Detroit Lakes Airport (KDTL) Aviation Weather: METAR
As of 3:55 AM CDT, Oct 28, KDTL is currently IFR with winds from 170° at 11 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 700 ft ceiling.
Live aviation weather for Detroit Lakes Airport in Detroit Lakes, MN, including METAR, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Detroit Lakes Airport (KDTL) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Detroit Lakes, MN at a field elevation of 1,396 ft. KDTL reports its own METAR, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has 2 physical runways (14/32, 18/36), the longest 5,201 ft. Automated weather is broadcast on 111.2.
Wind from the south (170°) at 11 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, overcast at 700 ft, temperature 7°C (44°F), altimeter 29.95 inHg. Conditions are Instrument Flight Rules (IFR), ceiling 700 ft.
METAR KDTL 280855Z AUTO 17011KT 10SM OVC007 07/07 A2995 RMK AO2 T00650065
What changed at KDTL?
Since the 0835Z (3:35 AM CDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0835Z (3:35 AM CDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for KDTL
KDTL is currently IFR with winds from 170° at 11 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 700 ft ceiling. the wind favors runway ends 14, 18. Density altitude is approximately 650 ft (field elevation 1,396 ft). KDTL does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KFAR, about 39 nm away.
KDTL by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KDTL reported VFR in 75% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 234 flyable days a year. July is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 30% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually low ceilings rather than fog (ceilings under 1,000 ft 13% of hours, visibility under 3 miles 5%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 32 had the best headwind 35% of the time, runway 14 28%, and winds were calm 14% of hours. Winds most often blow from the northwest. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in under 1% of hours.
Snow fell on about 82 days a year. From December to February KDTL was IFR or worse 25% of the time, against 5% from June to August.
Thunderstorms were reported on about 44 days a year. 65% of storm hours fall in June, July and August, peaking in July when storms were in the air 2% of the time.
Gusts showed up in 22% of hours, typically 7 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 58 kt. April is the windiest month (mean 9 kt) and July 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18FAV | 1,890 ft | GRS | 11 kt head | 2 kt left |
| 14 | 5,201 ft | ASP | 10 kt head | 5 kt right |
| 32 | 5,201 ft | ASP | 10 kt tail | 5 kt left |
| 36 | 1,890 ft | GRS | 11 kt tail | 2 kt right |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KDTL 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.
- Status not monitoredRunway 14/325,201 × 100 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KDTLWind
- 14
- 10 kt headwind · 5 kt crosswind from right
- 32
- 10 kt tailwind · 5 kt crosswind from left
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 18/361,890 × 250 ft · GRSCurrent useno stated-runway source at KDTLWind
- 18
- 11 kt headwind · 2 kt crosswind from left
- 36
- 11 kt tailwind · 2 kt crosswind from right
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 24 h: wind 8→11 kt, ceiling 700 ft → 700 ft.
KDTL 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 KDTL
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 0446/FL021/TP E170/SK OVC021-TOP030/RM DURD ILS RWY 18
FAR UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV KFARLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0446Reported at 04:46 UTC.FL021Altitude: 2,100 ft MSL.TP E170Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC021-TOP030Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.RM DURD ILS RWY 18Remarks.Show raw report
FAR UA /OV KFAR/TM 0322/FL026/TP E170/SK OVC026-TOP038
FAR UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV KFARLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0322Reported at 03:22 UTC.FL026Altitude: 2,600 ft MSL.TP E170Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC026-TOP038Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KDTL
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KDTL reported mostly IFR across 72 observations, with 4 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 400 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: MVFR → IFR
Most recent change: MVFR → IFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 14
- 37%
- 32
- 31%
- 18
- 23%
- 36
- 9%
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Track KDTL free on TelegramLive KDTL Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KDTL's own weather station.
Wind is 10° off runway 18, the end with the most headwind right now.
Turf · 1,890 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 14/32, 18/36 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
- Mon-Fri 0800-1700 local
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, major
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- No
- Other services
- Aircraft sales
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- General aviation airport
- ICAO
- KDTL
- IATA
- DTL
- FAA LID
- DTL
- City
- Detroit Lakes
- State
- Minnesota
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 1,396 ft
- Coordinates
- 46.8243, -95.8833
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 4 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 5,201 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Nearest KFAR
- AWOS/ASOS
- 111.2 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Next sunset
- 14h 4m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KDTL'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
8 airports+2 more within 50 NM
50–100 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.
- Screamin Eagles - 460th St , Perham, MN · 18 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KDTL
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KDTL reported VFR conditions during about 74.7% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 234 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 7.6 kt, calm 12.6% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56.6 | 16.8 | 17.3 | 9.3 |
| Feb | 65.8 | 14.6 | 12.8 | 6.8 |
| Mar | 69.2 | 15.6 | 9.5 | 5.7 |
| Apr | 75.5 | 12.7 | 7.9 | 3.9 |
| May | 79.9 | 12.6 | 5.7 | 1.8 |
| Jun | 84.8 | 9.7 | 4.0 | 1.5 |
| Jul | 90.1 | 6.4 | 2.2 | 1.2 |
| Aug | 85.6 | 8.2 | 3.9 | 2.4 |
| Sep | 80.8 | 10.2 | 6.1 | 2.9 |
| Oct | 72.2 | 14.8 | 9.4 | 3.7 |
| Nov | 65.0 | 18.6 | 10.8 | 5.5 |
| Dec | 51.7 | 18.1 | 18.6 | 11.6 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.7 kt |
| Feb | 7.5 kt |
| Mar | 8.2 kt |
| Apr | 8.5 kt |
| May | 8.0 kt |
| Jun | 7.2 kt |
| Jul | 6.2 kt |
| Aug | 6.2 kt |
| Sep | 7.3 kt |
| Oct | 8.2 kt |
| Nov | 8.3 kt |
| Dec | 7.7 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
Customize your DTL shirt or mug
DTL's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Detroit Lakes Airport (KDTL)
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 Detroit Lakes 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 KDTL 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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