Interpreting Weather Radar

Aviation Safety

Friday, November 15, 2024 at 06:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By: Omar Filipovic

Key Takeaways:

There is no single "right" answer for what weather is safe to fly through; the best way to avoid thunderstorms is to stay in visual conditions.
In-cockpit Nexrad data has significant latency (easily 20 minutes), meaning it shows where the weather *was*, not where it *is*.
Nexrad displays precipitation but does not detect turbulence, and "yellow" (moderate rain) areas require extreme caution as they can rapidly intensify beyond depicted levels due to data age.
Nexrad should be used as a strategic tool to plan routes *around* weather, rather than a tactical guide for navigating through developing storm systems.

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I very much enjoy your magazine. I have a question I would like your opinion on.

Reading “Riding The Storm Out” (September 2024) was very informative. However, the question I have is this: What weather would be safe to fly through? I have asked many experienced pilots the basic question: What specific weather should I not fly through? I have received different answers from just about every experienced pilot I ask.