WxDecoder

PAEI/EIL METAR & TAF Eielson Air Force Base

Fairbanks, AlaskaElevation 547 ftMedium airport
CURRENT STATUS
MVFR18 min old
Ceiling 2,600 ft, visibility 10 SM.
FLIGHT CATEGORY
MVFR
ceiling & visibility
WIND
Calm
no steady wind
VISIBILITY
10 SM
16.1 km
CEILING
2,600 ft
lowest BKN/OVC
DENSITY ALT
-1,118 ft
-1,665 ft vs field
ACTIVE NWS ALERTS

Active weather alerts

Winter Weather AdvisoryModerate · Expected · Likely
25 1951Z to 27 0600Z
Delta Junction; Tanana Flats; Eielson AFB and Salcha; Goldstream Valley and Nenana Hills; Chatanika River Valley; Two Rivers; Fairbanks Metro Area
* WHAT...Wintry mix. Total snow accumulations up to two inches. * WHERE...Chatanika River Valley, Delta Junction, Eielson AFB, Salcha, Fairbanks Metro Area, Goldstream Valley, Nenana Hills, Tanana Flats, and Two Rivers. * WHEN...Until 10 PM AKDT Monday. * IMPACTS...Travel could be very difficult. Areas of blowing snow could significantly reduce visibility. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Multiple front…
Slow down and use caution while traveling. Visit 511.alaska.gov or call 5 1 1 for the latest road conditions.

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

CURRENT METAR

Decoded observation

Observed 2326Z (3:26 PM local) · 18 min old

PAEI is currently MVFR. Winds are calm. Visibility is 10 statute miles. The ceiling is 2,600 feet AGL. The main issue is ceiling 2600 ft agl (mvfr).

WIND
Calm
No steady wind.
VISIBILITY
10 statute miles
16.1 km, good.
CEILING & SKY
Ceiling 2,600 ft
Lowest broken or overcast layer.
TEMP / DEWPOINT
1°C / -2°C
34°F / 28°F. 3°C spread.
ALTIMETER
30.05 inHg
1017.6 hPa, near standard.
WEATHER & HAZARDS
LOW CIG
Ceiling 2600 ft AGL (MVFR).

Codes in this report: BKN RMK

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

REMARKS: DECODED
AO2A
automated station with observer augmentation
SLP186
sea-level pressure 1018.6 hPa
$
station needs maintenance
TERMINAL AERODROME FORECAST

TAF timeline

Issued 2200Z (2:00 PM local) · valid to 0400Z (8:00 PM local)

PAEI forecast starts MVFR at 22Z. Worst period is 02Z to 06Z with IFR possible (FZ, ICE, LOW VIS). Best period is 22Z to 02Z (MVFR). Overall the forecast deteriorates over the period.

  • Maximum temperature 1°C expected at 2300Z on day 25.
  • Minimum temperature -3°C expected at 1000Z on day 26.
BKN0303,000 ft · 5 SM
BKN0303,000 ft · 5 SM
BKN0505,000 ft · 5 SM
BKN0101,000 ft · 3 SM
2200Z2:00 PM0400Z8:00 PM1000Z2:00 AM1600Z8:00 AM2200Z2:00 PM0400Z8:00 PM

Codes in this report: BR SCT BKN OVC TEMPO BECMG

Tap any group to decode it.

FAA: no delays reported at EIL.

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

SUGGESTED RISK · TRAINING USE

Suggested risk level: Moderate

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

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 calm, visibility 10 SM, ceiling 2,600 ft. Forecast suggests this afternoon rain and snow, high near 36F, low near 30F, 85% 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 "Chance Rain And Snow" but the current METAR shows none of it; the observation and forecast differ, so trust the METAR for current conditions.

