American Lake Seaplane Base (W37) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near American Lake Seaplane Base in Tacoma, WA, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KTCM) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
American Lake Seaplane Base (W37) is a seaplane base in Tacoma, WA. W37 has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from KTCM, about 4 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (02, 20) — longest 5,500 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KTCM. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KTCM, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station KTCM, 3.5 nm away.
Wind from the west (270°) at 8 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, scattered clouds at 3,400 ft, broken clouds at 7,500 ft, temperature 23°C (73°F), altimeter 30.03 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR), ceiling 7,500 ft.
METAR KTCM 290155Z AUTO 27008KT 10SM SCT034 BKN075 23/14 A3003 RMK AO2 SLP171 T02300135 $
What changed at KTCM (nearest station)?
Since the 0055Z (5:55 PM PDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Pressure falling: altimeter 30.05 → 30.03 inHg.
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Current pilot readout for W37
Based on the nearest station (KTCM), W37 is currently VFR with winds from 270° at 8 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 7,500 ft ceiling. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 02, about 8 knots. Density altitude is approximately 1,100 ft (field elevation 235 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 W37 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 W37. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02FAV | 5,500 ft | WATER-E | 0 kt head | 8 kt left |
| 20 | 5,500 ft | WATER-E | 0 kt head | 8 kt left |
Open the crosswind calculator — 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 7→8 kt, ceiling unlimited → 7,500 ft.
W37 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around American Lake Seaplane Base in Tacoma, WA: 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 W37 is headed.
Radar: NOAA/NWS via IEM · Forecast: NOAA HRRR · Lightning: NOAA · Map © OpenStreetMap © CARTO
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 W37
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours — via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
BFI UUA /OV BFI315001/TM 0133/FL003/TP BE99/RM LLWS +/- 10KTS
BFI UUAHeader — reporting station and UUA: an URGENT pilot report (severe conditions, wind shear, or similar).OV BFI315001Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0133Reported at 01:33 UTC.FL003Altitude: 300 ft MSL.TP BE99Aircraft type reporting.RM LLWS +/- 10KTSRemarks.Show raw report
PAE UA /OV PAE360002/TM 0128/FL030/TP PA28/SK BKN030
PAE UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV PAE360002Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0128Reported at 01:28 UTC.FL030Altitude: 3,000 ft MSL.TP PA28Aircraft type reporting.SK BKN030Sky condition — cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315003/TM 0123/FL010/TP B190/RM LLWS +/- 5-7KTS
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315003Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0123Reported at 01:23 UTC.FL010Altitude: 1,000 ft MSL.TP B190Aircraft type reporting.RM LLWS +/- 5-7KTSRemarks.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315007/TM 0102/FL020/TP DC9/RM LLWS +/- 3-5KTS
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315007Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0102Reported at 01:02 UTC.FL020Altitude: 2,000 ft MSL.TP DC9Aircraft type reporting.RM LLWS +/- 3-5KTSRemarks.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315008/TM 0055/FL020/TP PC12/TB LGT CHOP/RM DURD
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315008Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0055Reported at 00:55 UTC.FL020Altitude: 2,000 ft MSL.TP PC12Aircraft type reporting.TB LGT CHOPTurbulence: light chop.RM DURDRemarks.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315007/TM 0045/FL020/TP C700/RM SMOOTH RIDE DURD
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315007Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0045Reported at 00:45 UTC.FL020Altitude: 2,000 ft MSL.TP C700Aircraft type reporting.RM SMOOTH RIDE DURDRemarks.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315002/TM 0035/FL005/TP FA7X/RM LLWS +/- 5KTS
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315002Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0035Reported at 00:35 UTC.FL005Altitude: 500 ft MSL.TP FA7XAircraft type reporting.RM LLWS +/- 5KTSRemarks.Show raw report
BFI UA /OV BFI315001/TM 0013/FL003/TP LJ35/RM SMOOTH RIDE
BFI UAHeader — reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BFI315001Location — fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0013Reported at 00:13 UTC.FL003Altitude: 300 ft MSL.TP LJ35Aircraft type reporting.RM SMOOTH RIDERemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use — conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at W37
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KTCM reported mostly VFR across 38 observations, with 10 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 22 kt, the lowest ceiling was 1,700 ft. Wind most often came from the W.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
- 02/20
- 100%
TAF — Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 2100Z (2:00 PM PDT)
TAF KTCM 282100Z 2821/3003 25010G15KT 9999 SCT030 BKN050 QNH3003INS BECMG 2904/2905 24006KT 9999 FEW040 SCT060 QNH3006INS BECMG 2913/2914 26005KT 9999 SCT015 BKN020 QNH3006INS BECMG 2916/2917 33005KT 9999 FEW020 SCT035 QNH2994INS TX23/2900Z TN11/2913Z
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- Seaplane base
- FAA LID
- W37
- City
- Tacoma
- State
- Washington
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 235 ft
- Coordinates
- 47.1415, -122.5610
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 5,500 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KTCM
- TAF
- Nearest KTCM
- Time zone
- America/Los_Angeles
- Sunset in
- 59m
Run a flight school, FBO, or club here? Embed W37'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
9 airports+3 more within 25 NM
25–50 NM
7 airports+1 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.
- Hot Start Helicopters — Olympia, WA · 9 mi
- Northwest Skyraiders - Pierce County Airport — Puyallup, WA · 13 mi
- Puget Sound Silent Flyers - Lister Rd — Olympia, WA · 15 mi
W37 weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at W37?+
W37 has 2 runways — 02, 20; the longest is 5,500 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for W37 come from?+
American Lake Seaplane Base does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KTCM, about 4 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at W37 can differ.
Does W37 have a TAF?+
Yes — the KTCM TAF is shown on this page below the current conditions.
Does W37 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — W37 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for W37 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for American Lake Seaplane Base (W37)
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 American Lake Seaplane Base, 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 W37 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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