Desert Rock Airport (KDRA) Aviation Weather: METAR
As of 2:53 AM PDT, Oct 28, KDRA is currently VFR with variable winds at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Live aviation weather for Desert Rock Airport in Mercury, NV, including METAR, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Desert Rock Airport (KDRA) is a regional airport serving Mercury, NV at a field elevation of 3,314 ft. KDRA reports its own METAR, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has one runway (02/20), the longest 7,515 ft. Automated weather is broadcast on 119.675.
Wind variable at 4 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 14°C (57°F), altimeter 29.94 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KDRA 280953Z AUTO VRB04KT 10SM CLR 14/M01 A2994 RMK AO2 SLP105 T01391006
What changed at KDRA?
Since the 0853Z (1:53 AM PDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0853Z (1:53 AM PDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for KDRA
KDRA is currently VFR with variable winds at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. Density altitude is approximately 3,950 ft (field elevation 3,314 ft). KDRA does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KINS, about 18 nm away.
KDRA by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KDRA reported VFR in 99% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 352 flyable days a year. June is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse under 1% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually a mix of low ceilings (under 1,000 ft under 1% of hours) and low visibility (under 3 miles under 1%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 02 had the best headwind 55% of the time, runway 20 45%, and winds were calm 21% of hours. Winds most often blow from the southwest. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in 1% of hours.
Seasonal hazards are rare at KDRA: thunderstorms on about 2 days a year, fog on 1 and snow on 4. Wind is the main variable, with gusts in 22% of hours.
Field elevation is 3,314 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 6,661 ft, 3,347 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 22% of hours, typically 9 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 69 kt. April is the windiest month (mean 9 kt) and December 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.
Current wind is variable at 4 kt: light and variable wind like this is generally not a factor for runway selection, and with no steady direction 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02 | 7,515 ft | ASP | - | - |
| 20 | 7,515 ft | ASP | - | - |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KDRA runways
1 physical runway · 2 runway ends. Each card opens the runway's intelligence page: equipment and lighting, LAHSO, frequencies, today's configuration, predicted use, history and approaches.
- Status not monitoredRunway 02/207,515 × 100 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KDRAWind
- 02
- no steady wind
- 20
- no steady wind
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 3→4 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KDRA 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.
Recent aviation weather trends at KDRA
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KDRA reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 30 kt. Wind most often came from the S.
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 02
- 59%
- 20
- 41%
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Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KDRA 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 KDRA free on TelegramLive KDRA Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KDRA's own weather station.
Wind is calm or variable. Either end works.
Asphalt · 7,515 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 02/20 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
- Attended
- Unattended
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs
- Landing fee
- No
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KDRA
- IATA
- DRA
- FAA LID
- NV65
- City
- Mercury
- State
- Nevada
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 3,314 ft
- Coordinates
- 36.6194, -116.0330
- Runways
- 1 physical runway · 2 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 7,515 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Nearest KINS
- AWOS/ASOS
- 119.675 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Next sunset
- 14h 41m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KDRA'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
5 airports25–50 NM
6 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.
- Pahrump Valley Model Aviators - Bannavitch St , Pahrump, NV · 27 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KDRA
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KDRA reported VFR conditions during about 99.2% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 352 VFR flying days a year. June had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 7.6 kt, calm 15.1% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 98.0 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 |
| Feb | 98.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 98.8 | 1.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 |
| Apr | 99.6 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| May | 99.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 100.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 99.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 99.8 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 99.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 99.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 99.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Dec | 96.9 | 2.7 | 0.4 | 0.1 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.0 kt |
| Feb | 7.6 kt |
| Mar | 8.4 kt |
| Apr | 8.8 kt |
| May | 8.6 kt |
| Jun | 8.7 kt |
| Jul | 7.9 kt |
| Aug | 7.5 kt |
| Sep | 7.0 kt |
| Oct | 6.9 kt |
| Nov | 6.8 kt |
| Dec | 6.5 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
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Pilot PIREPs for Desert Rock Airport (KDRA)
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 Desert Rock 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 KDRA 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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