Spencer Municipal Airport (KSPW) Aviation Weather: METAR
As of 3:53 AM CDT, Oct 28, KSPW is currently LIFR with calm winds, visibility 5 statute miles, and a 300 ft ceiling.
Live aviation weather for Spencer Municipal Airport in Spencer, IA, including METAR, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Spencer Municipal Airport (KSPW) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Spencer, IA at a field elevation of 1,339 ft. KSPW reports its own METAR, decoded live on this page as flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling and altimeter. It has 2 physical runways (12/30, 18/36), the longest 6,001 ft. Automated weather is broadcast on 126.625.
Wind calm, visibility 5 statute miles, overcast at 300 ft, temperature 11°C (52°F), altimeter 30.03 inHg. Conditions are Low IFR (LIFR), ceiling 300 ft.
METAR KSPW 280853Z AUTO 00000KT 5SM BR OVC003 11/11 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP171 T01110111 58007
What changed at KSPW?
Since the 0828Z (3:28 AM CDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Visibility dropped from 6 SM to 5 SM.
- Wind speed down from 6 to 0 kt.
Current pilot readout for KSPW
KSPW is currently LIFR with calm winds, visibility 5 statute miles, and a 300 ft ceiling. Density altitude is approximately 1,050 ft (field elevation 1,339 ft). KSPW does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KFOD, about 58 nm away.
KSPW by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KSPW reported VFR in 78% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 251 flyable days a year. July is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 21% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually a mix of low ceilings (under 1,000 ft 7% of hours) and low visibility (under 3 miles 5%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 30 had the best headwind 29% of the time, runway 18 27%, and winds were calm 8% 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 51 days a year and freezing rain or drizzle on 8. From December to February KSPW was IFR or worse 18% of the time, against 5% from June to August.
Thunderstorms were reported on about 41 days a year. 57% of storm hours fall in May, June and August, peaking in June when storms were in the air 2% of the time.
Field elevation is 1,339 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 3,043 ft, 1,704 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 17% of hours, typically 8 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 76 kt. April is the windiest month (mean 12 kt) and August 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.
Current wind is calm: calm wind is not a factor for runway selection, and with no wind there is no head/tail or crosswind component to compute. Live numbers return automatically once a report includes a wind direction.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | 6,001 ft | CON | - | - |
| 18 | 5,100 ft | CON | - | - |
| 30 | 6,001 ft | CON | - | - |
| 36 | 5,100 ft | CON | - | - |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KSPW runways
2 physical runways · 4 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 12/306,001 × 100 ft · CONCurrent useno stated-runway source at KSPWWind
- 12
- no steady wind
- 30
- no steady wind
no active equipment NOTAM receivedView Runway Intelligence → - Status not monitoredRunway 18/365,100 × 75 ft · CONCurrent useno stated-runway source at KSPWWind
- 18
- no steady wind
- 36
- no steady wind
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 5→0 kt, ceiling 3,900 ft → 300 ft.
KSPW 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 KSPW
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KSPW reported a mix of conditions, most often marginal VFR across 35 observations, with 10 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 18 kt, the lowest ceiling was 300 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: VFR → LIFR
Most recent change: VFR → LIFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 18
- 38%
- 36
- 24%
- 12
- 21%
- 30
- 17%
Get KSPW weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KSPW 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 KSPW free on TelegramLive KSPW Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KSPW's own weather station.
Wind is calm or variable. Either end works.
Concrete · 6,001 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 12/30, 18/36 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
- Mon-Fri 0700-1900 local; Sat-Sun 0800-1700 local
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, major
- Transient parking
- Tie-downs · Hangars
- Landing fee
- No
- Other services
- Avionics · Charter · Flight instruction · Aircraft rental · Aircraft sales
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- General aviation airport
- ICAO
- KSPW
- IATA
- SPW
- FAA LID
- SPW
- City
- Spencer
- State
- Iowa
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 1,339 ft
- Coordinates
- 43.1655, -95.2028
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 4 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 6,001 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Nearest KFOD
- AWOS/ASOS
- 126.625 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Chicago
- Next sunset
- 14h 8m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KSPW'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
5 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.
- RC Skyhawks 1 , Spencer, IA · 4 mi
- RC Skyhawks - Oneota Park , Spencer, IA · 5 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KSPW
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KSPW reported VFR conditions during about 78.1% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 251 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 9.5 kt, calm 6.7% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 64.0 | 17.5 | 10.1 | 8.3 |
| Feb | 70.4 | 15.1 | 9.2 | 5.3 |
| Mar | 68.8 | 16.7 | 8.2 | 6.3 |
| Apr | 76.8 | 13.3 | 7.2 | 2.8 |
| May | 80.4 | 12.5 | 5.2 | 2.0 |
| Jun | 88.8 | 7.3 | 2.7 | 1.2 |
| Jul | 90.5 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 1.5 |
| Aug | 84.5 | 8.3 | 3.8 | 3.4 |
| Sep | 85.5 | 8.4 | 3.6 | 2.5 |
| Oct | 80.8 | 11.4 | 5.2 | 2.7 |
| Nov | 76.0 | 14.9 | 5.8 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 61.4 | 17.6 | 11.5 | 9.5 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 10.3 kt |
| Feb | 10.3 kt |
| Mar | 10.9 kt |
| Apr | 12.1 kt |
| May | 10.4 kt |
| Jun | 8.7 kt |
| Jul | 6.8 kt |
| Aug | 6.7 kt |
| Sep | 7.8 kt |
| Oct | 9.4 kt |
| Nov | 10.1 kt |
| Dec | 10.0 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
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SPW's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Spencer Municipal Airport (KSPW)
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 Spencer Municipal 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 KSPW 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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