ATIS Alerts

Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) Aviation Weather, METAR, TAF & ATIS Alerts

Live aviation weather for Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, IL, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter, runway crosswinds, and Telegram airport alerts.

Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) is one of the primary air-carrier airports serving Chicago, IL at 620 ft. KMDW reports its own METAR and publishes a TAF, and broadcasts digital ATIS (D-ATIS) — decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. Its 10 runways (04L, 04R, 13L, 13LC) — longest 6,522 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page. Track KMDW in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get a message the moment the ATIS letter changes or the weather drops below your selected minimums.

VFR
Observed 0653Z (1:53 AM CDT)live · refreshes every 60s
Wind
350° 6 kt
Visibility
10+ sm
Ceiling
Unlimited
Altimeter
29.93"
Temp / Dew
20°C / 68°F
dew 16°C

Wind from the north (350°) at 6 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 20°C (68°F), altimeter 29.93 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).

Raw METAR
METAR KMDW 290653Z 35006KT 10SM CLR 20/16 A2993 RMK AO2 SLP126 T02000161

What changed at KMDW?

Since the 0553Z (12:53 AM CDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.

No significant changes since the 0553Z report — conditions are holding steady.

This is exactly what ATIS Alerts watches for you — get a Telegram message when KMDW's ATIS or weather changes, free →

Current pilot readout for KMDW

KMDW is currently VFR with winds from 350° at 6 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 04L, about 5 knots. Density altitude is approximately 1,350 ft (field elevation 620 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.

⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.

New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →

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D-ATIS

Digital Automatic Terminal Information Service — the live broadcast.

Combined ATIS — Information Charlie (0653Z / 1:53 AM CDT)
MDW ATIS INFO C 0653Z. 35006KT 10SM CLR 20/16 A2993 (TWO NINER NINER THREE) RMK AO2 SLP126 T02000161. ILS RWY 4R APCH IN USE. LNDG AND DEPG RWYS 4R. NOTICE TO AIRMEN. RWY 31R, 13L CLSD, RWY 31L, 13R CLSD, RWY 4L, 22R CLSD. Y PAD CLSD. RWY 4L PAPI OTS. AIRCRAFT SHOULD OPERATE MODE CEE ON ALL TWYS AND RWYS. MULT TWYS CLSD. CTC TWR 135.2 FOR ALL SERVICES. READBACK ALL RWY HOLD SHORT INSTRUCTIONS AND ALT ASSIGNMENTS. ...ADVS YOU HAVE INFO C.

See all US D-ATIS airports →

Runway wind check

Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.

Use this section to quickly compare current wind alignment across available runways at KMDW. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.

RunwayHead / TailCrosswind
31LFAV5 kt head4 kt right
31R5 kt head4 kt right
04L4 kt head5 kt left
04R4 kt head5 kt left
22L4 kt tail5 kt right
22R4 kt tail5 kt right
13L5 kt tail4 kt left
13R5 kt tail4 kt left

Open the crosswind calculator — try your own wind and runway numbers →

24-hour trend

Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.

Wind (kt)Gusts (kt)Bottom strip — flight category:VFRMVFRIFRLIFRNo report
0142807Z16Z06Z

Over the last 23 h: wind 126 kt, ceiling unlimitedunlimited.

KMDW weather radar

Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.

Live weather radar around Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, IL: the NOAA/NWS NEXRAD composite updates about every five minutes, with NOAA lightning strike density overlaid. The loop plays the past 50 minutes, then continues into a future-radar forecast (+1 to +4 hours, NOAA HRRR model) so you can see where precipitation around KMDW is headed.

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Loading radar…

Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © OpenStreetMap © CARTO

Forecast frames (amber label) are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Lightning strike density appears as a blue-white glow when strikes are detected in view. Radar and lightning coverage are limited in parts of Alaska, Hawaii, and offshore areas. Not for navigation.

Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of KMDW

Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.