DayConditionsTemp FWindGustsPrecipPilot note
This Afternoon Rain And Snow 36/30 0 kt – 85%
Monday Light Snow 38/34 S 9 kt – 86%
Tuesday Light Rain 39/24 SE 4 kt – 84%
Wednesday Mostly Sunny 35/27 E 4 kt – 15%
Thursday Slight Chance Light Snow then Mostly Cloudy 36/32 SE 9 kt – 30%
Friday Chance Rain And Snow 38/27 SE 4 kt – 38%
Saturday Slight Chance Light Snow 34/23 SE 4 kt – 25%

Note: the NWS forecast for now reads "Chance Rain And Snow" 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 AFG). Forecast issued 2343Z.

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RUNWAYS & WIND
1 runway · crosswind ranking
NESW1432CALMCALMCALMCALMCALM
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 14,530 ft

14/32
Dimensions
14,530 x 150 ft
Surface
Concrete
Edge lights
HIGH
RWY 14159°T
ILSLOC/GS
Approach lightsALSF1
VGSIPAPI (P4L)
Traffic patternRight
RWY 32339°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
-1,118 ft
Pressure altitude
417 ft
Field elevation
547 ft MSL
Temperature
1°C (34°F)
Dewpoint
-2°C (28°F)
Altimeter
30.05 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
0151Z 5:51 PM
Sunrise
1714Z 9:14 AM
Loggable night
0243Z (6:43 PM local) → 1622Z (8:22 AM local)
end of evening to start of morning civil twilight
Position lights required
0151Z (5:51 PM local) → 1714Z (9:14 AM local)
sunset to sunrise (91.209)
Night passenger currency
0251Z (6:51 PM local) → 1614Z (8:14 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

Eielson Air Force Base is in Fairbanks, Alaska. Field elevation 547 ft MSL. Airport facts are drawn from OurAirports and the FAA NASR dataset.

OPERATIONS & CONTACT
OwnershipAir Force owned
UsePrivate use
TypeMedium airport
ManagerCHIEF AIRFIELD MANAGEMENT
Manager phone907-377-3201
AttendedDaily, 1600–0800Z++
CHARTS & AIRSPACE
ICAO / IATAPAEI / EIL
SectionalFAIRBANKS
Center (ARTCC)ANCHORAGE
Flight service (AFSS)FAIRBANKS
RegionAlaska
CountryUnited States
Coordinates64.6657, -147.1020
Distance from city17 NM SE
SERVICES & LIGHTING
Control towerTowered
BeaconSunset to sunrise · White-green (lighted land airport)
FREQUENCIES

Communications

125.35
FAIRBANKS APP
APP
118.525
ASOS
ASOS
27.35
ATIS
ATIS
34.37
CLNC DEL
CLD
126.5
FAIRBANKS DEP
DEP
121.8
GND
GND
125.3
RANGE CON
INFO
139.6
SOURDOUGH
MISC
25.95
IGLOO
OPS
34.66
PMSV METRO
PMSV
23.81
CHENA CON
POST
37.22
PTD
PTD
127.2
TWR
TWR

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

AIRCRAFT ACTIVITY

PAEI traffic patterns

2026-06-12 to 2026-10-23, 48 days observed · data 2026-10-23

Medium confidence
TRAFFIC VOLUME (30-DAY)
AVG LANDINGS/DAY
2.5
AVG OPS/DAY
3.8
Activity trend over 12 days: falling, from 3 to 2 operations per dayOperations trend (12 days)

Busiest day: Thu · Busiest month: Aug

FLEET MIX
Unknown 41%Airliner 37%Helicopter 8%Piston single 7%Jet 3%Twin 3%Turboprop 3%

Fleet composition unclear from available data.

TOP AIRCRAFT TYPES
›UNKN (Unknown) · ~25 landings/mo
›C30J (Airliner) · ~8 landings/mo
›H60 (Helicopter) · ~6 landings/mo
›A332 (Airliner) · ~6 landings/mo
›C17 (Airliner) · ~4 landings/mo
LIKELY BASED AIRCRAFT
Low-confidence estimate

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

›H60 (Helicopter)
›UNKN (Unknown)
›T6 (Piston single)
›LGEZ (Unknown)
›C30J (Airliner)

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.

