Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport (KPMD) Aviation Weather: METAR & TAF
As of 1:53 AM PDT, Oct 28, KPMD is currently VFR with winds from 090° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Live aviation weather for Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport in Palmdale, CA, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport (KPMD) is a regional airport serving Palmdale, CA at a field elevation of 2,542 ft. KPMD reports its own METAR and publishes a TAF, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has 4 physical runways (04/22, 07/25, 072, 252), the longest 12,002 ft. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page.
Wind from the east (090°) at 3 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 12°C (54°F), altimeter 29.97 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KPMD 280853Z AUTO 09003KT 10SM CLR 12/07 A2997 RMK AO2 SLP133 T01220067 58001 $
What changed at KPMD?
Since the 0753Z (12:53 AM PDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0753Z (12:53 AM PDT) report, conditions are holding steady.
Current pilot readout for KPMD
KPMD is currently VFR with winds from 090° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors runway ends 04, 07. Density altitude is approximately 2,750 ft (field elevation 2,542 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
KPMD by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KPMD reported VFR in 98% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 349 flyable days a year. June is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 2% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually a mix of low ceilings (under 1,000 ft under 1% of hours) and low visibility (under 3 miles under 1%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 22 had the best headwind 50% of the time, runway 25 33%, and winds were calm 17% of hours. Winds most often blow from the southwest. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in under 1% of hours.
Seasonal hazards are rare at KPMD: thunderstorms on about 6 days a year, fog on 2 and snow on 2. Wind is the main variable, with gusts in 15% of hours.
Field elevation is 2,542 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 5,457 ft, 2,915 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 15% of hours, typically 7 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 55 kt. May is the windiest month (mean 11 kt) and December 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 07FAV | 12,002 ft | CON | 3 kt head | 0 kt |
| 04 | 12,001 ft | CON | 2 kt head | 2 kt right |
| 072 | 6,000 ft | CONC-E | 0 kt head | 3 kt right |
| 252 | 6,000 ft | CONC-E | 0 kt head | 3 kt right |
| 22 | 12,001 ft | CON | 2 kt tail | 2 kt left |
| 25 | 12,002 ft | CON | 3 kt tail | 0 kt |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KPMD runways
4 physical runways · 6 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 04/2212,001 × 150 ft · CONCurrent useno stated-runway source at KPMDWind
- 04
- 2 kt headwind · 2 kt crosswind from right
- 22
- 2 kt tailwind · 2 kt crosswind from left
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 07/2512,002 × 200 ft · CONCurrent useno stated-runway source at KPMDWind
- 07
- 3 kt headwind · 0 kt crosswind
- 25
- 3 kt tailwind · 0 kt crosswind
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 23 h: wind 6→3 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KPMD 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 KPMD
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KPMD reported mostly VFR across 26 observations, with 2 flight-category changes. Wind most often came from the SW.
Most recent change: IFR → VFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 22
- 56%
- 25
- 15%
- 07
- 14%
- 04
- 9%
- 072/252
- 6%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0528Z (10:28 PM PDT)
TAF KPMD 280528Z 2806/2906 25010KT P6SM SCT250 FM280700 21007KT P6SM BKN250 FM281300 VRB05KT P6SM BKN250 FM282200 24010KT P6SM BKN250 FM290400 22006KT P6SM BKN250
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get KPMD weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KPMD in ATIS Alerts and get notified when a new METAR changes the picture: a category drop, or wind and ceiling moving toward your minimums.
Track KPMD free on TelegramLive KPMD Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KPMD's own weather station.
Wind is 4° off runway 07, the end with the most headwind right now.
Concrete · 12,002 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 04/22, 07/25 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
- Attended
- Daily 1330-0600Z++ local
- Landing fee
- Yes
- Control tower
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- Unlighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KPMD
- IATA
- PMD
- FAA LID
- PMD
- City
- Palmdale
- State
- California
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 2,542 ft
- Coordinates
- 34.6294, -118.0850
- Runways
- 4 physical runways · 6 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 12,002 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Published
- AWOS/ASOS
- 118.275 MHz
- CTAF
- 123.7 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Next sunset
- 16h 6m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KPMD'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
10 airports+4 more within 50 NM
50–100 NM
6 airportsRC flying fields nearby
AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport: live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.
- Antelope Valley Tailwinds - Challenger Way , Lancaster, CA · 8 mi
- Foothill Aero Modelers - Garren Field , Llano, CA · 14 mi
- Rosamond Blvd , Rosamond, CA · 17 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KPMD
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KPMD reported VFR conditions during about 98.3% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 349 VFR flying days a year. June had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 8.6 kt, calm 12.6% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 96.2 | 2.8 | 0.6 | 0.4 |
| Feb | 96.6 | 3.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 |
| Mar | 97.4 | 2.5 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 98.8 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| May | 99.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Jun | 99.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Jul | 99.7 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 99.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Sep | 99.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Oct | 99.2 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Nov | 97.6 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
| Dec | 95.3 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 0.6 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 6.5 kt |
| Feb | 7.9 kt |
| Mar | 9.4 kt |
| Apr | 10.7 kt |
| May | 11.4 kt |
| Jun | 10.7 kt |
| Jul | 9.7 kt |
| Aug | 8.8 kt |
| Sep | 7.5 kt |
| Oct | 7.3 kt |
| Nov | 6.6 kt |
| Dec | 6.4 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KPMD 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 ↗
Customize your PMD shirt or mug
PMD's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 Airport (KPMD)
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 Palmdale Regional Airport / USAF Plant 42 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 KPMD 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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