Weather

Q: Is it possible to identify the typical sequence during which snow will fall in the Midwest versus an area prone to receiving lake effect snow? It seems snow pellets or sleet/ice pellets appear before flakes in some circumstances. A: Outside of large hailstones, the precipitation type that gets reported at the surface depends entirely […]

An aviation meteorologist explains why troughs are important enough to depict on prog charts.

‘The Skew-T log (p) and Me’ aims to make flight planning more effective.

The United States. “What a country!” as comedian Yakov Smirnoff once said. It’s equipped with first-class observation systems, sophisticated forecast models, and a lively research community. It has what is undoubtedly the most extensive weather infrastructure of any country in the world, and this is in part due to North America’s notoriously temperamental weather. It’s […]

Pilot proficiency, passengers, new-airplane-to-you, and unfamiliar terrain, should all factor into your personal weather-related flying restrictions

Pilots have to keep up with quite a bit of knowledge. There are regulations, procedures, chart symbology, various engineering disciplines, and many others. For some pilots, business skills have to be added to the mix. And on top of this, you’re expected to have a working understanding of meteorology. Sometimes your knowledge gets a bit […]

If you’ve ever faced a go/no-go decision with tantalizing blue sky above a low layer of fog, you know that departing IFR is an option—with a few “ifs.” If the obstacle-departure procedures are okay; if conditions meet personal minimums and comfort, and if you’ve considered what you might have overlooked when in a hurry to […]

Whether you’re in meteorology school or ground school, the tornado undoubtedly captures the attention. I’ve often noticed how a room goes silent when a conversation about this topic begins. Popular weather articles describe the tornado in terms of collisions between the air masses, jet streams, and fronts, and then go on to describe how to […]

There’s no phenomena that shapes the flying experience quite like wind. It’s almost always present in some form. A crosswind makes for tricky landings, a gusty wind brings a bumpy flight, and a strong tailwind buys you an extra 15 minutes at your destination. It makes sense that this temperamental, fickle element should get an […]

Scenic trips over the mountains out west often require creative flight planning. The smaller the aircraft, the more “scenic” the trip. That’s the whole point, so not worrying about how long it takes to make the final destination goes a long way to lighten the risk burden. Then, go in good weather to enjoy the […]