Inside Prog Charts

Prognostic charts (progs) rank among the most used weather charts in aviation. Progs are published four times a day and provide a comprehensive overview of weather across the United States out to 24 hours. Theyre found many places, but the source is the NOAA Aviation Weather Center website under Forecasts > Prog Charts > Low Level. There is also a separate chart set under the Surface tab that ranges out to 8 days in the future, but there are no precipitation markings after 48 hours.

Tim Vasquez

Friday, November 06, 2015 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Key Takeaways:

The article provides an in-depth guide to interpreting aviation prognostic charts ("progs"), explaining the three-dimensional structure and associated weather phenomena of various frontal systems (cold, warm, stationary, occluded), troughs, and seasonal patterns.
It details the practical implications of these weather systems for pilots, covering hazards such as potential icing, fog, turbulence, and specific cloud formations.
The summary emphasizes differentiating between stable and unstable air masses based on precipitation markings, linking these to expected visibility, turbulence characteristics, and overall cloud development for enhanced situational awareness in flight planning.

See a mistake? Contact us.

Prognostic charts (“progs”) rank among the most used weather charts in aviation. Progs are published four times a day and provide a comprehensive overview of weather across the United States out to 24 hours. They’re found many places, but the source is the NOAA Aviation Weather Center website under Forecasts > Prog Charts > Low Level. There is also a separate chart set under the “Surface” tab that ranges out to 8 days in the future, but there are no precipitation markings after 48 hours.