PIREP0340Z (10:40 PM CDT) · 70 NM N of KMDW · during descent · A319
Show raw report
MKE UA /OV MKE190000/TM 0340/FL000/TP A319/WV 010004/RM NEG WINDSHEAR-MICROBURST ON FINAL
MKE UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV MKE190000Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0340Reported at 03:40 UTC.
FL000Altitude: 0 ft MSL.
TP A319Aircraft type reporting.
WV 010004Wind (direction/speed) or wind-shear remarks.
RM NEG WINDSHEAR-MICROBURST …Remarks.
PIREP0213Z (9:13 PM CDT) · 28 NM N of KMDW · 23,000 ft MSL · B763
Show raw report
PWK UA /OV OBK/TM 0213/FL230/TP B763/TB NEG
PWK UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV OBKLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0213Reported at 02:13 UTC.
FL230Altitude: 23,000 ft MSL.
TP B763Aircraft type reporting.
TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.
PIREP0208Z (9:08 PM CDT) · 49 NM N of KMDW · during climb · CRJ2
Show raw report
ENW UA /OV ENW/TM 0208/FL160/TP CRJ2/TB NEG/RM DURC
ENW UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV ENWLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0208Reported at 02:08 UTC.
FL160Altitude: 16,000 ft MSL.
TP CRJ2Aircraft type reporting.
TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.
RM DURCRemarks.
PIREP0206Z (9:06 PM CDT) · 91 NM SW of KMDW · 33,000 ft MSL · B739
Show raw report
C75 UA /OV BDF/TM 0206/FL330/TP B739/TB NEG
C75 UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV BDFLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0206Reported at 02:06 UTC.
FL330Altitude: 33,000 ft MSL.
TP B739Aircraft type reporting.
TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.
PIREP0204Z (9:04 PM CDT) · 90 NM S of KMDW · during climb · B737
Show raw report
DNV UA /OV DNV/TM 0204/FL300/TP B737/TB NEG/RM DURC
DNV UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV DNVLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0204Reported at 02:04 UTC.
FL300Altitude: 30,000 ft MSL.
TP B737Aircraft type reporting.
TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.
RM DURCRemarks.
PIREP0204Z (9:04 PM CDT) · 90 NM S of KMDW · 25,000 ft MSL · E170
intermittent light chop turbulence
Show raw report
TIP UA /OV RBS190015/TM 0204/FL250/TP E170/TB INTMT LGT CHOP
TIP UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.
OV RBS190015Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.
TM 0204Reported at 02:04 UTC.
FL250Altitude: 25,000 ft MSL.
TP E170Aircraft type reporting.
TB INTMT LGT CHOPTurbulence: intermittent light chop.

⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.

Recent aviation weather trends at KMDW

From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.

Over the past 24 hours, KMDW reported a mix of conditions, most often VFR across 31 observations, with 5 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 24 kt, the lowest ceiling was 400 ft. Wind most often came from the N.

Last 24 hours
VFR 55%MVFR 13%IFR 26%LIFR 6%
Wind avg/max: 12/16 kt
Max gust: 24 kt
Lowest ceiling: 400 ft
Lowest vis:
Prevailing wind: N
Category changes: 5

Most recent change: MVFRVFR

Last 7 days
VFR 85%MVFR 9%IFR 6%LIFR 1%
Wind avg/max: 8/30 kt
Max gust: 44 kt
Lowest ceiling: 400 ft
Lowest vis: 1.5 sm
Prevailing wind: SW
Category changes: 13

Most recent change: MVFRVFR

Active Runway - past 30 days
04L/04R
41%
22L/22R
41%
31L/31R
11%
13L/13R
7%

TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast

Issued 0520Z (12:20 AM CDT)

TAF KMDW 290520Z 2906/3012 03008KT P6SM FEW070

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Airport facts

Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.