PAFB Ladd Army Airfield
17 NM NW
VFR
PAFA Fairbanks International Airport
21 NM NW
VFR
PANN Nenana Municipal Airport
51 NM W
VFR
PABI Allen Army Airfield
54 NM SE
VFR
PAIN Denali National Park Airport
73 NM SW
VFR
PACE Central Airport
80 NM NE
VFR
AIRPORT REMARKS

Operational remarks

›CTN: FIRE HYDRANTS 64 FT NE OF TWY H CNTLN.
›VHF PTD FREQ UNMNT.
›LOOP TWY E OF CORROSION HANGAR 1348 THRU 4/8 BAY AREA RSTRD TO WINGSPAN 45 FT OR LESS.
›CARGO & ACR CTC COMMAND POST 3 HR PRIOR & 30 MIN PROIR TO LNDG.
›RWY 14/32 BAK-12 DEP END CABLES IN RAISED POSITION; BAK-12 AER 14/32 AVBL WITH 20 MIN PRIOR NOTICE. NORTH BARRIER RUNOUT REDUCED TO 950 FT, HOOK EQUIPPPED ACFT BE ALERT.
›OVHD TFC PAT ALT 2000 FT MSL; RECTANGULAR TFC PAT ALT 1500 FT MSL.
›MAINT OPS CNTR PPR 48 HR FM ETA - D317-377-1205. UHF PREF PAT FREQ.
›PAEW ON RWY WHEN TWR UNMANNED.
›RADIO/NAV/WX RMRKS - (F) 1500-0700Z ++ DAILY.
›TSNT WX BRIEF WHEN AFLD CLSD; 3 HR PN - 15 OWS D576-9755/C618-256-9755.
›QUIET HR 0800-1500Z; UNCTLD TKOF/LDG NA; EXCEPTIONS RQR OG/CC APVL.
›TRAN ALERT: TSNT MAINT LTD TO F16 SVCG UPON AIRCREW REQ. F16 THRU FLIGHT/BPO/PREFLIGHT INSP NA.
›CONTINGENCY OPS - AMGR.
›PTNS OF APRON O ROW & S RAMP NOT VIS FROM TWR.
›AFLD MGMT OPR H24; OBO 0800-1600Z. EXP SVCS DLA DURG HOL.
›LCL OR DEPLOYING ACFT RQR MAINT PSNL TO COMPLETE OPS; INCL DE-ICE PSNL DURG COLD WX. TRANS ALERT NA BYD INITIAL BLOCK IN.
›FILE FLT PLAN 2 HR BFR DEP. ARR RQR CUSTOMS 1.5 HR PPR - COMMAND POST. U.S. IMMIGRATION SVC NOT AVBL.
›DEP RMN AT OR BLW 1500 FT TIL DEP END.
›300 FT WIDE ENTIRE LEN; CNTR 150 FT USBL.
›NSTD; N 11314 FT 300 FT WIDE; S 3200 FT 150 FT WIDE. LGT AT TWY A ENTRANCE E SIDE OF RWY; GAP BTN LGTS 446 FT. LGT AT TWY C ENTRANCE E SIDE OF RWY; GAP BTN LGT 400 FT.
›N & S BARRIER RUNOUT REDUCED TO 950 FT.
›MOOSE ON & INVOF RWY.
›BIRD WATCH COND MOD LCL PAT LTD TO MIN RQR WITH OG/CC APVL; TGL, FORMATION TKOF/LNDG NA; LOW APCH LTD TO 300 FT AGL. BIRD WATCH COND SVR; TKOF, PAT & LNDG NA EXC EMERG.
›EXTSV FUEL DELAYS DURG RED FLAG ALASKA EXER APR-OCT.
›AIR TERM & GND HANDLING SVC 1630-0030Z++ WKDAY; PPR OR EXP DELAY - AFLD MGMT.
›PPR RQRD OR EMERG.
›PRIME KNGHT NOT AVBL.
›FAIRBANKS FSS - 474-0137. FLT ADZY OR RSTRD & MIL OPRG AREA STATUS - EIELSON RANGE CTL SUAIS RADIO 125.3 OR 1-800-758-8723.
