Laurence G Hanscom Field (KBED) Aviation Weather: METAR, TAF & ATIS
As of 3:51 PM ET, Oct 28, KBED is currently VFR with winds from 200° at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The FAA lists no ground stop or delay program for KBED right now.
Live aviation weather for Laurence G Hanscom Field in Bedford, MA, including METAR, TAF, ATIS, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Laurence G Hanscom Field (KBED) is a regional airport serving Bedford, MA at a field elevation of 132 ft. KBED reports its own METAR and publishes a TAF, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has 2 physical runways (05/23, 11/29), the longest 7,011 ft. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page.
Wind from the south-southwest (200°) at 4 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 13°C (55°F), altimeter 30.40 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KBED 281951Z 20004KT 10SM CLR 13/00 A3040 RMK AO2 SLP308 T01280000
What changed at KBED?
Since the 1851Z (2:51 PM EDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 1851Z (2:51 PM EDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for KBED
KBED is currently VFR with winds from 200° at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors southwest-facing runway ends (23). Density altitude is approximately -700 ft (field elevation 132 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
KBED by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
The FAA issued 1 ground stop and 1 ground delay program for BED between October 2025 and October 2026, affecting 1 day. The reason was always low clouds. The ground stop lasted about 2 h.
KBED reported VFR in 78% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 262 flyable days a year. August is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 15% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually a mix of low ceilings (under 1,000 ft 9% of hours) and low visibility (under 3 miles 6%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 29 had the best headwind 38% of the time, runway 23 32%, and winds were calm 24% of hours. Winds most often blow from the west. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in under 1% of hours.
Snow fell on about 33 days a year and freezing rain or drizzle on 4. From December to February KBED was IFR or worse 14% of the time, against 10% from June to August.
Fog was reported on about 47 days a year, and fog or mist on 161. January and December are the foggiest months, with fog in 15% of hours, against 8% in August.
Gusts showed up in 15% of hours, typically 8 kt above the steady wind. March is the windiest month (mean 8 kt) and September the calmest.
Sources: FAA ATCSCC advisories, hourly observations 2006 to 2025 and the per-runway wind climatology 2006 to 2025. Historical summaries, not a forecast: check the current METAR, TAF and a briefing before flight.
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.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23FAV | 5,107 ft | ASP | 4 kt head | 1 kt left |
| 29 | 7,011 ft | ASP | 1 kt head | 4 kt left |
| 11 | 7,011 ft | ASP | 1 kt tail | 4 kt right |
| 05 | 5,107 ft | ASP | 4 kt tail | 1 kt right |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KBED runways
2 physical runways · 4 runway ends. Each card opens the runway's intelligence page: equipment and lighting, LAHSO, frequencies, today's configuration, predicted use, history and approaches.
- Restricted (NOTAM)Runway 05/235,107 × 150 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KBEDWind
- 05
- 4 kt tailwind · 1 kt crosswind from right
- 23
- 4 kt headwind · 1 kt crosswind from left
4 active equipment NOTAMsView Runway Intelligence → - Restricted (NOTAM)Runway 11/297,011 × 150 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KBEDWind
- 11
- 1 kt tailwind · 4 kt crosswind from right
- 29
- 1 kt headwind · 4 kt crosswind from left
3 active equipment NOTAMsView Runway Intelligence →
“Current use” is what the facilitystates; wind components are arithmetic on the current METAR against TRUE headings; status reflects NOTAMs received through SWIM, the tower's TFDM record and the D-ATIS — a runway reads “Open” only with a complete NOTAM picture.
24-hour trend
Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.
