Weather in the Computer Era Flashcards
PIREP Reporting Nil Turbulence
(Nil means none)
Line through circle slants left
PIREP Reporting Nil Icing
(Nil means none)
Line through circle slants right
PIREP Reporting less than Light Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Light Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Light to Moderate Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Moderate Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Moderate to Severe Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Severe Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Extreme Turbulence
PIREP Reporting Trace Icing
PIREP Reporting Trace to Light Icing
PIREP Reporting Light Icing
PIREP Reporting Light to Moderate Icing
PIREP Reporting Moderate Icing
PIREP Reporting Moderate to Severe Icing
PIREP Reporting Severe Icing
PIREP Reporting Low-Level Wind Shear
PIREP Reporting Other Phenomena
Convective SIGMET Area
Also depicts cloud top heights
Icing SIGMET area
IFR SIGMET Area
Tropical Cyclone SIGMET Area
Tornado Warning Area
Depicted only on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Thunderstorm SIGMET Area
Turbulence SIGMET Area
Ice Storm Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Lake Effect Snow Warning Area
(Primarily on and around the Great Lakes)
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Severe Thunderstorm Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Storm Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Volcanic Ash SIGMET Area
Blizzard Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Gale Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
High Wind Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
Winter Storm Warning Area
Only depicted on Graphical Forecast for Aviation (GFA) charts.
What is the wind speed and direction? (Up is North)
0 knots sustained
20 knot gusts
From the North (Stick indicates direction the wind is from)
Red barbs (lines) or half barbs indicate gust
Add all black flags and barbs then red flags and barbs to get total gust
Circle around the station indicates calm winds
What is the wind speed and direction? (Up is North)
45 knots
From the West (Stick indicates direction the wind is from)
Full barbs (lines) indicate 10 knots
Half barbs (lines) indicate 5 knots
Add all together to get total wind speed
What is the wind speed and direction? (Up is North)
80 knots
From the west (Stick indicates direction the wind is from)
A flag (Triangle) indicates 50 knots
A full barb (Line) indicates 10 knots
Add together for total wind speed
What is the wind speed and direction? (Up is North)
100 knots
From the West (Stick indicates direction the wind is from)
A Flag (Triangle) indicates 50 knots of wind
Add together for total wind speed
What is the Wind Speed and Direction? (Up is North)
Wind speed: 10 knots gusting to 20 knots
Direction: From the Northeast
Barbs (lines) always point in direction wind is coming from.
Black barbs are sustained winds while red barbs are the gusts.
Full barbs indicate 10 knots
Add black barbs together for total wind speed then add red barbs for total gusts.
What is the Temperature and Dew Point?
Temperature: 62 degrees Fahrenheit
Dew Point: 34 degrees Fahrenheit
Top left number is temperature, bottom left number is Dew Point.
Always in Fahrenheit.
What is the Cloud Cover and Flight Category?
Cloud Cover: Skies Clear
Flight Category: VFR
Fill of center circle indicates cloud cover in eighths (0/8 sky coverage, here). Color of center circle indicates flight category.
What is the Ground Visibility?
10 Statute Miles
Center left number is the reported visibility in Statute Miles (SM).
What is the Pressure?
29.76 “Hg
Top right number reports pressure. First number is removed and will be a 2 or 3, whichever will bring it closer to 30.00 “Hg.
What is the Cloud Cover?
Cloud Cover: Missing
Cloud cover information is missing/not reported.
What is the Present Weather?
Haze
Present weather is reported between the Temperature and Dew Point. The “infinity” symbol between the Temperature and Dew point means Haze.
What is the Present Weather?
Heavy Rain
Present weather is reported between the temperature and dewpoint.
What is a G-AIRMET?
A graphical advisory of weather that may be hazardous to aircraft but are less severe than SIGMETS
Only valid at specific times/snapshots
What time periods does a single G-AIRMET publishment have forecasts for?
Discrete times 3 hr apart for a period of up to 12 hr into the future (00, 03, 06, and 09 hr into the future)
…this would consist of one G-Airmet issuance
When are G-AIRMETS issued?
