KMER Runway 13/31 — Castle Airport
11,802 × 150 ft pem · true headings 140° / 320° · field elevation 190 ft
Runway 13/31 at Castle Airport (KMER) in Merced, CA is 11,802 ft long and 150 ft wide, pem, with true headings 140° and 320°. The FAA record lists ALSF-1 approach lights on runway 13. KMER has no digital ATIS, so the active runway is not known; the wind-favored end and the ATIS Alerts prediction are estimates.
Runway 13/31 — current operational status
What the D-ATIS, the tower and current NOTAMs state now. The published FAA baseline (NASR) is a separate line in the overview below and does not reflect temporary closures.
- No received NOTAM closes or restricts this runway, but the NOTAM stream has no complete initial load and the airport has no tower or D-ATIS feed. No current closure information.
Sources: Published FAA baseline (OurAirports/NASR record) · FAA NOTAMs. Runway NOTAMs stream live from the FAA NOTAM Management Service (SWIM); the official text is shown verbatim below the card. Always confirm with a current briefing.
NOTAMs for runway 13/31
Official text as issued; grouped for reading only. “Scheduled” means not yet in effect. NOTAMs are received live from the FAA NOTAM Management Service through SWIM and recorded since Sep 19, 2026; a NOTAM issued before that and not re-issued since may be missing. Get a full briefing before flight.
- 09/020 · DOM09/28 1742Z (10:42 AM PDT) → 03/29 2111Z (2:11 PM PDT)
!MER 09/020 MER RWY 31 SEQUENCED FLG LGT U/S 2609281742-2703292111EST
Current runway assignment is not available from D-ATIS at KMER. The wind components below show which end the wind favors; the section after it is an ATIS Alerts prediction. Neither is an ATC assignment.
Current wind on Runway 13/31
Wind from the northwest (310°) at 9 kt · from KMCE, the nearest reporting station
- Tailwind
- 9 kt
- Crosswind
- 2 ktfrom right
- Headwind
- 9 kt
- Crosswind
- 2 ktfrom left
- arrivals
- departures
- LAHSO hold-short
- closed
Layout from FAA NASR runway-end coordinates; the selected runway is highlighted and no active source exists here. Not for navigation. Official FAA diagram ↗
Components use TRUE runway headings and TRUE METAR wind. “Favored by wind” is arithmetic, not an ATC assignment.
Runway 13/31 outlook
Where runway 13/31 stands now and which runway at KMER is likely over the next 12 hours — an estimate, not an ATC assignment.
Time · runway 13/31 · airport-wide outlook · confidence · forecast wind · why
- Now1756Z · 10:56 AM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·9 kt headwind, 2 kt crosswind·High 95%·wind 310° at 9 kt·Why Current METAR wind 310° at 9 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 9 kt headwind and 2 kt crosswind on 31 versus -9 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.
- +1 h1856Z · 11:56 AM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·8 kt headwind, 1 kt crosswind·High 95%·wind 330° at 8 kt·Why TAF forecast wind 330° at 8 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 8 kt headwind and 1 kt crosswind on 31 versus -8 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.|Confidence falls with forecast distance (+1 h).
- +2 h1956Z · 12:56 PM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·8 kt headwind, 1 kt crosswind·High 95%·wind 330° at 8 kt·Why TAF forecast wind 330° at 8 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 8 kt headwind and 1 kt crosswind on 31 versus -8 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.|Confidence falls with forecast distance (+2 h).
- +3 h2056Z · 1:56 PM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·8 kt headwind, 1 kt crosswind·High 95%·wind 330° at 8 kt·Why TAF forecast wind 330° at 8 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 8 kt headwind and 1 kt crosswind on 31 versus -8 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.|Confidence falls with forecast distance (+3 h).
- +6 h2356Z · 4:56 PM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·5 kt headwind, 0 kt crosswind·High 92%·wind 320° at 5 kt·Why TAF forecast wind 320° at 5 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 5 kt headwind and 0 kt crosswind on 31 versus -5 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.|Confidence falls with forecast distance (+6 h).
- +12 h0556Z · 10:56 PM PDT·13/31: 31 likely·airport-wide likely 31 then 13·Northwest flow·5 kt headwind, 0 kt crosswind·Medium 74%·wind 320° at 5 kt·Why TAF forecast wind 320° at 5 kt favors northwest-facing runway ends: 5 kt headwind and 0 kt crosswind on 31 versus -5 kt headwind on 13.|No known runway closure prevents this configuration.|Confidence falls with forecast distance (+12 h).
ATIS Alerts Predicted Runway is an estimate from the TAF wind forecast, runway geometry (most headwind, crosswind penalised, tailwind over 5 kt avoided, longest runway breaks ties), the current stated configuration and any stated closures. Each row lists its reasons; “no runway favored” is a genuine answer under variable or light wind, never replaced by a guess. It is not an ATC assignment and does not know about noise abatement or traffic flow unless the recorded history shows them. TAF issued 1720Z (10:20 AM PDT).
