Each season presents its own set of weather challenges. In winter, icing may be more prevalent, along with low ceilings, freezing precipitation and snow-covered runways. Tailwinds can be epic; so can headwinds. Spring and fall can be mirror images, but both often come with good-weather clouds and great visibilities, plus gusty winds and constant change. Summer inverts winter, and brings dissimilar weather extremes along with its own set of challenges, typically including a performance hit courtesy of warmer, less-dense air. But that’s the season in which we find ourselves.
If it’s summer where you are, the good news is you’ve probably had a few weeks to acclimate yourself, your airplane and your expectations to what will be the new norm for at least a couple more months. Most likely, you’re quite happy to trade the snow and ice of winter for the shirtsleeves and warm rains, perhaps less so the thunderstorms. But just as with winter, summer’s extremes can pose operational challenges. They’re just different.
