°T

Landing length (LDA)6,400 ft

TORA / TODA / ASDA6,400 / 6,400 / 6,400 ft

ILSILS/DME

Approach lightsMALSR

VGSIVASI (V4L)

Traffic patternLeft

01R/19L

Dimensions

4,000 x 75 ft

Surface

Asphalt (fair)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 01R23°T

REILYes

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

RWY 19L203°T

REILYes

VGSIPAPI (P4L)

12/30

Dimensions

1,858 x 75 ft

Surface

Gravel (good)

Edge lights

HIGH

RWY 12128°T

Traffic patternLeft

RWY 30308°T

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

-844 ft

Pressure altitude

196 ft

Field elevation

126 ft MSL

Temperature

6°C (43°F)

Dewpoint

4°C (39°F)

Altimeter

29.85 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

0307Z 7:07 PM

Sunrise

1757Z 9:57 AM

Loggable night

0351Z (7:51 PM local) → 1712Z (9:12 AM local)

end of evening to start of morning civil twilight

Position lights required

0307Z (7:07 PM local) → 1757Z (9:57 AM local)

sunset to sunrise (91.209)

Night passenger currency

0407Z (8:07 PM local) → 1657Z (8:57 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

Bethel Airport is in Bethel, Alaska. Field elevation 126 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT

OwnershipPublicly owned

UseOpen to the public

TypeMedium airport

Airline serviceYes

ManagerNICK NORWOOD

Manager phone907-543-2498

AttendedNOV-APR SAT-SUN, 0700–2100

CHARTS & AIRSPACE

ICAO / IATAPABE / BET

SectionalMC GRATH

Center (ARTCC)ANCHORAGE

Flight service (AFSS)KENAI

RegionAlaska

CountryUnited States

Coordinates60.7798, -161.8380

Distance from city3 NM SW

SERVICES & LIGHTING

Fuel100 · 100LL · Jet A · Jet A-1

Control towerTowered

Field lightingSee remarks

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

CTAF118.700

FREQUENCIES

Communications

119.8

ATIS

125.2

ANCHORAGE CNTR

CNTR

118.7

CTAF/BETHEL WX

CTAF

122.65

KENAI RDO

FSS

121.7

GND

114.1

TWEB

MISC

124.65

NG OPS

OPS

118.7

TWR

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.

PANA Napakiak Airport

7 NM SW

MVFR

PFKW Kwethluk Airport

12 NM E

VFR

PAQH Quinhagak Airport

62 NM S

IFR

PARS Russian Mission Airport

62 NM N

IFR

PALG Kalskag Airport

63 NM NE

IFR

PADM Marshall Don Hunter Sr Airport

65 NM N

MVFR

AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›WX CAMERA AVBL ON INTERNET AT HTTPS://WEATHERCAMS.FAA.GOV.

›WHEN ATCT CLSD ACTVT HIRL RWY 01L/19R, 01R/19L, RWY 12/30; TWY LIGHTS - CTAF. ACTVT MALSR RWY 01L & 19R; REIL RWY 01R & 19L; VASI RWY 01L & 19R; PAPI RWY 01R & 19L - CTAF.

›SELF VC FUEL NA; FEE AFT 1800.

›TOUCHDOWN RVR AVBL 0700-2000 1 NOV-30 MAR; 1 APR-31 OCT 0700-2200.

›PCR VALUE: 361/F/C/X/T

›PCR VALUE: 514/F/C/X/T

›495 FT ASPH RWY 30 END; RMNG GRVL.

›RWY 12/30 NOT AVBL FOR PART 121/PART 380 OPS WITH SKED PAX CARRYING OPS MORE THAN 9 PAX SEATS AND NON-SKED PAX CARRYING OPS MORE THAN 30 PAX SEATS. W 1200 FT CLSD OVR 12500 LBS GWT APR-NOV.

›RWY 01R/19L NOT AVBL FOR PART 121/380 SKED AND NON-SKED OPS WITH PAX CARRYING OPS MORE THAN 30 PAX SEATS.

›CLSD TO ACR OPS MORE THAN 30 PAX SEATS OR APVD WRITTEN PPR - AMGR BOX 505, BETHEL, AK 99559.

›PTARMIGAN & WATERFOWL INVOF ARPT.

›PAEW MAY BE ON RWYS.

›ARPT SAND SMALLER GRADATION THAN FAA RCMDD/SEE AC150/5200-30.

›TSA REG; SEE 49 CFR 1542. GATES & DOORS SECURED ALL TIMES. UNFAM TSNT - AMGR.

›LOCK WHEEL TURNS NA ALL SFCS.

›TSNT PRKG W END OF S RAMP MRKD BY GREEN CONES.

›COND RPRTG & OTR MAINT SVC AVBL DURG MAINT DUTY HR. AFT HR SVC PPR IN WRITING - AMGR.

›NWS BLN LAUNCH FAC ON ARPT - SEE INSIDE BACK CVR FOR OPS DTLS.

OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES

↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov

↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)

↗Wikipedia

↗PABE on OurAirports

FREQUENTLY ASKED

Does PABE have a METAR?

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

Does PABE have a TAF?

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

What is the field elevation at PABE?

PABE sits at 126 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.

Is this an official preflight weather briefing for PABE?

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.