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Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base (5KE) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds

As of 2:53 PM AKDT, Oct 28, based on the nearest station (PAKT), 5KE is currently VFR with winds from 360° at 5 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.

Aviation weather near Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base in Ketchikan, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PAKT): conditions and runway crosswinds.

Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base (5KE) is a seaplane base in Ketchikan, AK. 5KE has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from PAKT, about 1 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. It has 2 physical runways (E, W), the longest 3,893 ft. The nearest TAF is issued for PAKT.

Ask ATIS AIAsk anything about 5KE's weather, runways or delays, or search another airport.
VFR
Observed 2253Z (2:53 PM AKDT)live · refreshes every 60s

No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station PAKT, 1.3 nm away.

Wind
360° 5 kt
Visibility
10+ sm
Ceiling
Unlimited
Altimeter
30.11"
Temp / Dew
52°F / 11°C
dew 19°F / -7°C

Wind from the north (360°) at 5 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 11°C (52°F), altimeter 30.11 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

Raw METAR
METAR PAKT 282253Z 36005KT 10SM CLR 11/M07 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP197 HARBOR WIND VAR04KT T01111072 $

What changed at PAKT (nearest station)?

Since the 2153Z (1:53 PM AKDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.

No significant changes since the 2153Z (1:53 PM AKDT) report, conditions are holding steady.

Current pilot readout for 5KE

Based on the nearest station (PAKT), 5KE is currently VFR with winds from 360° at 5 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. Density altitude is approximately -700 ft (field elevation 0 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.

New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →

Runway wind check

Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.

RunwayHead / TailCrosswind
EFAV5 kt head0 kt
W5 kt head0 kt

Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →

24-hour trend

Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.

Wind (kt)Gusts (kt)Bottom strip, flight category:VFRMVFRIFRLIFRNo report
081601Z12Z22Z

Over the last 21 h: wind 9→5 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.

5KE weather radar

Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.

Loading…
Loading radar…

Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap

NOAA NEXRAD composite and lightning, updated about every five minutes; amber frames are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Not for navigation.

Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of 5KE

Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.

PIREP1940Z (11:40 AM AKDT) · 68 NM W of 5KE · 34,000 ft MSL · B73M
light to moderate turbulence
Show raw report
KTN UA /OV ANN246068/TM 1940/FL340/TP B73M/TB LGT-MOD/RM LAST 2MIN THEN LGT/ ZAN
KTN UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV ANN246068Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 1940Reported at 19:40 UTC.
FL340Altitude: 34,000 ft MSL.
TP B73MAircraft type reporting.
TB LGT-MODTurbulence: light to moderate.
RM LAST 2MIN THEN LGT/ ZANRemarks.
PIREP1759Z (9:59 AM AKDT) · 74 NM NW of 5KE · 35,000 ft MSL · B39M
light turbulence
Show raw report
SIT UA /OV BKA110086/TM 1759/FL350/TP B39M/TB LGT/RM /ZAN
SIT UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV BKA110086Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 1759Reported at 17:59 UTC.
FL350Altitude: 35,000 ft MSL.
TP B39MAircraft type reporting.
TB LGTTurbulence: light.
RM /ZANRemarks.

⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.

Recent aviation weather trends at 5KE

From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.

Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station PAKT reported mostly VFR across 23 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 7,500 ft. Wind most often came from the NW.

Last 24 hours
VFR 100%
Wind avg/max: 7/14 kt
Max gust: -
Lowest ceiling: 7,500 ft
Lowest vis: -
Prevailing wind: NW
Category changes: 0
Last 7 days
VFR 86%MVFR 13%IFR 1%
Wind avg/max: 5/14 kt
Max gust: 22 kt
Lowest ceiling: 500 ft
Lowest vis: 8 sm
Prevailing wind: NW
Category changes: 14

Most recent change: MVFR → VFR

Wind-favored runway - past 30 days

Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.

E/W
100%

TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast

Issued 2320Z (3:20 PM AKDT)

TAF PAKT 282320Z 2900/2924 VRB04KT P6SM SKC AMD LTD TO CLD VIS AND WIND 2906/2915

New to TAFs? How to read one →

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Field aerial

North up

Aerial photo of Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base (5KE)
N ↑

Imagery: USGS The National Map (public domain). Something off? ✏️ Suggest an edit

Airport info

From the FAA airport record (cycle 2026-10-01) and OurAirports.

Services

Attended
Daily DALGT local
Landing fee
No
Control tower
None
Wind indicator
Unlighted

Airport

Type
Seaplane base
IATA
WFB
FAA LID
5KE
City
Ketchikan
State
Alaska
Country
United States
Elevation
0 ft
Coordinates
55.3499, -131.6770
Runways
2 physical runways · 2 runway ends
Longest runway
3,893 ft
Weather reporting
Nearest station PAKT
TAF
Nearest PAKT
Time zone
America/Sitka
Sunset in
1h 34m

Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed 5KE's live status on your website, free →

Nearby airports

Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.

VFRMVFRIFRLIFRNo report
See all Alaska airports →

Pilot PIREPs for Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base (5KE)

Community-submitted

Community-submitted airport notes from pilots about runway conditions, wildlife, FBOs, fuel, turbulence, ramp access, and local tips.

Read recent community-submitted pilot notes for Ketchikan Harbor Seaplane Base, 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 5KE 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.

⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.

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