Commercial - (Area Forecasts) FA Flashcards
(20 cards)
How many geographical areas does an area forecast cover in the United States? And what are they?
There are 6 in The continental United States.
San Francisco Salt Lake City Dallas Fort Worth Chicago Miami Boston
They also exist for Alaska Hawaii and the Caribbean.
What types of weather does an Area Forecast (FA) forecast?
Thunderstorms Precipitation Cloud heights and tops Cloud amount Limitations to visibility Sustained surface winds 20 knots or more
What is not forecasted in an area forecast?
Does not provide hazardous weather information?
How many sections are in an area forecast, and what are they?
There are four sections to an area forecast they are:
Header
Precautionary statements
Synopsis
VFR clouds and weather
What information is described in the header of an area forecast?
Who issued it
When it was issued
The timeframe of the forecast
The forecast area
Decode the following line from the header of an area forecast:
CHIC FA 011845
CHI = Chicago
C = VFR clouds and weather forecast
FA = Denotes this is an area forecast
011845 = First day of the month at 6:45 PM Greenwich (Zulu Time)
Decode the following line from a header of an area forecast:
SYNOPSIS AND VFR CLDS/WX
Announces that there is a synopsis and a VFR clouds weather section in this area forecast.
Decode the following line from a header of an area forecast:
SYNOPSIS VALID UNTIL 021200
The synopsis section of this area forecast will be valid until the second day of the month at 1200 Zulu time.
Decode the following line from a header of an area forecast:
CLDS/WX VALID UNTIL 020600… OTLK VALID 020600 – 021200
Clouds and whether section will be valid the second day of the month at 0600 Zulu and the outlook is valid until the second day of the month at 0600 Zulu, until the second day of the month at 1200 Zulu.
Decode the following line from the header of an area forecast:
NC SC GA FL AND CSTL WTRS E OF 85W
This forecast is valid for North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida and the coastal waters east of 85 west longitude.
What does the letters AMD mean at the end of the date and time group in the header of an area forecast?
MIAC FA 011745 AMD
The forecast has been amended because the weather is not developing or improving as originally forecasted.
In the header of an area forecast if you see the letters COR after the date and time group what does this mean?
MIAC FA 011745 COR
An area forecast has been corrected because of an error.
When a corrected or amended header is noticed in the area forecast what else will you see in relation to these corrections?
The letters UPDT will be next to any areas that have been updated in relation to the correction or the amended areas of the forecast.
What information is in the precautionary statements section of an area forecast?
This points the pilot to use other weather products for hazardous flight information as the area forecasts does not provide this information. They also remind the pilot that all altitudes are represented by MSL unless they are cloud ceilings or otherwise noted.
Decode the following precautionary statement of an area forecast:
SEE AIRMET SIERRA FOR IFR CONDS AND MTN OBSCN.
TS IMPLY SEV OR GTR TURB SEV ICE LLWS AND IFR CONDS.
NON MSL HGTS DENOTED BY AGL OR CIG.
See AIRMET Sierra for IFR conditions and mountain obscurement.
Thunderstorms imply severe or greater turbulence severe ice low-level windshear and IFAR conditions.
Non-mean sea level heights denoted by AGL or CIG.
What is the purpose of the synopsis section of an area forecast?
Summarizes The location and movement of fronts and weather systems.
Decode the following synopsis from an area forecast:
SYNOPSIS…STNR FNT EXTDS FM VA CSTL WTRS THRU NRN GA-NRN AL.
BNDRY WL TEND LIFT NWD AS A WRMFNT INTO THE MID ATLC RGN BY 12Z.
DEEPER MSTR AND INSTBY EXTDS FM NC CSTL WTRS/NC CSTL PLAIN THRU
SRN GA AND NRN FL. DEEPENING MSTR WL DVLP BTN 06Z AND 12Z ACRS
NRN GA INTO WRN NC WV AND WRN VA
SYNOPSIS…STNR FNT EXTDS FM VA CSTL WTRS THRU NRN GA-NRN AL.
BNDRY WL TEND LIFT NWD AS A WRMFNT INTO THE MID ATLC RGN BY 12Z.
DEEPER MSTR AND INSTBY EXTDS FM NC CSTL WTRS/NC CSTL PLAIN THRU
SRN GA AND NRN FL. DEEPENING MSTR WL DVLP BTN 06Z AND 12Z ACRS
NRN GA INTO WRN NC WV AND WRN VA
Synopsis stationary front extends from Virginia coastal waters through Northern Georgia to Northern Alabama.
Boundary will trend to lift northward as a warm front into the mid Atlantic region by 1200 ZULU.
Deeper moisture and instability extends from North Carolina coastal waters and North Carolina coastal plain through
southern Georgia and northern Florida. Deepening moisture will develop between 0600 Zulu and 1200 Zulu across
Northern Georgia into Western North Carolina, West Virginia and Western Virginia.
What does the VFR clouds and weather section of an area forecast describe?
Describes VFR and marginal VFR clouds, visibilities, precipitation, and widespread sustained surface winds of 20 knots or greater.
What is the forecast duration for the VFR clouds and weather section of an area forecast?
12 hours in duration with categorical outlook period of an additional 6 hours.
Decode the following section of a VFR clouds and weather section of an area forecast:
IN
SERN…SCT060 BKN CI. 21Z BKN060. NMRS -SHRA. WDLY SCT
-TRSA. CB TOP FL300. OTLK…VFR..11Z MVFR CIG.
RMNDR…OVC060 LYRD FL250. SCT/NMRS -SHRA. WDLY SCT -TSRA. CB TOP
FL300. 04Z SCT020 BKN 040. OTLK…MVFR BR CIG.
IN
SERN…SCT060 BKN CI. 21Z BKN060. NMRS -SHRA. WDLY SCT
-TRSA. CB TOP FL300. OTLK…VFR..11Z MVFR CIG.
RMNDR…OVC060 LYRD FL250. SCT/NMRS -SHRA. WDLY SCT -TSRA. CB TOP
FL300. 04Z SCT020 BKN 040. OTLK…MVFR BR CIG.
Indiana
Southern, scattered at 6000 broken cirrus. 2100 Zulu broken 6000 numerous light rain showers widely scattered thunderstorms
With light rain Cumulonimbus tops-flight level 300. Outlook VFR. At 1100 Zulu marginal VFR ceilings.
Remainder overcast 6000 Scattered/numerous light rain showers widely scattered thunderstorms light rain cumulonimbus tops
Flight level 300 At 0400 Zulu scattered at 2000, broken at 4000. Outlook marginal VFR due to mist and low ceilings.