Over the last 23 h: wind 3→4 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KBED weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
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 KBED
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
ORH UA /OV ORH160010/TM 2003/FL160/TP E170/TB CONS LGT CHOP /RM 140 SMOOTH
ORH UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ORH160010Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 2003Reported at 20:03 UTC.FL160Altitude: 16,000 ft MSL.TP E170Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT CHOPTurbulence: continuous light chop.RM 140 SMOOTHRemarks.Show raw report
BDL UA /OV BDL/TM 1805/FL160/TP A319/TB MOD CHOP
BDL UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BDLLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1805Reported at 18:05 UTC.FL160Altitude: 16,000 ft MSL.TP A319Aircraft type reporting.TB MOD CHOPTurbulence: moderate chop.Show raw report
RUT UA /OV RUT230015/TM 1441/FL310/TP E75L/TB OCNL LGT CHOP
RUT UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV RUT230015Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1441Reported at 14:41 UTC.FL310Altitude: 31,000 ft MSL.TP E75LAircraft type reporting.TB OCNL LGT CHOPTurbulence: occasional light chop.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KBED
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KBED reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. Wind most often came from the NW.
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 29
- 38%
- 05
- 30%
- 23
- 25%
- 11
- 7%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 1720Z (1:20 PM EDT)
TAF KBED 281720Z 2818/2918 00000KT P6SM SCT250 FM282100 17003KT P6SM BKN250 FM290300 22005KT P6SM SCT070 SCT180
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get KBED weather alerts in Telegram
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Track KBED free on TelegramLive KBED Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KBED's own weather station.
Wind is 17° off runway 23, the end with the most headwind right now.
Asphalt · 5,107 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 05/23, 11/29 drawn from FAA threshold coordinates.
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
- Fuel
- 100LL · Jet A
- Attended
- 24 hours
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, major
- Oxygen
- Bottled, high & low pressure · Bulk, high & low pressure
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- Yes
- Other services
- Air freight · Air ambulance · Avionics · Charter · Flight instruction · Aircraft rental · Aircraft sales
- Control tower
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KBED
- IATA
- BED
- FAA LID
- BED
- City
- Bedford
- State
- Massachusetts
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 132 ft
- Coordinates
- 42.4700, -71.2890
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 4 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 7,011 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Published
- ATIS
- 124.6 MHz
- CTAF
- 118.5 MHz
- Time zone
- America/New_York
- Sunset in
- 1h 34m
Is there a ground stop at BED today? Delay status and history →
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KBED'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.
- Burlington RC Fliers - Blanchard Rd , Burlington, MA · 5 mi
- MCRCF - Middlesex County R-C Fliers - Veterans Park , Billerica, MA · 6 mi
- Charles River RCers - School St , Acton, MA · 6 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KBED
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KBED reported VFR conditions during about 77.7% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 262 VFR flying days a year. August had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 6.1 kt, calm 20.4% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76.7 | 10.0 | 8.1 | 5.2 |
| Feb | 78.2 | 8.7 | 8.0 | 5.1 |
| Mar | 79.4 | 8.9 | 8.0 | 3.7 |
| Apr | 78.5 | 9.8 | 8.0 | 3.7 |
| May | 75.8 | 10.4 | 9.8 | 4.0 |
| Jun | 75.3 | 12.3 | 8.7 | 3.8 |
| Jul | 79.8 | 11.2 | 6.1 | 2.9 |
| Aug | 83.6 | 8.6 | 5.5 | 2.3 |
| Sep | 79.1 | 10.0 | 7.0 | 3.9 |
| Oct | 75.5 | 10.8 | 9.1 | 4.7 |
| Nov | 80.8 | 9.0 | 6.2 | 4.0 |
| Dec | 74.1 | 10.7 | 8.7 | 6.5 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6.7 kt |
| Feb | 7.0 kt |
| Mar | 7.7 kt |
| Apr | 7.4 kt |
| May | 6.3 kt |
| Jun | 5.7 kt |
| Jul | 5.2 kt |
| Aug | 4.8 kt |
| Sep | 4.8 kt |
| Oct | 5.4 kt |
| Nov | 6.0 kt |
| Dec | 6.1 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KBED airport diagram
Official FAA taxiway and runway layout. Tap to zoom.
Official FAA airport diagram · d-TPP cycle 2611 · Not for navigation. Download the official FAA PDF ↗
Customize your BED shirt or mug
BED's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Laurence G Hanscom Field (KBED)
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 Laurence G Hanscom Field, 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 KBED 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.
No D-ATIS at this airport, showing METAR.
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