Aviation Weather
Editor's Note:
Today's weather prediction and forecasts are becoming more and more reliable, and easier to "visualize" with color animation and satellite images that are products of superior evolving technology. The private pilot, who only flies VFR can now get a reasonable weather picture from their home computer... on what to expect from Mother Nature.
We have selected several sites (all free) that we feel will give all aviators an easy to use tool to have a look at the weather conditions now...and what to reasonably expect enroute and at your destination. We have selected weather sites based on ease of use, depth of coverage, and how "quick" you can go in, get what you want, and get going. As a result of easy to interpret weather models and good reporting networks, now we can all be moderately good... Weather guessers.
But always remember... Mother Nature still rules the roost... always has... and always will.
Alaska WeatherCams
A terrific site with live web cam pictures throughout Alaska. Run and maintained by the FAA, with a real time "sneak a look at the weather" and what's going on... before you go. Great stuff!
Aviation Weather at Baseops
Base Ops has it all, and most of it extremely useful for all types of aircraft. Radar Images, World Images of weather for the US, Middle East, Caribbean & South America, Europe and trans-Atlantic, and Alaska and the Pacific. Animation and forecasts, Satellite images, and the winds... both current and forecast from the surface to FL480, general weather forecasts and a special section on severe weather. Overall, a terrific "one stop shopping" site.
Charlie's Aviation Weather
Charlie's weather. My vote for some of the best and clearest graphics, and very quick to use. Links to the best parts of other weather services. Charlie Kreider knows his stuff.
The Weather Underground
The "Weather Underground" site. Sounds kind of suspicious...but it is just another great site. Very easy to use, has a handy state "locator" which gives a lot of state and city weather information, along with the normal bits of information we like to use. Easy to "navigate" and can be used by anyone... children to senile old aviators.
National Doppler Radar Sites
National Weather Service Doppler Radar coverage of the entire US. Very clear graphics, and excellent tracking of storm cell and precipitation movement. Very easy to use and easy to shift between Doppler radar sites with point and click options, depending on what area you would like to see next. Nearly seamless coverage of the entire US. User friendly, great coverage, and an excellent site.
NOAA National Weather Service
An all encompassing weather site, with extensive weather warnings and forecasts, graphical forecasts, national maps, radar coverage, satellite coverage, and river flow measuring sites. Graphics are good, user friendly, and has tons of useful data.
Charlie's Caribbean Aviation Weather Home
Charlie's Caribbean/Gulf/Mexico Aviation Weather. Excellent coverage of the entire Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and Mexico areas. Local weather forecasts by island group, and by city. User friendly, and good graphics.
Atlantic Basin Tropical Weather Page
Good coverage of tropical storms and storm tracks. Navigation on the site is not as good as some of the others, but certainly acceptable.
NAV Canada
Weather information provided by Environment Canada. Good in-depth aviation weather covering all of Canada, Not quite as "user friendly" as other sites, however a very complete aviation weather source of information. Notams now available and future plans (Late 2004) will also allow filing a flight plan on the site.
AeroPlanner.com
The AEROPLANNER WEATHER page is your portal to a wealth of aviation and non-aviation related weather information. This is a vast collection of current and forecasted weather available to pilots today. Adding this information to your existing planning helps you become a more knowledgeable pilot regarding weather interpretation. Very well indexed, organized, and very quick. This is a good one!
WSI Inflight
This is NOT a weather forecasting site, however this company, WSI Inflight, offers the hardware for real time weather data that can be displayed in the cockpit. WSI is the same weather service that is trusted by 80% of major US airlines, FAA Flight Service stations, over 800 FBOs and over 1,200 corporate flight departments has a continuous broadcast aviation weather service for your cockpit...WSI Inflight. My opinion is that this technology, affordable weather cockpit displays is one of the most valuable avionic boxes you can have in the cockpit today. Many things have been made "better" in our aircraft, but the weather still remains sometimes unpredictable and nasty...the same as it has been for hundreds of years. We should have the ability to "see" it and avoid it if need be. I for one think this one single item, a cockpit weather display, may prevent an inadvertent engagement with Mother Nature... and save your behind. - A non-paid endorsement by the Editor
Additionally, nine other vendors offer cockpit displayed weather information. I urge you to check out all of the various manufactures, and consider whether their system is satellite or tower based, what additional hardware and displays are required, and what subscriptions are required to bring weather information into your cockpit. Where is the biggest bang for the buck?
Brilliant map displays, with real time weather... now, all at your fingertips. Lastly, all you have to do is convince the other half...that this will (probably) be the last major piece of avionics that you will ever need... because it might be (nearly) true.
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