Cox Airport (NC81) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Cox Airport in Apex, NC, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KRDU): conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Cox Airport (NC81) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Apex, NC at 455 ft. NC81 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from KRDU, about 8 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (09, 27), longest 2,450 ft, are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KRDU. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KRDU, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station KRDU, 8.4 nm away.
Wind from the west-southwest (250°) at 6 kt, visibility 4 statute miles, scattered clouds at 1,000 ft, scattered clouds at 4,000 ft, broken clouds at 9,500 ft, overcast at 13,000 ft, temperature 24°C (75°F), altimeter 29.99 inHg. Conditions are Marginal VFR (MVFR), ceiling 9,500 ft.
SPECI KRDU 130607Z 25006KT 4SM -RA BR SCT010 SCT040 BKN095 OVC130 24/23 A2999 RMK AO2 P0006 T02390228 $
What changed at KRDU (nearest station)?
Since the 0551Z (1:51 AM EDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Rain began (-RA).
- Ceiling lifted from 1,500 ft to 9,500 ft.
- Rain ended (RA).
The latest report is an off-schedule special (SPECI), issued because conditions changed significantly. What is a SPECI? →
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Current pilot readout for NC81
Based on the nearest station (KRDU), NC81 is currently MVFR with winds from 250° at 6 knots, visibility 4 statute miles, and a 9,500 ft ceiling. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 09, about 6 knots. Density altitude is approximately 1,550 ft (field elevation 455 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
New to aviation weather? How to read a METAR → · What VFR/MVFR/IFR mean → · Decode any METAR/TAF → · Density altitude calculator →
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Track NC81 free on TelegramRunway wind check
Estimated head/tailwind and crosswind for each runway end from the current reported wind.
Use this section to quickly compare current wind alignment across available runways at NC81. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 09FAV | 2,450 ft | TURF | 2 kt tail | 6 kt left |
| 27 | 2,450 ft | TURF | 2 kt tail | 6 kt left |
Open the crosswind calculator to try your own wind and runway numbers →
24-hour trend
Wind, ceiling and flight category over the last 24 hours.
Over the last 23 h: wind 0→6 kt, ceiling 25,000 ft → 9,500 ft.
NC81 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Cox Airport in Apex, NC: the NOAA/NWS NEXRAD composite updates about every five minutes, with NOAA lightning strike density overlaid. The loop plays the past 50 minutes, then continues into a future-radar forecast (+1 to +4 hours, NOAA HRRR model) so you can see where precipitation around NC81 is headed.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © Stadia Maps © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap
Forecast frames (amber label) are HRRR model guidance, not observed radar. Lightning strike density appears as a blue-white glow when strikes are detected in view. Radar and lightning coverage are limited in parts of Alaska, Hawaii, and offshore areas. Not for navigation.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of NC81
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
GSO UUA /OV GSO/TM 0153/FLDURD/TP CRJ9/RM LLWS +/- 10KT DURD RY 23R
GSO UUAHeader: reporting station and UUA: an URGENT pilot report (severe conditions, wind shear, or similar).OV GSOLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0153Reported at 01:53 UTC.FLDURDReported during descent.TP CRJ9Aircraft type reporting.RM LLWS +/- 10KT DURD RY 23RRemarks.Show raw report
FLO UA /OV DLC/TM 0131/FL060/TP C172/RM VFR
FLO UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV DLCLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0131Reported at 01:31 UTC.FL060Altitude: 6,000 ft MSL.TP C172Aircraft type reporting.RM VFRRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at NC81
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KRDU reported mostly VFR across 35 observations, with 10 flight-category changes. The lowest ceiling was 700 ft. Wind most often came from the E.
Most recent change: VFR → MVFR
Most recent change: VFR → MVFR
- 09/27
- 100%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 0525Z (1:25 AM EDT)
TAF KRDU 130525Z 1306/1406 17006KT P6SM SCT040 BKN120 TEMPO 1306/1307 VRB08G18KT 1 1/2SM -TSRA BR BKN025CB FM130900 VRB03KT 4SM BR BKN007 FM131400 23005KT P6SM BKN015 FM131700 26006KT P6SM BKN050
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We'll message you on Telegram when a new report moves the picture near NC81 (Cox Airport): alerts read from KRDU, the station this page uses.
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- NC81
- City
- Apex
- State
- North Carolina
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 455 ft
- Coordinates
- 35.7518, -78.8597
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 2,450 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KRDU
- TAF
- Nearest KRDU
- Time zone
- America/New_York
- Next sunset
- 16h 58m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed NC81'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
9 airports+3 more within 50 NM
50–100 NM
7 airports+1 more within 100 NM
RC flying fields nearby
AMA model-aircraft club fields around this airport: live wind, crosswind & flyability on each page.
- HSSRCG - Holly Springs Skyhawks RC Group - Hawk Field , Holly Springs, NC · 8 mi
- Southern Wake Aero Modeling Pilots Society - Tutor Stephens Rd , Holly Springs, NC · 12 mi
- Carolina Area Free Flight Association - Carter Gym , Lillington, NC · 25 mi
NC81 weather: frequently asked
What runways are available at NC81?+
NC81 has 2 runways: 09, 27; the longest is 2,450 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for NC81 come from?+
Cox Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KRDU, about 8 nm away, close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at NC81 can differ.
Does NC81 have a TAF?+
Yes. The KRDU TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does NC81 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No. NC81 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for NC81 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Cox Airport (NC81)
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 Cox 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 NC81 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.
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⚠️ Not for operational use. Always verify with official FAA-approved preflight weather sources before flight.
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