Runway 13/31 equipment and lighting
What the FAA record lists for each end, annotated with current NOTAM and D-ATIS outages.
- Approach lighting
- ALSF-1
- Visual glide slope
- PAPI (4-box, left side)
- Runway edge lighting
- HIRL (high intensity)
- Centerline lighting
- Not available
- Touchdown zone lighting
- Not available
- REIL
- Not available
- ILS
- Not available
- Localizer
- Not available
- Glideslope
- Not available
- DME
- Not available
- Marker beacons
- Not available
- RVR
- Not available
- Runway markings
- Non-precision instrument
- Arresting system
- Not available
- Approach lighting
- ALSF-1
- Visual glide slope
- PAPI (4-box, left side)
- Runway edge lighting
- HIRL (high intensity)
- Centerline lighting
- Not available
- Touchdown zone lighting
- Not available
- REIL
- Not available
- ILS
- Localizer with glideslope
- Localizer
- Available
- Glideslope
- Available
- DME
- Not available
- Marker beacons
- Not available
- RVR
- Not available
- Runway markings
- Precision instrument
- Arresting system
- Not available
Source: FAA NASR 28-day subscription, cycle effective 2026-10-01 (equipment on record) · FAA NOTAMs via SWIM (live)and the current D-ATIS (outages). “Not available” means the FAA record lists no such equipment for the end; nothing here is inferred. An outage annotation is only ever a reading of the official text shown with it. Declared distances are not shown in this phase.
Land and hold short operations
LAHSO hold-short points and available landing distances on the FAA record, and whether the current D-ATIS reports LAHSO in effect.
No LAHSO hold-short point on the FAA record for this end.
No LAHSO hold-short point on the FAA record for this end.
This airport has no D-ATIS, so the current LAHSO state is not known here. Source: FAA NASR cycle 2026-10-01; D-ATIS text read by ATIS Alerts.
Frequencies for runway 13/31
Tower, ground, clearance, ATIS and approach frequencies from the FAA record, labelled by what they apply to.
| Service | Frequency | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 118.175 | Airport-wide |
| Tower | 235.775 | Airport-wide |
| Ground | 133.575 | Airport-wide |
| ATIS | 124.475 | Airport-wide |
Show all frequencies (4 more: approach and departure sectors, secondary and other)
| Service | Frequency | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
| CTAF | 118.175 | Airport-wideWHEN ATCT CLSD ACTVT ALSF1 RWYS 13 & 31; HIRL RWY 13/31 - CTAF; 3 CLICKS ON, 5 CLICKS INCR INTST, 7 CLICKS OFF. PAPI RWYS 13 & 31 OPR CONSLY. |
| UNICOM | 122.95 | Airport-wide |
| Approach / departure | 120.95 | Airport-wide |
| Approach / departure | 269.45 | Airport-wide |
The FAA record does not sectorize KMER's frequencies by runway; every row applies airport-wide. Source: FAA NASR FRQ, cycle 2026-10-01. Verify on the current chart supplement before use.
Runway 13/31 overview
Physical characteristics from the FAA-derived runway record.
- Length
- 11,802 ft
- Width
- 150 ft
- Surface
- Partially concrete/asphalt · Good condition
- Weight bearing (lb)
- S 155k · D 200k · 2D 415k · 2D/2D2 720k
- Runway lights
- Lighted
- Airport elevation
- 190 ft
- Published FAA baseline
- Open
- Published NASR record; does not reflect temporary closures or restrictions. Current operational status is the card at the top of the page.
- True heading
- 140°
- Magnetic
- 125°
- Published FAA baseline
- Open
- Threshold elevation
- 190 ft
- TDZ elevation
- 190 ft
- Displaced threshold
- None on record
- Threshold crossing height
- 75 ft
- Visual glide path
- 3°
- True heading
- 320°
- Magnetic
- 305°
- Published FAA baseline
- Open
- Threshold elevation
- 178 ft
- TDZ elevation
- 181 ft
- Displaced threshold
- None on record
- Threshold crossing height
- 71 ft
- Visual glide path
- 3°
- Traffic pattern
- Right
Runway 13/31 numbers are magnetic; the stored geometry and every wind calculation on this page are TRUE north, so they never need a variation correction. Magnetic headings use the FAA's published variation for this airport, 15.0°E (2000), the same value printed on the FAA airport diagram. Surface condition, treatment, weight bearing, thresholds and traffic pattern are from the FAA NASR record (cycle 2026-10-01); lighting, ILS and LAHSO are in their own sections above. Declared distances are not shown in this phase.
Wind-favored runway at KMER — last 30 days
Which runway end had the most headwind each hour, from ATIS Alerts' collected wind history — an estimate, not ATC use.
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 31
- 86%
- 13
- 14%
Historical wind and crosswind on runway 13/31
20-year hourly climatology from the ASOS archive, computed per runway end.
Long-term wind statistics for runway 13/31 are not loaded yet. ATIS Alerts computes them from the 20-year ASOS archive for stations with continuous records; check back as coverage expands.
