Castle Airport (KMER) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Castle Airport in Merced, CA, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KMCE) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Castle Airport (KMER) is a regional airport serving Merced, CA at 191 ft. KMER has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from KMCE, about 6 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (13, 31) — longest 11,802 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 it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KMCE, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station KMCE, 6.3 nm away.
Wind from the north-northwest (330°) at 4 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 26°C (79°F), altimeter 29.79 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KMCE 290353Z AUTO 33004KT 10SM CLR 26/13 A2979 RMK AO2 SLP087 T02610128
What changed at KMCE (nearest station)?
Since the 0253Z (7:53 PM PDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Temperature down 4°C.
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Current pilot readout for KMER
Based on the nearest station (KMCE), KMER is currently VFR with winds from 330° at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 13, about 1 knots. Density altitude is approximately 1,750 ft (field elevation 191 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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Track KMER free on TelegramRunway 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 KMER. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31FAV | 11,802 ft | PEM | 4 kt head | 1 kt right |
| 13 | 11,802 ft | PEM | 4 kt tail | 1 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.
Over the last 23 h: wind 8→4 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KMER weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Castle Airport in Merced, CA: 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 KMER is headed.
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 KMER
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
SCK UA /OV LIN /TM 0352 /FL065 /TP C172 /SK SKC /TA 20 /WV 26003KT /TB NEG /IC NEG /RM HZ LYR BLO NORTH TO COMANCHE RESEVOIR WEST TO RIVER DELTA
SCK UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV LINLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0352Reported at 03:52 UTC.FL065Altitude: 6,500 ft MSL.TP C172Aircraft type reporting.SK SKCSky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TA 20Outside air temperature, °C.WV 26003KTWind (direction/speed) or wind-shear remarks.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM HZ LYR BLO NORTH TO COMAN…Remarks.Show raw report
MRY UA /OV KMRY/TM 0236/FLDURC/TP A319/SK OVC009
MRY UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV KMRYLocation — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0236Reported at 02:36 UTC.FLDURCReported during climb.TP A319Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC009Sky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.Show raw report
TPH UA /OV MMH340005/TM 0104/FL200/TP E170/TB MOD/RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCS
TPH UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MMH340005Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0104Reported at 01:04 UTC.FL200Altitude: 20,000 ft MSL.TP E170Aircraft type reporting.TB MODTurbulence: moderate.RM ENTERED BY ZOA FDCSRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KMER
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KMCE reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. Wind most often came from the NW.
- 31
- 99%
- 13
- 1%
TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 2327Z (4:27 PM PDT)
TAF KMCE 282327Z 2900/2924 VRB06KT P6SM SKC
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KMER
- IATA
- MER
- FAA LID
- MER
- City
- Merced
- State
- California
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 191 ft
- Coordinates
- 37.3805, -120.5680
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 11,802 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KMCE
- TAF
- Nearest KMCE
- AWOS/ASOS
- 124.475 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Next sunset
- 23h 15m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KMER'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
10 airports+4 more within 25 NM
25–50 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.
- Merced County RC Club -S Bert Crane Rd — Atwater, CA · 8 mi
- Turlock RC Club - Turlock Airpark — Turlock, CA · 16 mi
- Turlock RC Club - Lake McSwain Recreation Area — Hornitos, CA · 17 mi
KMER airport diagram
Official FAA taxiway and runway layout. Tap to zoom.
The FAA airport diagram for Castle Airport in Merced, CA shows the runway and taxiway layout across 2 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 ↗
KMER weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at KMER?+
KMER has 2 runways — 13, 31; the longest is 11,802 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for KMER come from?+
Castle Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KMCE, about 6 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at KMER can differ.
Does KMER have a TAF?+
Yes — the KMCE TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does KMER broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — KMER does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for KMER from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Where can I find the KMER airport diagram?+
The official FAA airport diagram for Castle Airport (KMER) 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 Castle Airport (KMER)
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 Castle 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 KMER 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.
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⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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