0300, 0900, 1500, and 2100Z (with updates issued as necessary)
…each of these updates consists of time blocks that shows the forecast for every 3 hrs into the future (I.e. so the 0300 forecast would have estimates for 3,6,9, and 12 hr into the future from 0300)
Smoke or Volcanic Ash
FU VA
Haze
HZ
Sand or Dust
SA or DU
Blowing Dust/Blowing Sand
BLDU/BLSA
Dust Devil
PO
Vicinity Sand Storm
VCSS
Mist or Light Fog
BR
More or less continuous shallow fog
MIFG
(Less than 6 feet thick)
Vincity Thunderstorm
VCTS
Vicinity Showers
VCSH
Squalls
SQ
Funnel Cloud or Tornado
FC
Sand Storm
SS
Strong Sand Storm
+SS
Drifting Snow
DRSN
Blowing Snow
BLSN
Freezing Fog
FZFG
Freezing Fog, sky discernible
Fog
FG
Fog, sky discernible
PRFG
Patchy Fog
BCFG
Vicinity Fog
VCFG
Unknown Precipitation/Weather
UP
Light Drizzle
-DZ
Drizzle
DZ
Heavy Drizzle
+DZ
Light Freezing Drizzle
-FZDZ
Moderate to heavy freezing drizzle
FZDZ
+FZDZ
Light drizzle and rain
-DZRA
Moderate to heavy drizzle and rain
DZRA
Virga or precipitation not hitting the ground
VIRGA
Light Rain and Snow
-RASN
Moderate to Heavy Rain and Snow
RASN
+RASN
Light Freezing Rain
-FZRA
Moderate to Heavy Freezing Rain
FZRA
+FZRA
Light Rain
-RA
Moderate Rain
RA
Heavy Rain
+RA
Light Snow
-SN
Moderate Snow
SN
Heavy Snow
+SN
Snow Grains
SG
Ice Crystals
IC
Ice Pellets
PE PL
Light Rain Showers
-SHRA
Moderate to Heavy Rain Showers
SHRA
+SHRA
Light Rain and Snow Shower
-SHRASN
Moderate to Heavy Rain and Snow Showers
SHRASN
+SHRASN
Light Snow Showers
-SHSN
Moderate to Heavy Snow Showers
SHSN
+SHSN
Light showers with small hail
-GS
Moderate to heavy showers with small hail
GS
Light showers with hail, not with thunder
-GR
Moderate to heavy showers with hail, not with thunder
GR
Thunderstorm with or without precipitation
TS
Thunderstorm with light to moderate rain
TSRA
Thunderstorm with light to moderate snow
TSSN
Thunderstorm with heavy rain
+TSRA
Thunderstorm with heavy snow
+TSSN
Thunderstorm with light to moderate hail
TSGR
Thunderstorm with heavy hail
Clear
CLR
0/8
Few
FEW
1/8 - 2/8
Scattered
SCT
3/8 - 4/8
Broken
BKN
5/8 - 7/8
Overcast
OVC
8/8
Vertical Visibility
VV/OVX
Missing
Flight Category
No ceiling or ceiling greater than 3,000 feet AGL and greater than 5 mile visibility
VFR
Flight Category
VFR with non-ceiling clouds below 3,000 ft AGL
VFR*
Flight Category
1,000 to 3,000 feet AGL and/or 3 to 5 miles
MVFR
Flight Category
500 to below 1,000 feet AGL and/or 1 miles to less than 3 miles
IFR
Flight Category
Below 500 feet and/or less than 1 mile
LIFR
Cold front
Warm front
Stationary front
Occluded front
Trough
Dry line
Squall
Hurricane
Tropical Storm
Cold frontogenesis
Warm frontogenesis
Stationary frontogenesis
Stationary frontolysis
Warm frontolysis
Cold frontolysis
Change of front type
Occluded frontolysis
High Pressure Center
Low Pressure Center
Tropical Wave
Tropical Depression
Ridge
What is the percentage for a chance of precipitation?
25% to less than 55%
What is the percentage for precipitation is likely?
55% or greater