Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM) Aviation Weather: METAR & TAF
As of 6:53 AM MDT, Oct 28, KCNM is currently LIFR with winds from 160° at 6 knots, visibility 3/4 statute mile, and a 200 ft ceiling.
Live aviation weather for Cavern City Air Terminal in Carlsbad, NM, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM) is a regional airport serving Carlsbad, NM at a field elevation of 3,295 ft. KCNM reports its own METAR and publishes a TAF, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has 4 physical runways (03/21, 08/26, 14L/32R, 14R/32L), the longest 7,854 ft. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page.
Wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 6 kt, visibility 3/4 statute mile, sky obscured at 200 ft, temperature 16°C (60°F), altimeter 30.11 inHg. Conditions are Low IFR (LIFR), ceiling 200 ft.
METAR KCNM 281253Z AUTO 16006KT 3/4SM BR VV002 16/16 A3011 RMK AO2 SLP158 T01560156
What changed at KCNM?
Since the 1153Z (5:53 AM MDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 1153Z (5:53 AM MDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for KCNM
KCNM is currently LIFR with winds from 160° at 6 knots, visibility 3/4 statute mile, and a 200 ft ceiling. the wind favors runway ends 14L, 14R. Density altitude is approximately 3,900 ft (field elevation 3,295 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
KCNM by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KCNM reported VFR in 94% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 333 flyable days a year. August is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 5% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually low ceilings rather than fog (ceilings under 1,000 ft 2% of hours, visibility under 3 miles 1%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, the southeast-facing ends (14L, 14R) had the best headwind 36% of the time, runway 26 19%, and winds were calm 15% of hours. Winds most often blow from the south-southeast. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in under 1% of hours.
Thunderstorms were reported on about 44 days a year. 62% of storm hours fall in July, August and September, peaking in July when storms were in the air 2% of the time.
Snow fell on about 7 days a year and freezing rain or drizzle on 1. From December to February KCNM was IFR or worse 4% of the time, against 1% from June to August.
Field elevation is 3,295 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 6,321 ft, 3,026 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 15% of hours, typically 8 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 66 kt. April is the windiest month (mean 10 kt) and August the calmest.
Sources: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14LFAV | 4,616 ft | ASP | 6 kt head | 0 kt |
| 14R | 5,837 ft | ASP | 6 kt head | 1 kt right |
| 21 | 7,854 ft | ASP | 3 kt head | 5 kt left |
| 08 | 5,334 ft | ASP | 2 kt head | 6 kt right |
| 26 | 5,334 ft | ASP | 2 kt tail | 6 kt left |
| 03 | 7,854 ft | ASP | 3 kt tail | 5 kt right |
| 32R | 4,616 ft | ASP | 6 kt tail | 0 kt |
| 32L | 5,837 ft | ASP | 6 kt tail | 1 kt left |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KCNM runways
4 physical runways · 8 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 03/217,854 × 150 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KCNMWind
- 03
- 3 kt tailwind · 5 kt crosswind from right
- 21
- 3 kt headwind · 5 kt crosswind from left
1 active equipment NOTAMView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 08/265,334 × 75 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KCNMWind
- 08
- 2 kt headwind · 6 kt crosswind from right
- 26
- 2 kt tailwind · 6 kt crosswind from left
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 14L/32R4,616 × 150 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KCNMWind
- 14L
- 6 kt headwind · 0 kt crosswind
- 32R
- 6 kt tailwind · 0 kt crosswind
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 14R/32L5,837 × 100 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KCNMWind
- 14R
- 6 kt headwind · 1 kt crosswind from right
- 32L
- 6 kt tailwind · 1 kt crosswind from left
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView 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 8→6 kt, ceiling 1,600 ft → 200 ft.
KCNM 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 KCNM
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
ROW UA /OV ROW/TM 1256/FL041/TP C550/SK OVC002/RM BASES041 TOPS044
ROW UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV ROWLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1256Reported at 12:56 UTC.FL041Altitude: 4,100 ft MSL.TP C550Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC002Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.RM BASES041 TOPS044Remarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KCNM
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KCNM reported a mix of conditions, most often VFR across 36 observations, with 10 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 200 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: VFR → LIFR
Most recent change: IFR → LIFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 14L/14R
- 54%
- 32L/32R
- 17%
- 03
- 9%
- 26
- 9%
- 08
- 7%
- 21
- 4%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 1121Z (5:21 AM MDT)
TAF KCNM 281121Z 2812/2912 16005KT 1SM BR BKN002 FM281600 15007KT P6SM SCT025 FM281900 15007KT P6SM FEW045
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get KCNM weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KCNM 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 KCNM free on TelegramLive KCNM Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KCNM's own weather station.
Wind is 4° off runway 14L, the end with the most headwind right now.
Asphalt · 4,616 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 03/21, 08/26, 14L/32R, 14R/32L 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-1+
- Attended
- Mon-Fri 0600-2000 local; Sat-Sun 0700-1700 local
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- No
- Other services
- Air freight · Air ambulance
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KCNM
- IATA
- CNM
- FAA LID
- CNM
- City
- Carlsbad
- State
- New Mexico
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 3,295 ft
- Coordinates
- 32.3375, -104.2630
- Runways
- 4 physical runways · 8 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 7,854 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Published
- AWOS/ASOS
- 118.375 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Denver
- Sunset in
- 10h 35m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KCNM'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
1 airport25–50 NM
3 airports50–100 NM
8 airports+2 more within 100 NM
RC flying fields nearby
AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport: live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.
- Carlsbad RC Fliers - Happy Valley Rd , Carlsbad, NM · 6 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KCNM
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KCNM reported VFR conditions during about 93.7% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 333 VFR flying days a year. August had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 7.8 kt, calm 8.7% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 92.1 | 4.4 | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| Feb | 90.8 | 5.3 | 2.3 | 1.6 |
| Mar | 93.5 | 4.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 |
| Apr | 95.0 | 3.8 | 0.9 | 0.3 |
| May | 94.1 | 5.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 |
| Jun | 97.2 | 2.4 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 96.6 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 |
| Aug | 97.8 | 1.6 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
| Sep | 92.3 | 5.6 | 1.7 | 0.5 |
| Oct | 92.7 | 5.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 |
| Nov | 91.8 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 90.1 | 4.4 | 2.5 | 3.0 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.7 kt |
| Feb | 8.6 kt |
| Mar | 9.3 kt |
| Apr | 9.7 kt |
| May | 9.0 kt |
| Jun | 8.5 kt |
| Jul | 6.8 kt |
| Aug | 6.3 kt |
| Sep | 6.5 kt |
| Oct | 7.0 kt |
| Nov | 7.3 kt |
| Dec | 7.5 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KCNM 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 CNM shirt or mug
CNM's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Cavern City Air Terminal (KCNM)
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 Cavern City Air Terminal, 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 KCNM 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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