William B Bolton Airport (Y87) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near William B Bolton Airport in Empire, MI, decoded from the nearest reporting station (KFKS): conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
William B Bolton Airport (Y87) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Empire, MI at 944 ft. Y87 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from KFKS, about 13 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 4 runways (09, 17, 27, 35), longest 2,600 ft, are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for KTVC. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from KFKS, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station KFKS, 13.1 nm away.
Wind from the north (360°) at 4 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, no cloud data, temperature 17°C (63°F), altimeter 29.93 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR).
METAR KFKS 130755Z AUTO 36004KT 10SM CLR 17/13 A2993 RMK AO2
What changed at KFKS (nearest station)?
Since the 0735Z (3:35 AM EDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0735Z report, conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for Y87
Based on the nearest station (KFKS), Y87 is currently VFR with winds from 360° at 4 knots, visibility 10+ statute miles, and no ceiling reported. Density altitude is approximately 1,400 ft (field elevation 944 ft). Y87 does not publish a TAF. The nearest TAF station is KTVC, about 18 nm away.
⚠️ 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 Y87 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 Y87. 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 | 2,235 ft | TURF-F | 4 kt head | 0 kt |
| 17 | 2,600 ft | ASPH-P | 4 kt head | 0 kt |
| 27 | 2,235 ft | TURF-F | 4 kt head | 0 kt |
| 35 | 2,600 ft | ASPH-P | 4 kt head | 0 kt |
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 24 h: wind 6→4 kt, ceiling unlimited → unlimited.
Y87 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast. Drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around William B Bolton Airport in Empire, MI: 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 Y87 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 Y87
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
MKG UA /OV MKG/TM 0224/FL340/TP A321/TB CONS MOD CHOP OCNL MOD CAT/RM FL320 OCNL LGT CHOP
MKG UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MKGLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0224Reported at 02:24 UTC.FL340Altitude: 34,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS MOD CHOP OCNL MOD CA…Turbulence: continuous moderate chop occasional mod clear-air turbulence.RM FL320 OCNL LGT CHOPRemarks.Show raw report
MOP UA /OV MOP320008/TM 0210/FL330/TP A321/TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD CHOP/RM ZOB
MOP UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV MOP320008Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 0210Reported at 02:10 UTC.FL330Altitude: 33,000 ft MSL.TP A321Aircraft type reporting.TB CONS LGT OCNL MOD CHOPTurbulence: continuous light occasional moderate chop.RM ZOBRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at Y87
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station KFKS reported mostly VFR across 72 observations, with 13 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 27 kt, the lowest ceiling was 0 ft. Wind most often came from the S.
Most recent change: IFR → VFR
Most recent change: IFR → VFR
- 09/17/27/35
- 100%
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- Y87
- City
- Empire
- State
- Michigan
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 944 ft
- Coordinates
- 44.7914, -86.0032
- Runways
- 4
- Longest runway
- 2,600 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station KFKS
- TAF
- Nearest KTVC
- Time zone
- America/Detroit
- Next sunset
- 15h 52m
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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
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.
- Benzie Area R/C Club - Empire Airport , Empire, MI · 0 mi
- Little Finger Thermaleers LIFT - Maple City Rd , Maple City, MI · 7 mi
- Benzie Area R/C Club - Frankfort High School , Frankfort, MI · 15 mi
Y87 weather: frequently asked
What runways are available at Y87?+
Y87 has 4 runways: 09, 17, 27, 35; the longest is 2,600 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for Y87 come from?+
William B Bolton Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, KFKS, about 13 nm away, close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at Y87 can differ.
Does Y87 have a TAF?+
No. Y87 does not publish its own TAF. The nearest TAF station is KTVC, about 18 nm away.
Does Y87 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No. Y87 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for Y87 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for William B Bolton Airport (Y87)
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 William B Bolton 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 Y87 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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