---
title: How to show the forecast instead of current weather
description: "By default your map shows the **current weather** (METAR). It can also show the **forecast** for a few hours ahead, which is handy when planning a flight. ### Open your map's settings 1. On a phone or computer that is…"
url: "https://pilotmap.co/help/how-to-show-the-forecast-instead-of-current-weather/"
updated: "2026-10-29"
category: Customization
---

# How to show the forecast instead of current weather

By default your map shows the **current weather** (METAR). It can also show the **forecast** for a few hours ahead, which is handy when planning a flight.

### Open your map's settings

1. On a phone or computer that is on the **same WiFi as your map**, open a web browser.
2. Go to `http://<map name>.local` (the name you wrote down during the WiFi setup) or `http://<IP address>`, for example `http://192.168.1.50`. If you don't know the IP address, see [how to find the IP address of your PilotMap](https://pilotmap.co/help/how-to-find-the-ip-address-of-your-pilotmap/). Some Android phones can't open `.local` names; use the IP address there.
3. In the menu at the top, move the mouse over **Settings** and click **Editor**.
   ![Settings menu with Editor and Save Config File](https://pilotmap.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pilotmap-help-menu-settings-1.png)
4. Click a blue bar to open that group of settings.
   ![Settings editor with its groups of settings](https://pilotmap.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pilotmap-help-confedit-top-1.png)

### Choose what the map shows

1. Open **Basic Settings**.
2. Choose **Default Data to Display**:
   - **METAR**: current weather (normal setting).
   - **TAF**: the official airport forecast. Only larger airports publish TAFs, so smaller airports may show as INVALID in this mode.
   - **MOS**: a computer forecast that also covers many small airports (United States only).
   - **Heat Map**: not weather; colours each airport by how often you have landed there. You enter the landings under **Heat Map**, **Editor**.
3. For TAF and MOS, enter how far ahead in **Default Data Hours Ahead to Display**: `1` to `24` hours. It is ignored for METAR and Heat Map.
   ![Default Data to Display settings](https://pilotmap.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pilotmap-help-forecast-1.png)

### Save

1. In the menu at the top, move the mouse over **Settings** and click **Save Config File**. You will see *Settings Successfully Saved*.
   ![Settings menu with Save Config File](https://pilotmap.co/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/pilotmap-help-menu-settings-save.png)
2. That's it. The map restarts its weather display by itself and shows the new setting within a minute or two. While it restarts, the legend may show all green for a moment (that is the normal ["starting" status](https://pilotmap.co/help/status-codes/)). You don't need to unplug it.

**Tip:** changes are only kept after **Save Config File**. If you close the page before saving, nothing changes.

To go back to current weather, choose **METAR** and save again.