Brief Like a Weather Pro

Step into an aviation forecaster’s shoes and see how it’s done.

Tim Vasquez

Thursday, June 26, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The 300 millibar chart is used for hemispheric work at jet stream level. [Courtesy: AWIPS-II / Tim Vasquez]

Key Takeaways:

Aviation weather forecasting employs a "forecast funnel" method, beginning with large-scale upper-air patterns found on charts like the 300 millibar, to establish the foundational atmospheric framework.
Upper-air analysis focuses on identifying major features such as the jet stream, polar vortex, and subtropical ridge, which dictate prevailing weather trends and the location of significant weather systems.
Subsequent analysis of surface charts integrates pressure systems, air masses, and frontal boundaries with the upper-level dynamics to provide a detailed, localized forecast for pilots.

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Since I began my column over 10 years ago in IFR Magazine, I’ve strived to write as though you’re with me in the weather operations center.

During most of my Air Force career, I worked as an aviation forecaster. For many years, this was a constant succession of four days on, three days off, with rotating shifts. After driving to work, we would begin a shift-change briefing. If this was in the morning, the entire weather station would participate. If it was evening, the events would be more relaxed, with just me and the outgoing forecaster reviewing things.