›SEE AP1 SUP RMKS: BASE OPS COMSEC RESPONSIBILITY NA; LTD SECRET & COMSEC STORAGE AVBL. TOP SECRET & COMSEC INFO - COMMAND POST D317-377-1500.
›AVOID SMALL ARMS RANGE 2.5 NM E OF RWY 32 END; WKEND 1700-0100Z++; SFC - 3500 FT AGL.
›CTN: NSTD LGT; 2000 FT RWY EDGE LGT BTN D - C TWY; 12 FT FM RWY EDGE.
›LOAD/OFF LOAD ENG RUN NA. ERO SVC AVBL FOR AMC ACFT.
›BAK-12B (1104 FT) (3338 FT).
›TRANS ALERT SVC AVBL H24.
›PACAF FTR ARR EXP RDCD RWY SEP; SIMILAR TYPE/DAY - 3000 FT; DISSIMILAR TYPE, NGT, WET RWY, BHND FRMN OR RCR LESS THAN 17 - 6000 FT; FTR LDG BHND NON FTR - 9000 FT; RCR VALIDATED AS COND WARRANT.
›BAK-12B (1248 FT).
›ALASKA ANG 168TH AREFS OPS - D317-377-8800/C907-377-8800. ANG OPS H24 - D317-377-1861/3201.
›PPR 5 DAYS - 24 HR PRIOR TO ARR - ARFLD MGMT D317-377-1861/C907-377-1861. PPR GOOD +/- 30 MIN ARR TIME; COORD PPR AFT TIME BY FONE OR PPR CNLD. EXP ARR TIME RSTRN EXC AIR EVAC & DV CODE 7 & UP.
›CRYPTO MTRL TSNT CREW NOT AVBL. VIP 30 MIN PPR WITH CHOCK TIME - AFLD MGMT. LTD FLEET SVC. NO POTABLE WATER.
›DE-ICE TYPE 1 AVBL, ANTI-ICE TYPE 4 UNAVBL.
›FICON & RWY COND CODE NOT RPRTD.
›ARFF STATUS CRITICAL LVL OF SVC (CLS) 62% FOR USAF CAT 10; REDUCED LVL OF SVC (RLS) 81% FOR USAF CAT 9.
›TSNT CTC PTD AT LEAST 30 MIN PRIOR TO ARR. EIELSON AFB IS A 1 MOG STATION.
›NO PALLET TRAINS LONGER THAN T3 WITH OVERHANG WILL BE ACPTD DUE TO 25K LOADER SUPPORT.
›BASH PHASE II APR, MAY, AUG & SEP. GULLS, DUCKS & GEESE POSE HAZARD WHEN STANDING WATER ON FLD. RPT BIRD & ANIMAL STRIKES INVOF ARPT TO AFLD MGMT - D317-377-186, PTD OR 354 FW/SE D317-377-4110.
›WX SVC H24 EXC AFLD/TWR CLOSURE - D377-1160/3140/C907-377-1160/3140; AN/FMQ-19 AUTOMATED OBS SYS AUGMENTED BY HUMAN OBSN. FMQ19 907-377-5846.
OFFICIAL LINKS & SOURCES
↗Official METAR on AviationWeather.gov
↗Search NOTAMs (official FAA NOTAM Search)
↗Wikipedia
↗PAEI on OurAirports
FREQUENTLY ASKED
Does PAEI have a METAR?
Yes. PAEI has a current METAR observation, decoded into plain English on this page.
Does PAEI have a TAF?
Yes, a TAF is issued for PAEI; the decoded forecast timeline is shown above.
What is the field elevation at PAEI?
PAEI sits at 547 ft MSL, which factors into the density-altitude estimate on this page.
Is this an official preflight weather briefing for PAEI?
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.