Salmon Lake Airport (Z81) Area Aviation Weather & Runway Winds
Aviation weather near Salmon Lake Airport in Salmon Lake, AK, decoded from the nearest reporting station (PATE) — conditions, runway crosswinds, and free Telegram airport alerts.
Salmon Lake Airport (Z81) is a general aviation airport serving pilots in and around Salmon Lake, AK at 490 ft. Z81 has no weather station of its own — conditions here are decoded from PATE, about 39 nm away, the nearest reporting station, and local conditions can differ. Its 2 runways (15, 33) — longest 2,000 ft — are checked against the current wind in the crosswind table below. The nearest TAF is issued for PAUN. Track it in the ATIS Alerts Telegram bot to get alerts read from PATE, the station this page is based on.
No weather station at this airport — showing the nearest station PATE, 39 nm away.
Wind from the west-southwest (240°) at 21 kt, gusting 25 kt, visibility 10+ statute miles, broken clouds at 1,000 ft, temperature 8°C (47°F), altimeter 29.86 inHg. Conditions are Marginal VFR (MVFR), ceiling 1,000 ft.
METAR PATE 290556Z AUTO 24021G25KT 10SM BKN010 08/06 A2986 RMK AO2 PK WND 24028/0526 SLP114 T00830061 10106 20083 57006
What changed at PATE (nearest station)?
Since the 0456Z (8:56 PM AKDT) report — compared automatically against the latest METAR.
No significant changes since the 0456Z report — conditions are holding steady.
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Current pilot readout for Z81
Based on the nearest station (PATE), Z81 is currently MVFR with winds from 240° at 21 knots gusting 25, visibility 10+ statute miles, and a 1,000 ft ceiling. The strongest crosswind component is currently on runway 15, about 18 knots. Density altitude is approximately -100 ft (field elevation 490 ft). Z81 does not publish a TAF — the nearest TAF station is PAUN, about 125 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 Z81 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 Z81. This is intended as a planning aid only and should not replace official performance calculations or pilot judgment.
| Runway | Length | Surface | Head / Tail | Crosswind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15FAV | 2,000 ft | GRAVEL-P | 10 kt tail | 18 kt left (g22) |
| 33 | 2,000 ft | GRAVEL-P | 10 kt tail | 18 kt left (g22) |
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 5→21 kt, ceiling unlimited → 1,000 ft.
Z81 weather radar
Live NEXRAD + lightning, with a 4-hour future-radar forecast — drag to pan, tap ⚡ to toggle lightning.
Live weather radar around Salmon Lake Airport in Salmon Lake, AK: 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 Z81 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.
Recent aviation weather trends at Z81
From ATIS Alerts' hourly weather history.
Over the past 24 hours, the nearest station PATE reported mostly VFR across 28 observations, with 5 flight-category changes. The strongest gust reached 25 kt, the lowest ceiling was 500 ft. Wind most often came from the SW.
Most recent change: VFR → MVFR
Most recent change: VFR → MVFR
- 15/33
- 100%
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Airport facts
Reference data from the OurAirports dataset.
- Type
- General aviation airport
- FAA LID
- Z81
- City
- Salmon Lake
- State
- Alaska
- Country
- United States
- Elevation
- 490 ft
- Coordinates
- 64.9092, -165.0130
- Runways
- 2
- Longest runway
- 2,000 ft
- Weather reporting
- Nearest station PATE
- TAF
- Nearest PAUN
- Time zone
- America/Nome
- Sunset in
- 2h 20m
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Nearby airports
Compare nearby METAR/TAF stations within 25, 50 and 100 NM before departure or arrival.
25–50 NM
6 airports50–100 NM
8 airports+2 more within 100 NM
Z81 weather — frequently asked
What runways are available at Z81?+
Z81 has 2 runways — 15, 33; the longest is 2,000 ft. This page computes the live crosswind for each runway end from the current wind.
Where does the weather shown for Z81 come from?+
Salmon Lake Airport does not have its own weather station. Conditions shown here come from the nearest reporting station, PATE, about 39 nm away — close enough for situational awareness, but local conditions at Z81 can differ.
Does Z81 have a TAF?+
No — Z81 does not publish its own TAF. The nearest TAF station is PAUN, about 125 nm away.
Does Z81 broadcast D-ATIS?+
No — Z81 does not broadcast D-ATIS. Alerts for Z81 from the ATIS Alerts bot (@atisalerts_bot) are based on its METAR (via the nearest reporting station) instead.
Pilot PIREPs for Salmon Lake Airport (Z81)
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 Salmon Lake 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 Z81 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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