Runway 13/31 closure history
Kept per source with its provenance: D-ATIS-observed, NOTAM-observed and the FAA published baseline are never merged.
KMER has no D-ATIS, so there is no broadcast-observed closure record.
- 09/017 · closure (full) · runway 13/31effective 2026-09-30 14:00Z → 2026-09-30 20:00Z · first seen 2026-09-23 14:04Z · last seen 2026-09-23 14:04Z
!MER 09/017 MER RWY 13/31 CLSD 2609301400-2609302000
Runway 13/31: Open on the published record — a baseline that does not reflect temporary closures or restrictions, not the current operational status.
Recent pilot reports involving runway 13/31
Official PIREPs that name this runway explicitly, past 6 hours.
No pilot report in the last 6 hours names runway 13/31 at KMER explicitly. Reports near the airport that do not name a runway are on the airport page.
Instrument approaches to runway 13/31
From the FAA d-TPP, linked to the official plates.
Runway 13
- RNAV (GPS)RNAV (GPS) RWY 13 ↗
Runway 31
- ILSILS OR LOC RWY 31 ↗precision
- RNAV (GPS)RNAV (GPS) RWY 31 ↗
No departure procedures · FAA hot spots page ↗ · FAA d-TPP cycle 2611. Plates open on aeronav.faa.gov (public domain); ATIS Alerts does not reproduce charts or minimums.
Methodology and sources
Short version below; the full write-up is at Runway Intelligence methodology, and every launched airport is listed on the Runway Intelligence hub.
- Active runwayscome first from the tower's TFDM (Terminal Flight Data Manager) airport configuration, received as structured data through the FAA SWIM Cloud Distribution Service at towers that have it; otherwise from the airport's D-ATIS text (community relay of the FAA broadcast) with an open, tested parser, and the broadcast text is always shown. Every change is recorded, so “recorded use” is what the facility stated, never an inference. ATIS Alerts is not an FAA product and this is not FAA data; SWIM content is for non-operational use.
- Flowis the compass direction of the stated arrival ends (eight sectors, named only when every arrival end points within 30° of the others and clear of a sector edge); a tower's own configuration name is used when it carries a direction word. Stored separately from the runway sets.
- Equipment, LAHSO and frequencies come from the FAA NASR 28-day subscription (cycle 2026-10-01): approach lights, visual glide slope, edge / centerline / touchdown-zone lights, REIL, ILS components with FAA status, RVR, markings, LAHSO hold-short points and available landing distances, and facility frequencies with their published sectorization. Outage annotations are readings of the NOTAM or D-ATIS text shown beside them. Blank FAA fields read “Not available”.
- Wind components use the current METAR (aviationweather.gov) against TRUE runway headings from the OurAirports/FAA runway record.
- Runway visual range, tower demand and traffic-management restrictions come from FAA SWIM: STDDS Airport Data (RVR and light settings, about 130 airports) and TFDM (15-minute runway demand, APREQ/MIT restrictions). Each block is stamped with its own time; none of it is an FAA product or a clearance.
- Predicted runway scores each open end from the TAF wind (headwind, crosswind penalty, tailwind avoidance, longest-runway tie-break), excludes stated closures, and — once a wind sector has 24 h of recorded use — adjusts confidence by what the facility did under similar wind; every row lists its reasons. It does not model noise abatement or flow programs beyond what the record shows.
- History thresholds: usage shares need 12 / 48 / 168 recorded hours for the 24-hour / 7-day / 30-day windows; a wind sector needs 24 h and 5 days; time-of-day needs 7 days and 20 h per daypart; flow shares need 48 h. Below a bar the module says so instead of showing a percentage.
- Climatology: Iowa Environmental Mesonet ASOS archive, one observation per hour, 45° wind sectors, percentiles via t-digest; runway geometry is today's record applied to all years. Methodology v1.
- PIREPs: official reports from aviationweather.gov are attached only when the text names this runway and the report is tied to KMER by identifier or by position within 15 NM. Approaches: FAA d-TPP metafile, current charting cycle; plates link to aeronav.faa.gov. No minimums are reproduced.
- Data freshness: METAR and D-ATIS refresh every minute on this page; the D-ATIS recorder ran 0 min ago; usage rollups every 3 h; climatology through the archive end.
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Other runways at KMER
KMER has a single runway.
Tools for this runway
KMER airport diagram
Official FAA taxiway and runway layout. Tap to zoom.
Official FAA airport diagram · d-TPP cycle 2611 · Not for navigation. Download the official FAA PDF ↗
⚠️ ATIS Alerts provides informational runway analysis based on available weather, the tower's TFDM configuration and NOTAMs received through FAA SWIM, D-ATIS text, FAA data and historical observations. Active runways shown here are what the tower or its D-ATIS stated and may lag or be misread; NOTAM coverage is not complete; predicted runways are an ATIS Alerts estimate, not an ATC assignment; equipment states are readings of the official text shown with them. Not an FAA product. Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.