Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL) Aviation Weather: METAR & TAF
As of 1:53 AM PDT, Oct 28, KTVL is currently VFR with winds from 190° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported.
Live aviation weather for Lake Tahoe Airport in South Lake Tahoe, CA, including METAR, TAF, flight category, wind, visibility, ceiling, altimeter and runway crosswinds.
Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL) is a regional airport serving South Lake Tahoe, CA at a field elevation of 6,268 ft. KTVL 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 (18/36), the longest 8,541 ft. The official FAA airport diagram is at the bottom of the page.
Wind from the south (190°) at 3 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature -5°C (23°F), altimeter 30.06 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KTVL 280853Z AUTO 19003KT 10SM CLR M05/M09 A3006 RMK AO2 SLP162 T10501089 50000
What changed at KTVL?
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 KTVL
KTVL is currently VFR with winds from 190° at 3 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. the wind favors south-facing runway ends (18). Density altitude is approximately 5,200 ft (field elevation 6,268 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
KTVL by the numbers
What the long-run records say about flying here, computed for this airport alone.
KTVL reported VFR in 91% of daylight observations over 20 years, about 308 flyable days a year. July is the most reliable month and December the least, with IFR or worse 10% of the time. When conditions drop it is usually fog and low visibility rather than low ceilings (visibility under 3 miles 4% of hours, ceilings under 1,000 ft 1%).
Over 20 years of hourly winds, runway 18 had the best headwind 81% of the time, runway 36 19%, and winds were calm 44% of hours. Winds most often blow from the south. Crosswind on the best available runway topped 15 kt in under 1% of hours.
Snow fell on about 64 days a year and freezing rain or drizzle on 1. From December to February KTVL was IFR or worse 10% of the time, against 1% from June to August.
Fog was reported on about 39 days a year, and fog or mist on 81. January and December are the foggiest months, with fog in 9% of hours, against under 1% in July.
Field elevation is 6,268 ft, but on a median summer afternoon the air performs like 8,594 ft, 2,326 ft higher. Plan for a longer takeoff roll and a weaker climb from June to August.
Gusts showed up in 17% of hours, typically 10 kt above the steady wind, and the strongest credible gust on record was 61 kt. March is the windiest month (mean 6 kt) and July 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18FAV | 8,541 ft | ASP | 3 kt head | 0 kt |
| 36 | 8,541 ft | ASP | 3 kt tail | 0 kt |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
KTVL 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.
- Status not monitoredRunway 18/368,541 × 100 ft · ASPCurrent useno stated-runway source at KTVLWind
- 18
- 3 kt headwind · 0 kt crosswind
- 36
- 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 11→3 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
KTVL 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 KTVL
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, KTVL reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 27 kt. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- 18
- 69%
- 36
- 31%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0520Z (10:20 PM PDT)
TAF KTVL 280520Z 2806/2906 18003KT P6SM SKC FM282000 04007KT P6SM FEW250 FM290200 VRB03KT P6SM BKN250
New to TAFs? How to read one →
Get KTVL weather alerts in Telegram
Stop refreshing aviation weather manually. Track KTVL 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 KTVL free on TelegramLive KTVL Weather
Live crosswind meter
Measured by KTVL's own weather station.
Wind is 3° off runway 18, the end with the most headwind right now.
Asphalt · 8,541 ft. Headings from FAA runway data. Not for navigation.
Field aerial
North up
Runway 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
- 0700-1600 local
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, minor
- Oxygen
- Bottled, high pressure · Bulk, high pressure
- Landing fee
- No
- Other services
- Charter · Flight instruction · Aircraft sales
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Lighted
Airport
- Type
- Regional airport
- ICAO
- KTVL
- IATA
- TVL
- FAA LID
- TVL
- City
- South Lake Tahoe
- State
- California
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 6,268 ft
- Coordinates
- 38.8939, -119.9950
- Runways
- 1 physical runway · 2 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 8,541 ft
- Weather reporting
- Reports METAR
- TAF
- Published
- AWOS/ASOS
- 124.725 MHz
- CTAF
- 122.85 MHz
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Next sunset
- 16h 4m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed KTVL'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
6 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.
- Sierra Sagebrush Flyers, Inc - Pinenut Rd , Gardnerville, NV · 17 mi
- Sierra Silent Soarers - US 395 , New Washoe City, NV · 26 mi
- HSRCC - High Sierra RC Club - Remote Control Rd , Carson City, NV · 27 mi
Historical Flying Weather at KTVL
2006–2025 · ATIS Alerts Flying Weather Index
Based on historical observations from 2006–2025, KTVL reported VFR conditions during about 91.0% of valid daylight observations, with an estimated 308 VFR flying days a year. July had the most VFR weather; December had the most instrument conditions. Surface winds averaged 4.5 kt, calm 32.6% of the time.
Full historical breakdown
Flight category by month
| Month | VFR % | MVFR % | IFR % | LIFR % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 83.0 | 7.6 | 4.5 | 5.0 |
| Feb | 82.5 | 8.0 | 4.9 | 4.6 |
| Mar | 81.3 | 9.3 | 5.0 | 4.4 |
| Apr | 89.8 | 6.2 | 2.4 | 1.7 |
| May | 92.7 | 5.0 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
| Jun | 97.3 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.3 |
| Jul | 98.5 | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
| Aug | 95.4 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.8 |
| Sep | 95.3 | 2.8 | 1.6 | 0.3 |
| Oct | 94.5 | 3.6 | 0.9 | 0.9 |
| Nov | 87.9 | 8.0 | 2.2 | 1.9 |
| Dec | 78.5 | 11.0 | 5.3 | 5.1 |
Average wind by month
| Month | Mean wind (kt) |
|---|---|
| Jan | 4.1 kt |
| Feb | 5.0 kt |
| Mar | 5.5 kt |
| Apr | 5.1 kt |
| May | 4.6 kt |
| Jun | 4.7 kt |
| Jul | 3.9 kt |
| Aug | 3.9 kt |
| Sep | 3.9 kt |
| Oct | 4.0 kt |
| Nov | 4.5 kt |
| Dec | 4.7 kt |
Historical summary of past observations: not a forecast or safety rating. Always check the current METAR, TAF, and a weather briefing before flight.
KTVL 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 TVL shirt or mug
TVL's real runway layout on the back, elevation and tower frequency on the front. Add your tail number on the sleeve.
Pilot PIREPs for Lake Tahoe Airport (KTVL)
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 Lake Tahoe 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 KTVL 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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