Bethel Seaplane Base (Z59) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
As of 10:53 AM AKDT, Oct 28, based on the nearest station (PABE), Z59 is currently VFR with winds from 160° at 20 knots gusting 29, visibility 7 statute miles, and a 3,200 ft ceiling.
Aviation weather near Bethel Seaplane Base in Bethel, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PABE): conditions and runway crosswinds.
Bethel Seaplane Base (Z59) is a seaplane base in Bethel, AK. Z59 has no weather station of its own. Conditions here are decoded from PABE, about 3 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. It has 2 physical runways (NE, SW), the longest 3,000 ft. The nearest TAF is issued for PABE.
No weather station at this airport: showing the nearest station PABE, 2.8 nm away.
Wind from the south-southeast (160°) at 20 kt, gusting 29 kt, visibility 7 statute miles, overcast at 3,200 ft, temperature 6°C (43°F), altimeter 29.71 inHg. Conditions are Visual Flight Rules (VFR), ceiling 3,200 ft.
METAR PABE 281853Z AUTO 16020G29KT 7SM -RA OVC032 06/05 A2971 RMK AO2 PK WND 16029/1851 SLP064 P0004 T00610050 TSNO
What changed at PABE (nearest station)?
Since the 1753Z (9:53 AM AKDT) report, compared automatically against the latest METAR.
- Gusts increased from 24 to 29 kt.
- Wind speed up from 15 to 20 kt.
Current pilot readout for Z59
Based on the nearest station (PABE), Z59 is currently VFR with winds from 160° at 20 knots gusting 29, visibility 7 statute miles, and a 3,200 ft ceiling. Density altitude is approximately -800 ft (field elevation 15 ft). Review the latest TAF below for forecast changes before departure.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NEFAV | 3,000 ft | WATER | 19 kt tail | 7 kt right (g10) |
| SW | 3,000 ft | WATER | 19 kt tail | 7 kt right (g10) |
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 11→20 kt, ceiling 4,000 ft → 3,200 ft.
Z59 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.
Pilot reports (PIREPs) within 100 NM of Z59
Reported by pilots in flight over the past 6 hours, via aviationweather.gov.
Show raw report
BET UUA /OV BET/TM 1905/FL005/TP C208/SK OVC040/WX 7/RM LLWS +/-15 KT 005 DURD RWY19R
BET UUAHeader: reporting station and UUA: an URGENT pilot report (severe conditions, wind shear, or similar).OV BETLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1905Reported at 19:05 UTC.FL005Altitude: 500 ft MSL.TP C208Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC040Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.WX 7Weather and flight visibility observed.RM LLWS +/-15 KT 005 DURD RW…Remarks.Show raw report
BET UA /OV BET/TM 1855/FL000/TP C208/SK OVC018/TB LGT/IC NEG/RM DURD
BET UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BETLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1855Reported at 18:55 UTC.FL000Altitude: 0 ft MSL.TP C208Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC018Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TB LGTTurbulence: light.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM DURDRemarks.Show raw report
BET UA /OV BET224069/TM 1818/FL300/TP B77L/TB LGT CHOP/RM ZAN
BET UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BET224069Location: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1818Reported at 18:18 UTC.FL300Altitude: 30,000 ft MSL.TP B77LAircraft type reporting.TB LGT CHOPTurbulence: light chop.RM ZANRemarks.Show raw report
16A UA /OV 16A /TM 1730 /FL040 /TP C208 /WX RASN /TA 00 /TB NEG /IC NEG /RM AKFSS
16A UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV 16ALocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1730Reported at 17:30 UTC.FL040Altitude: 4,000 ft MSL.TP C208Aircraft type reporting.WX RASNWeather and flight visibility observed.TA 00Outside air temperature, °C.TB NEGTurbulence: none reported.IC NEGIcing: none reported.RM AKFSSRemarks.Show raw report
BET UA /OV BET/TM 1649/FL000/TP E75L/SK OVC030/TA M15/TB LGT CHOP/IC LGT MIX 060/RM DURD
BET UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BETLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1649Reported at 16:49 UTC.FL000Altitude: 0 ft MSL.TP E75LAircraft type reporting.SK OVC030Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TA M15Outside air temperature, °C.TB LGT CHOPTurbulence: light chop.IC LGT MIX 060Icing: light mix 060.RM DURDRemarks.Show raw report
BET UA /OV BET/TM 1510/FL000/TP MD80/SK OVC040/TA M4/IC TRACE MIX/RM DURD
BET UAHeader: reporting station and UA: a routine pilot report.OV BETLocation: fix or navaid, optionally with a radial and distance in NM.TM 1510Reported at 15:10 UTC.FL000Altitude: 0 ft MSL.TP MD80Aircraft type reporting.SK OVC040Sky condition: cloud bases and tops in hundreds of feet MSL.TA M4Outside air temperature, °C.IC TRACE MIXIcing: trace mix.RM DURDRemarks.⚠️ PIREPs are unverified pilot reports. Not for operational use: conditions change between reports.
Recent aviation weather trends at Z59
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station PABE reported mostly VFR across 24 observations, with 0 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 29 kt, the lowest ceiling was 3,200 ft. Wind most often came from the SE.
Most recent change: MVFR → VFR
Share of hours each runway had the most headwind. From wind reports, not ATC assignments.
- NE/SW
- 100%
TAF | Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
Issued 1752Z (9:52 AM AKDT)
TAF PABE 281752Z 2818/2918 14016G23KT P6SM -RA OVC045 FM282000 19020G27KT 4SM -RA BR BKN015 OVC025 FM290000 23012KT P6SM BKN030 FM290500 20005KT P6SM SCT045 FM291400 09006KT P6SM FEW045
New to TAFs? How to read one →
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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
- 100 (green) · 100LL
- Attended
- Unattended
- Repairs
- Airframe & engine, minor
- Landing fee
- No
- Other services
- Cargo handling
- Control tower
- None
- Wind indicator
- Unlighted
Airport
- Type
- Seaplane base
- IATA
- JBT
- FAA LID
- Z59
- City
- Bethel
- State
- Alaska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 15 ft
- Coordinates
- 60.7820, -161.7430
- Runways
- 2 physical runways · 2 runway ends
- Longest runway
- 3,000 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station PABE
- TAF
- Nearest PABE
- Time zone
- America/Nome
- Sunset in
- 7h 31m
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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
4 airports50–100 NM
8 airports+2 more within 100 NM
Pilot PIREPs for Bethel Seaplane Base (Z59)
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 Bethel 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 Z59 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.
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