Fort Madison Municipal Airport (KFSW) Aviation Weather: METAR
As of 3:55 AM CDT, Oct 28, KFSW is currently VFR with winds from 150° at 7 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Live aviation weather for Fort Madison Municipal Airport in Fort Madison, IA, including METAR, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Fort Madison Municipal Airport (KFSW) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Fort Madison, IA at a field elevation of 722 ft. KFSW reports its own METAR, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has one runway (17/35), the longest 4,000 ft. Automated weather is broadcast on 120.925.
Wind from the south-southeast (150°) at 7 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 14°C (57°F), altimeter 30.15 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KFSW 280855Z AUTO 15007KT 10SM CLR 14/10 A3015 RMK AO2
What changed at KFSW?
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 KFSW
KFSW is currently VFR with winds from 150° at 7 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors south-facing runway ends (17). Density altitude is approximately 500 ft (field elevation 722 ft). KFSW does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KBRL, about 12 nm away.
KFSW by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KFSW reported VFR in 80% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 262 flyable days a year. June is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 14% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually low ceilings rather than fog (ceilings under 1,000 ft 7% of hours, visibility under 3 miles 5%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 17 had the best headwind 55% of the time, runway 35 45%, and winds were calm 17% of hours. Winds most often blow from the south. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in 1% of hours.
Snow fell on about 34 days a year. From December to February KFSW was IFR or worse 13% of the time, against 7% from June to August.
Fog was reported on about 23 days a year, and fog or mist on 93. January and December are the foggiest months, with fog in 8% of hours, against 3% in June.
Field elevation is 722 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 2,359 ft, 1,637 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 17% of hours, typically 6 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 87 kt. April is the windiest month (mean 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17FAV | 4,000 ft | CON | 7 kt head | 2 kt left |
| 35 | 4,000 ft | CON | 7 kt tail | 2 kt right |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KFSW 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 17/354,000 × 75 ft · CONCurrent useno stated-runway source at KFSWWind
- 17
- 7 kt headwind · 2 kt crosswind from left
- 35
- 7 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 6→7 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KFSW 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 KFSW
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KFSW reported mostly VFR across 71 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 6,000 ft. Wind most often came from the SE.
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 17
- 73%
- 35
- 27%
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Track KFSW free on TelegramLive KFSW Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KFSW's own weather station.
Wind is 17° off runway 17, the end with the most headwind right now.
Concrete · 4,000 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 17/35 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
- Attended
- Mon-Sun ON CALL local
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- No
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- General aviation airport
- ICAO
- KFSW
- IATA
- FMS
- FAA LID
- FSW
- City
- Fort Madison
- State
- Iowa
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 722 ft
- Coordinates
- 40.6591, -91.3278
- Runways
- 1 physical runway · 2 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 4,000 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Nearest KBRL
- AWOS/ASOS
- 120.925 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Next sunset
- 13h 57m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KFSW'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
9 airports+3 more within 25 NM
25–50 NM
7 airports+1 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.
- Burlington Model Airplane Club - North 3rd Street , Burlington, IA · 16 mi
- Burlington Model Airplane Club - Big Hollow Recreation Park , Sperry, IA · 21 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KFSW
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KFSW reported VFR conditions during about 79.8% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 262 VFR flying days a year. June had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 6.5 kt, calm 14.8% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 68.3 | 16.9 | 8.6 | 6.2 |
| Feb | 74.4 | 14.0 | 6.3 | 5.2 |
| Mar | 75.0 | 12.6 | 6.1 | 6.2 |
| Apr | 81.2 | 10.0 | 4.0 | 4.8 |
| May | 86.2 | 8.9 | 3.5 | 1.4 |
| Jun | 90.1 | 6.2 | 2.3 | 1.5 |
| Jul | 85.1 | 6.5 | 2.3 | 6.1 |
| Aug | 85.5 | 6.6 | 2.1 | 5.8 |
| Sep | 82.5 | 7.6 | 3.8 | 6.2 |
| Oct | 82.5 | 8.7 | 3.3 | 5.5 |
| Nov | 80.0 | 12.4 | 4.3 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 67.2 | 19.2 | 8.2 | 5.4 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 7.6 kt |
| Feb | 7.7 kt |
| Mar | 8.0 kt |
| Apr | 8.3 kt |
| May | 6.5 kt |
| Jun | 5.6 kt |
| Jul | 4.2 kt |
| Aug | 4.0 kt |
| Sep | 4.5 kt |
| Oct | 6.1 kt |
| Nov | 7.5 kt |
| Dec | 7.2 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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FSW's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Fort Madison Municipal Airport (KFSW)
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 Fort Madison 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 KFSW 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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