Warm Season Aviation Weather and Resources
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Transcript of Warm Season Aviation Weather and Resources
Warm Season Aviation Weather and Resources
National Weather Service Chanhassen, MN
Center Weather Service Unit Farmington, MN
Outline
• National Weather Service background
• TAF information• Radar• Resources you can use
Weather Forecast Offices (WFO)
National Weather Service WFOChanhassen, MN
• Located about 25 miles west of Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport
• 25 full-time staff members
• At least 2-3 per shift
WFO Aviation Weather Services
• TAFs• Aviation Forecast Discussion• Airport Weather Warnings
(KMSP)• Ballooning Forecasts• Soaring Forecasts
TAF Sites
Center Weather Service UnitFarmington, MN
Located within the City of Farmington, MN about 20 miles S of MSP airport
Staffed by 4 NWS meteorologists from 5:00 am – 8:30 pm, 7 days a week.
CWSU Aviation Weather Services• Provide Professional Meteorological Services to FAA
Air Traffic System Accomplished with:
-Center Weather Advisories, CWA (immediate hazards to aircraft)
-Meteorological Impact Statements MIS (Planning Product for air traffic system)
-Collaborative Convective Forecast Product, CCFP (Coordinated 6 hour Thunderstorm forecast)
-In-person and telephone briefings
A Little Bit About Thunderstorms
• All thunderstorms have updrafts and downdrafts. Any thunderstorm can produce downbursts, severe turbulence, severe icing, heavy rain, and deadly lightning
• Updraft: part of the storm where air rises (usually on the west or southwest side of the storm)
• Downdraft: part of the storm where air sinks
TAFs
• Forecast for a specific point (w/in 5 SM of center of the airfield)
• No PROB30 groups used in the first 9 hours• Forecasters express uncertainty or variability
of conditions (especially TS) by using: - VC - TEMPO - CB (BKN030CB)
TAFs
TAFKMSP 011740Z 011818 15012KT P6SM SCT040CB FM2100 16012KT P6SM VCSH BKN040CB TEMPO 2224 30024G50KT 1SM TSRA BKN030CB OVC050 FM0000 30010KT P6SM –SHRA BKN040CB FM0200 30010KT P6SM SCT040
Indicates –TSRA may be developingSHRA/TSRA between 5 and 10 SM from the airfield
50% chance of occurrence 50% of the time
TAF Tips
• Watch trends/changes with each issuance
• Watch for amendments• Read the Aviation Forecast
Discussion
TAF Tactical Decision Aidhttp://www.srh.noaa.gov/zhu/main/TDA.php?sid=msp&timeoutput=z
Enter TAF Identifier
Radar: Warm Season
• What are you seeing?• What can you expect?• Where can you find it?
Radar-Composite Reflectivity
Radar…What can you expect? • Greens - light precipitation - minimal visibility restriction - weak updrafts• Yellows - moderate precipitation - visibility of a few miles - stronger updrafts/downdrafts possible…turbulence - icing possible or nearby
Radar…What can you expect?
• Reds/Purples - heavy precipitation…hail? - low visibility…1SM or less possible - Strong updrafts/downdrafts…turbulence - gusty winds - icing
STAY CLEAR!!!
http://adds.aviationweather.gov/radar/
Click on the map to see nearest radar image
http://adds.aviationweather.gov/radar/
Click an arrow to view adjacent
radars
Click to loop images
ATC Radar Display
Additional Aviation Weather Resources
Prog Charts
• Useful to see the weather pattern up to 48 hours out
• A good first look for planning
Prog Charts
http://adds.aviationweather.gov/tafs/
Aviation Forecast Discussion
• Issued by most local offices that issue TAFs• Explains the reasoning behind the TAF• May also indicate confidence in the
forecast and potential deviations that may occur
• Can also help provide info for conditions between the TAF sites
http://www.aviationweather.gov/testbed/afd/
CCFP
http://adds.aviationweather.gov/airmets/
Click