Type
Large airport
ICAO
KMDW
IATA
MDW
FAA LID
MDW
City
Chicago
State
Illinois
Country
United States
Elevation
620 ft
Coordinates
41.7860, -87.7524
Runways
10
Longest runway
6,522 ft
Weather reporting
METAR · D-ATIS
TAF
Published
ATIS
132.75 MHz
AWOS/ASOS
132.75 MHz
Time zone
America/Chicago
Next sunset
17h 44m

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Nearby airports

Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.

RC flying fields nearby

AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport — live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.

All RC flying fields →

See all Illinois airports →

Historical Flying Weather

2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index

Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KMDW reported VFR conditions during about 78.6% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 260 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 8.5 kt, calm 5.5% of the time.

VFR Score
38
Wind Score
48
Reliability Score
43
National VFR rank
#1108 of 1,400
Regional rank
#41
State rank
#23
Full historical breakdown
Daylight VFR
78.6%
MVFR
15.1%
IFR
5.5%
LIFR
1.6%
Est. VFR days/yr
260
Most VFR month
July
Fewest VFR month
December
Median ceiling
6,500 ft
Median visibility
10 sm
Calm wind
5.5%
Median wind
8 kt
Gusty hours
19.9%
Crosswind >15 kt
0.2%
Fog/mist days/yr
132
Thunderstorm days/yr
44
Summer density alt
2,149 ft

Flight category by month

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
VFRMVFRIFRLIFR
KMDW monthly flight-category distribution, 2006–2025
MonthVFR %MVFR %IFR %LIFR %
Jan58.025.911.84.3
Feb67.720.78.53.1
Mar73.817.86.42.0
Apr79.913.15.71.3
May83.410.74.61.3
Jun87.77.93.50.9
Jul91.86.61.40.1
Aug90.87.51.50.2
Sep86.810.52.30.4
Oct81.413.34.70.6
Nov75.219.14.71.1
Dec57.428.211.03.5

Average wind by month

0511JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
KMDW average wind by month, 2006–2025
MonthMean wind (kt)
Jan9.3 kt
Feb9.4 kt
Mar9.5 kt
Apr9.7 kt
May8.4 kt
Jun7.9 kt
Jul7.2 kt
Aug6.9 kt
Sep7.3 kt
Oct8.4 kt
Nov8.9 kt
Dec8.9 kt

Historical summary of past observations — not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.

KMDW airport diagram

Official FAA taxiway and runway layout. Tap to zoom.

The FAA airport diagram for Chicago Midway International Airport in Chicago, IL shows the runway and taxiway layout across 10 runways, ramp areas, and hold-short positions — review it before taxiing at an unfamiliar field.

Official FAA airport diagram · d-TPP cycle 2608 · Not for navigation. Download the official FAA PDF ↗

KMDW weather — frequently asked

What runways are available at KMDW?+

KMDW has 10 runways — 04L, 04R, 13L, 13LC, 13R, 22L, 22R, 31L, 31R, 31RC; the longest is 6,522 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.

Does KMDW report its own weather?+

Yes — Chicago Midway International Airport has its own weather station and publishes METAR observations, which this page decodes live.

Does KMDW have a TAF?+

Yes — the TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.

Does KMDW broadcast D-ATIS?+

Yes — KMDW publishes digital ATIS, and the live broadcast text with its current information letter is shown on this page. The ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) can message you the moment the letter changes.

Where can I find the KMDW airport diagram?+

The official FAA airport diagram for Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW) is shown on this page — it maps the runway and taxiway layout, ramps, and hold-short lines. Tap it to zoom, or download the official FAA PDF free from the link under the diagram (updated every 28-day FAA charting cycle).

Pilot PIREPs for Chicago Midway International Airport (KMDW)

Community-submitted

Community-submitted airport notes from pilots about runway conditions, wildlife, FBOs, fuel, turbulence, ramp access, and local tips.

Read recent community-submitted pilot notes for Chicago Midway International 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 KMDW 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.

From the ATIS Alerts team

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