Lee Creek Airport (56IL) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Lee Creek Airport in Caledonia, IL, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KRFD) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Lee Creek Airport (56IL) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Caledonia, IL at 965 ft. 56IL has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from KRFD, about 19 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (09, 27) — longest 2,200 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KRFD. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KRFD, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station KRFD, 18.8 nm away.
Wind calm, visibility 10+ statute miles, a few clouds at 25,000 ft, temperature 16°C (61°F), altimeter 29.97 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KRFD 290654Z 00000KT 10SM FEW250 16/13 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP146 T01610128
What changed at KRFD (nearest station)?
Since the 0554Z (12:54 AM CDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0554Z report — conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for 56IL
Based on the nearest station (KRFD), 56IL is currently VFR with calm winds, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. Density altitude is approximately 1,250 ft (field elevation 965 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →
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Track 56IL free on TelegramRunway wind check
Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.
Use this section to quickly compare current wind alignment across available runways at 56IL. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
Current wind is calm — calm wind is not a factor for runway selection, and with no wind there is no head/tail or crosswind component to compute. Live numbers return automatically once a report includes a wind direction.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09 | 2,200 ft | TURF-F | — | — |
| 27 | 2,200 ft | TURF-F | — | — |
Open the crosswind calculator — try your own wind and runway numbers →
24-hour trend
Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.
Over the last 23 h: wind 11→0 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
56IL weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Lee Creek Airport in Caledonia, IL: the NOAA/NWS NEXRAD composite updates about every five minutes, with NOAA lightning strike density overlaid. The loop plays the past 50 minutes, then continues into a future-radar forecast (+1 to +4 hours, NOAA HRRR model) so you can see where precipitation around 56IL is headed.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © OpenStreetMap © CARTO
Forecast frames (amber label) are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Lightning strike density appears as a blue-white glow when strikes are detected in view. Radar and lightning coverage are limited in parts of Alaska, Hawaii, and offshore areas. Not for navigation.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of 56IL
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
MKE UA /OV MKE190000/TM 0340/FL000/TP A319/WV 010004/RM NEG WINDSHEAR-MICROBURST ON FINAL
MKE UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MKE190000Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0340Reported at 03:40 UTC.FL000Altitude: 0 ft MSL.TP A319Aircraft type reporting.WV 010004Wind (direction/speed) or wind-shear remarks.RM NEG WINDSHEAR-MICROBURST …Remarks.Show raw report
SBM UA /OV SBM/TM 0215/FL200/TP PC12/TB NEG
SBM UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV SBMLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0215Reported at 02:15 UTC.FL200Altitude: 20,000 ft MSL.TP PC12Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
PWK UA /OV OBK/TM 0213/FL230/TP B763/TB NEG
PWK UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV OBKLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0213Reported at 02:13 UTC.FL230Altitude: 23,000 ft MSL.TP B763Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
ENW UA /OV ENW/TM 0208/FL160/TP CRJ2/TB NEG/RM DURC
ENW UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ENWLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0208Reported at 02:08 UTC.FL160Altitude: 16,000 ft MSL.TP CRJ2Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.RM DURCRemarks.Show raw report
MSN UA /OV MSN/TM 0206/FL190/TP BCS1/TB NEG
MSN UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MSNLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0206Reported at 02:06 UTC.FL190Altitude: 19,000 ft MSL.TP BCS1Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
C75 UA /OV BDF/TM 0206/FL330/TP B739/TB NEG
C75 UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BDFLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0206Reported at 02:06 UTC.FL330Altitude: 33,000 ft MSL.TP B739Aircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
MSN UA /OV C47/TM 0205/FL200/TP E75S/TB NEG
MSN UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV C47Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0205Reported at 02:05 UTC.FL200Altitude: 20,000 ft MSL.TP E75SAircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.Show raw report
JOT UA /OV JOT180030/TM 0123/FL210/TP B39M/TB NEG
JOT UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV JOT180030Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0123Reported at 01:23 UTC.FL210Altitude: 21,000 ft MSL.TP B39MAircraft type reporting.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at 56IL
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KRFD reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 2 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 17 kt, the lowest ceiling was 1,300 ft. Wind most often came from the N.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
- 09/27
- 100%
TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0520Z (12:20 AM CDT)
TAF KRFD 290520Z 2906/3006 VRB04KT P6SM FEW070
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- 56IL
- City
- Caledonia
- State
- Illinois
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 965 ft
- Coordinates
- 42.4622, -88.8751
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 2,200 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KRFD
- TAF
- Nearest KRFD
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Next sunset
- 18h 20m
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Nearby airports
Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.
Within 25 NM
8 airports+2 more within 25 NM
25–50 NM
9 airports+3 more within 50 NM
50–100 NM
7 airports+1 more within 100 NM
RC flying fields nearby
AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport — live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.
- Rockford Aeromodelers - Swanson Rd — Roscoe, IL · 8 mi
- RRAMS - Rock River Aero Modelers Society, Inc. - S CR J — Beloit, WI · 9 mi
- Rock Valley RC Flyers - Chickory Ridge Park — Roscoe, IL · 9 mi
56IL weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at 56IL?+
56IL has 2 runways — 09, 27; the longest is 2,200 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for 56IL come from?+
Lee Creek Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KRFD, about 19 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at 56IL can differ.
Does 56IL have a TAF?+
Yes — the KRFD TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does 56IL broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — 56IL does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for 56IL from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Lee Creek Airport (56IL)
Community-submittedCommunity-submitted airport notes from pilots about runway conditions, wildlife, FBOs, fuel, turbulence, ramp access, and local tips.
Read recent community-submitted pilot notes for Lee Creek Airport, including runway conditions, wildlife activity, FBO/fuel notes, turbulence, ramp access, and local airport tips.
⚠️ Pilot PIREPs on ATIS Alerts are community-submitted airport notes for situational awareness only. They are not official FAA PIREPs, NOTAMs, weather briefings, airport advisories, or flight-planning guidance. Always verify with official FAA/NWS sources, airport management, ATC, and current publications.
No Pilot PIREPs have been submitted for 56IL yet. Recently flew here? Help the next pilot by leaving a quick airport note.
Pilot PIREPs are community pilot notes for situational awareness only — not official FAA PIREPs or advisories. Verify with official sources. Notes are moderated before they appear; helpful marks and reports help us keep them useful.
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⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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