It’s not unheard of to think thunderstorms are only a product of summer weather, like we’re experiencing now in the Northern Hemisphere. Certainly they are more common in warmer months, but wintertime “thundersnows” are common enough that I’ve seen a few. The point is that we can encounter thunderstorms any time of year, not just in the summertime. The kinds of weather Mike Hart discussed in last month’s article, “Air Mass Storms,” principally are warm-weather phenomena, while thunderstorms associated with frontal activity can be experienced year-round.
These days, it’s easy for forecasters to predict where we might find thunderstorms on any given day, at least in areas we’re likely to be flying. And thanks to modern tools like airborne Nexrad weather radar, it’s color-coded child’s play to identify storms. Once they’re identified, it should be a simple matter to remain clear of them. But apparently that’s too inconvenient for some pilots, who end up in a thunderstorm anyway, with predictable consequences. When dealing with storms, whether air-mass or frontal, avoidance is key. And there are two primary ways to think of avoidance: strategically and tactically.
