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