Albert Lea Municipal Airport (KAEL) Aviation Weather, METAR, TAF & ATIS Alerts
Live aviation weather for Albert Lea Municipal Airport in Albert Lea, MN, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter, runway crosswinds, and Telegram airport alerts.
Albert Lea Municipal Airport (KAEL) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Albert Lea, MN at 1,260 ft. KAEL reports its own METAR — decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. Its 4 runways (05, 17, 23, 35) — longest 5,000 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. Automated weather is broadcast on 109.8. Track KAEL in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get a message when a new METAR changes the picture — flight category, wind, or ceiling past your selected minimums.
Wind calm, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 23°C (73°F), altimeter 29.95 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KAEL 290335Z AUTO 00000KT 10SM CLR 23/23 A2995 RMK AO2 T02300230
What changed at KAEL?
Since the 0315Z (10:15 PM CDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0315Z report — conditions are holding steady.
This is exactly what ATIS Alerts watches for you — get a Telegram message when KAEL's weather changes, free →
Current pilot readout for KAEL
KAEL is currently VFR with calm winds, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. Density altitude is approximately 2,500 ft (field elevation 1,260 ft). KAEL does not publish a TAF — the nearest TAF station is KMCW, about 31 nm away.
⚠️ 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 →
Get KAEL weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KAEL in ATIS Alerts and get notified when a new METAR changes the picture — a category drop, or wind and ceiling moving toward your minimums.
Track KAEL 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 KAEL. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05 | 2,898 ft | ASP | — | — |
| 17 | 5,000 ft | ASP | — | — |
| 23 | 2,898 ft | ASP | — | — |
| 35 | 5,000 ft | ASP | — | — |
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 4→0 kt, ceiling 27,000 ft → unlimited.
KAEL weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Albert Lea Municipal Airport in Albert Lea, MN: 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 KAEL 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 KAEL
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
HCD UA /OV HCD/TM 0131/FL160/TP A321/SK UNKN-TOP220/TB NEG/RM DURD ON TORGY
HCD UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV HCDLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0131Reported at 01:31 UTC.FL160Altitude: 16,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.SK UNKN-TOP220Sky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.RM DURD ON TORGYRemarks.Show raw report
RWF UA /OV RWF/TM 0019/FL300/TP B83M/TB CONS LGT CHOP/RM RPTD BY NMURS ACFT
RWF UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV RWFLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0019Reported at 00:19 UTC.FL300Altitude: 30,000 ft MSL.TP B83MAircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT CHOPTurbulence: continuous light chop.RM RPTD BY NMURS ACFTRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KAEL
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KAEL reported mostly VFR across 71 observations, with 2 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 3,000 ft. Wind most often came from the N.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
- 17
- 45%
- 23
- 28%
- 35
- 19%
- 05
- 8%
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- ICAO
- KAEL
- IATA
- AEL
- FAA LID
- AEL
- City
- Albert Lea
- State
- Minnesota
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 1,260 ft
- Coordinates
- 43.6815, -93.3672
- Runways
- 4
- Longest runway
- 5,000 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Nearest KMCW
- AWOS/ASOS
- 109.8 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Next sunset
- 21h 46m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KAEL's live status on your website — free →
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.
- Freeborn-Mower R C Flyers - 875th Ave — Hollandale, MN · 14 mi
- SMMAC - Southern MN Model Aircraft Club - 48th St — Owatonna, MN · 24 mi
- Owatonna RC Modelers - 43rd Ave — Owatonna, MN · 24 mi
Historical Flying Weather
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KAEL reported VFR conditions during about 74.6% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 243 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 6.6 kt, calm 16.2% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55.4 | 20.5 | 13.3 | 10.8 |
| Feb | 66.4 | 18.0 | 9.8 | 5.7 |
| Mar | 68.4 | 16.9 | 8.2 | 6.5 |
| Apr | 73.8 | 15.8 | 7.5 | 2.9 |
| May | 79.6 | 13.3 | 5.6 | 1.6 |
| Jun | 84.9 | 10.2 | 3.5 | 1.4 |
| Jul | 86.9 | 9.2 | 2.5 | 1.4 |
| Aug | 82.8 | 10.4 | 3.9 | 2.9 |
| Sep | 83.7 | 9.9 | 4.3 | 2.1 |
| Oct | 77.2 | 12.8 | 6.3 | 3.7 |
| Nov | 68.3 | 18.4 | 8.3 | 4.9 |
| Dec | 53.8 | 20.5 | 14.2 | 11.5 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.1 kt |
| Feb | 7.1 kt |
| Mar | 7.8 kt |
| Apr | 8.5 kt |
| May | 7.2 kt |
| Jun | 6.0 kt |
| Jul | 4.7 kt |
| Aug | 4.5 kt |
| Sep | 5.5 kt |
| Oct | 6.7 kt |
| Nov | 7.4 kt |
| Dec | 7.1 kt |
Historical summary of past observations — not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KAEL weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at KAEL?+
KAEL has 4 runways — 05, 17, 23, 35; the longest is 5,000 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Does KAEL report its own weather?+
Yes — Albert Lea Municipal Airport has its own weather station and publishes METAR observations, which this page decodes live.
Does KAEL have a TAF?+
No — KAEL does not publish its own TAF. The nearest TAF station is KMCW, about 31 nm away.
Does KAEL broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — KAEL does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for KAEL from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Albert Lea Municipal Airport (KAEL)
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 Albert Lea Municipal 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 KAEL 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.
Why pilots use ATIS Alerts
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- Get pinged the moment KAEL drops below VFR or a new report moves your numbers.
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⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
No D-ATIS at this airport — showing METAR.
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