The National Weather Service in St. Louis will begin offering an aviation forecast for the Jefferson City Memorial Airport next week.
Starting at 1 p.m. Tuesday, the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast service will begin.
Accoring to NWS officials, TAF is a concise statement of the weather forecast written specifically for the aviation community. The forecast will be routinely issued every six hours and amended as conditions warrant. The forecast will apply to a 24-hour period and will be valid for a 5-mile radius around the center of the airport runway complex.
NWS officials also said TAFs enhance flight safety by providing important forecast details about wind, visibility, sensible weather conditions such as snow or thunderstorms, cloud heights and low level wind shear. This helps flight crews, ground personnel and dispatchers make flight plans and ensure aircraft are properly configured and fueled for the expected weather conditions. TAFs also enhance the economy of flying as they help flight crews save money by not overloading expensive aviation fuel in fair weather conditions.