Definition
The predicted amount and height of cloud cover expected over an airport during a specified period, expressed in a TAF using standard cloud coverage codes (SKC, FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC) followed by the cloud base height in hundreds of feet above ground level. Cumulonimbus clouds, when forecast, are appended with the suffix CB.
Plain English
It is the part of an airport forecast that tells you how much of the sky is expected to be covered by clouds, and how high above the ground the bottoms of those clouds are likely to be.
Context Anchor
Seen in Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts when reading the cloud portion of a forecast, such as FEW, SCT, BKN, OVC, or VV followed by a height.
Why Pilots Care
Tells pilots whether they can expect visual conditions or will need instrument procedures for departure, en route, and arrival.
Intuition Check
Do not read forecast sky condition as a casual description like “nice” or “cloudy.” In a TAF, it is a coded forecast of cloud coverage, cloud height, and sometimes how far upward you can see when the sky is hidden.
Example Sentence 1
The TAF showed a forecast sky condition of BKN015 OVC040, so the pilot planned for an instrument approach into the destination.
Example Sentence 2
Checking the forecast sky condition helps decide if we can fly VFR or must file IFR.