A lot of pilots are satisfied to fly away with the terminal forecasts and metars (in plain language, please) and I suppose that might meet the letter of the law on weather information. But there is so much more than that to weather and the pilot who puts some effort into understanding weather, and how it affects his flying, will find less weather-related surprises as a flight unfolds. Let’s look at some of the basics that are available to us and see what we learn from them.
The Synopsis:Maybe the word is misunderstood, but as it appears at the beginning of an area forecast it is basically a description of the weather map. It is followed by a clouds and weather forecast. Do pay attention to the note “Non MSL hgts denoted by AGL or CIG.” That means cloud bases are generally above sea level except where noted. Big difference in the mountains.
