Marquette/Sawyer International Airport (KSAW) Aviation Weather: METAR & TAF
As of 4:58 AM EDT, Oct 28, KSAW is currently LIFR with winds from 190° at 9 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 400 ft ceiling.
Live aviation weather for Marquette/Sawyer International Airport in Gwinn, MI, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Marquette/Sawyer International Airport (KSAW) is a regional airport serving Gwinn, MI at a field elevation of 1,204 ft. KSAW reports its own METAR and publishes a TAF, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has one runway (01/19), the longest 9,072 ft. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page.
Wind from the south (190°) at 9 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, overcast at 400 ft, temperature 10°C (50°F), altimeter 30.11 inHg. Conditions are Low IFR (LIFR), ceiling 400 ft.
METAR KSAW 280858Z AUTO 19009KT 10SM OVC004 10/09 A3011 RMK AO2
What changed at KSAW?
Since the 0838Z (4:38 AM EDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Flight category dropped from IFR to LIFR.
- Ceiling dropped from 600 ft to 400 ft.
Current pilot readout for KSAW
KSAW is currently LIFR with winds from 190° at 9 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 400 ft ceiling. the wind favors south-facing runway ends (19). Density altitude is approximately 650 ft (field elevation 1,204 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
KSAW by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
The FAA issued no ground stop or ground delay program for MQT in the 12 months to October 2026. Delays here come from the airlines or from programs at other airports rather than from MQT's own airspace.
KSAW reported VFR in 69% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 198 flyable days a year. July is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 24% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually a mix of low ceilings (under 1,000 ft 12% of hours) and low visibility (under 3 miles 8%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 01 had the best headwind 51% of the time, runway 19 49%, and winds were calm 14% 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 117 days a year and freezing rain or drizzle on 1. From December to February KSAW was IFR or worse 21% of the time, against 9% from June to August.
MQT departures left within 15 minutes of schedule 77% of the time across 1,448 flights, June 2025 to May 2026. 9 AM to noon departures did best (86%) and 6 to 9 PM did worst (71%).
Fog was reported on about 51 days a year, and fog or mist on 130. November and December are the foggiest months, with fog in 10% of hours, against 5% in February.
Sources: FAA ATCSCC advisories, hourly observations 2006 to 2025, the per-runway wind climatology 2006 to 2025 and BTS airline on-time data. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19FAV | 9,072 ft | PEM | 9 kt head | 0 kt |
| 01 | 9,072 ft | PEM | 9 kt tail | 0 kt |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KSAW 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.
- Restricted (NOTAM)Runway 01/199,072 × 150 ft · PEMCurrent useno stated-runway source at KSAWWind
- 01
- 9 kt tailwind · 0 kt crosswind
- 19
- 9 kt headwind · 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 24 h: wind 2→9 kt, ceiling 4,800 ft → 400 ft.
KSAW 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.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of KSAW
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
IMT UA /OV IMT/TM 0320/FL135/TP PC12/SK BASE020-TOP135/IC NEG/RM MULT LAYERS
IMT UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV IMTLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0320Reported at 03:20 UTC.FL135Altitude: 13,500 ft MSL.TP PC12Aircraft type reporting.SK BASE020-TOP135Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM MULT LAYERSRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at KSAW
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KSAW reported mostly VFR across 39 observations, with 9 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 18 kt, the lowest ceiling was 400 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: IFR → LIFR
Most recent change: IFR → LIFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 19
- 55%
- 01
- 45%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0520Z (1:20 AM EDT)
TAF KSAW 280520Z 2806/2906 18011KT P6SM FEW090 FM280800 19008KT P6SM BKN040 FM281200 20007KT P6SM SCT035 FM281800 22009KT P6SM SCT040 FM290200 19012G23KT P6SM -SHRA BKN080 WS020/20045KT
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get KSAW weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KSAW 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 KSAW free on TelegramLive KSAW Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KSAW's own weather station.
Wind is 1° off runway 19, the end with the most headwind right now.
Concrete · 9,072 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 01/19 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 · Jet A
- Attended
- Daily 0430-0030 local
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, major
- Oxygen
- Bulk, high & low pressure
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- Yes
- Other services
- Air freight · Avionics · Cargo handling · Flight instruction · Aircraft rental
- Control tower
- Yes
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KSAW
- IATA
- MQT
- FAA LID
- SAW
- City
- Gwinn
- State
- Michigan
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 1,204 ft
- Coordinates
- 46.3515, -87.3959
- Runways
- 1 physical runway · 2 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 9,072 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Published
- AWOS/ASOS
- 118.375 MHz
- CTAF
- 119.975 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Detroit
- Next sunset
- 13h 31m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KSAW'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
3 airports25–50 NM
8 airports+2 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.
- Sands Model Aviation Club - Marquette County Fairgrounds , Gwinn, MI · 6 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KSAW
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KSAW reported VFR conditions during about 68.7% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 198 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 7.6 kt, calm 13.4% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 43.4 | 35.1 | 13.8 | 7.6 |
| Feb | 56.6 | 25.6 | 12.4 | 5.5 |
| Mar | 65.3 | 18.5 | 9.3 | 6.8 |
| Apr | 69.8 | 12.7 | 8.8 | 8.7 |
| May | 78.0 | 10.2 | 5.2 | 6.6 |
| Jun | 81.4 | 8.6 | 4.0 | 6.0 |
| Jul | 85.3 | 7.8 | 2.7 | 4.2 |
| Aug | 79.2 | 9.3 | 4.8 | 6.8 |
| Sep | 74.0 | 13.4 | 5.4 | 7.3 |
| Oct | 67.2 | 18.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 |
| Nov | 58.2 | 26.3 | 8.6 | 6.9 |
| Dec | 42.1 | 34.3 | 13.3 | 10.4 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 8.1 kt |
| Feb | 8.1 kt |
| Mar | 8.3 kt |
| Apr | 8.5 kt |
| May | 8.1 kt |
| Jun | 7.1 kt |
| Jul | 6.5 kt |
| Aug | 6.2 kt |
| Sep | 7.0 kt |
| Oct | 7.7 kt |
| Nov | 8.0 kt |
| Dec | 7.8 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KSAW 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 SAW shirt or mug
SAW's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Marquette/Sawyer International Airport (KSAW)
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 Marquette/Sawyer 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 KSAW 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.
Spotted incorrect airport info? ✏️ Suggest an edit