This might be a better POA question, but let's try it here.

Let's say you want to take a flight leaving 24 hours later and returning 48 hours later, what tools do you use to obtain a idea if that flight can be safely completed under VFR conditions? We know all the tools usable for T-6 hours, and FSS. It certainly is much easier to obtain an immediate picture of the situation. However, what techniques exist for the near-term future?

Today's example would be from BOI (Boise) to U70 (cascade) leaving friday night and returning Saturday sometime, but any example could be used...

File it through duat and they'll send you a briefing.

I look at the program charts, which only go out 48 hours. That, and some knowledge of how weather works in that neighborhood helps.

Other than that.....The Weather Channel and tea leaves are as good as most.

MTV

Area forecast discussion by the dudes who compile the forecasts at NWS:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=PQR&issuedby=PQR&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

Doesn't seem to get better than that. It's like a buddy giving you the forecast and the explanation of why.

Our own Oregon180 wrote a cool iPhone app called "Deep Weather" to make it easy to carry with you.

Thanks for the link. That's a great source for Oregon.

Kitfox5 wrote:Thanks for the link. That's a great source for Oregon.

Yeah, I really enjoy reading them. Remember though that it's the National weather service. They write these for every area. My link was just an example. There's s link to the forecast discussion from every area's NWS page.

I like the experimental ADDS progs and other products as well:

http://weather.aero/tools/weatherproducts/progcharts
http://weather.aero/tools/desktopapps/flightpathtool
It's NCAR, but it seems to work well.

Pretty useful and surprisingly accurate even in the changeable spring and fall in the Rockies.

For longer term forecasting beyond 48 hours, there are a number of them to choose from:
NOAA:
http://www.weather.gov/forecastmaps#
(no more useful than Wunderground or Google).

Private industry:
http://www.horoscope.com/horoscope/genie/index-fortune-tellers.aspx


***
I am baffled why we still use abbreviated text for our weather, a carryover from 120 baud teletype machines tippy tapping out reports. It seems silly after all these years of reading them, like some sort of crusty fertility ritual. CFIT/weather is still THE cause of accidents for us, and I can't help but think that situational awareness is impeded by this derelict practice.

Yet the FAA sees AOA indicators as a higher priority than adding a few vowels and consonants to some of the most critical safety tools out there.

lesuther wrote:***
I am baffled why we still use abbreviated text for our weather, a carryover from 120 baud teletype machines tippy tapping out reports. It seems silly after all these years of reading them, like some sort of crusty fertility ritual. CFIT/weather is still THE cause of accidents for us, and I can't help but think that situational awareness is impeded by this derelict practice.

Yet the FAA sees AOA indicators as a higher priority than adding a few vowels and consonants to some of the most critical safety tools out there.

AMEN!!!!!!!!

Gump

Zzz wrote:Area forecast discussion by the dudes who compile the forecasts at NWS:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=PQR&issuedby=PQR&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

Doesn't seem to get better than that. It's like a buddy giving you the forecast and the explanation of why.

Our own Oregon180 wrote a cool iPhone app called "Deep Weather" to make it easy to carry with you.

I don't normally toot my own horn on here, but if you have an iPhone or iPad and want convenient access to NWS forecast discussions, give Deep Weather a try. It's free, with a paid upgrade for more features if you really like it.

+1 for the scientific weather discussions... they are easy to read and it's nice to see what is going through their mind when they make the forecast. as it gets closer then usually wunderground's model is pretty good. I always start reading them about a week out when planning a long cross country. As for going BOI to U70 I would do mornings if you could with all the afternoon thunderstorms we've been having. evenings you will probably just have to play it by ear.

Oregon180 wrote:

Zzz wrote:Area forecast discussion by the dudes who compile the forecasts at NWS:

http://forecast.weather.gov/product.php?site=PQR&issuedby=PQR&product=AFD&format=CI&version=1&glossary=1

Doesn't seem to get better than that. It's like a buddy giving you the forecast and the explanation of why.

Our own Oregon180 wrote a cool iPhone app called "Deep Weather" to make it easy to carry with you.

I don't normally toot my own horn on here, but if you have an iPhone or iPad and want convenient access to NWS forecast discussions, give Deep Weather a try. It's free, with a paid upgrade for more features if you really like it.

Anything for Android?

GumpAir wrote:

lesuther wrote:***
I am baffled why we still use abbreviated text for our weather, a carryover from 120 baud teletype machines tippy tapping out reports. It seems silly after all these years of reading them, like some sort of crusty fertility ritual. CFIT/weather is still THE cause of accidents for us, and I can't help but think that situational awareness is impeded by this derelict practice.

Yet the FAA sees AOA indicators as a higher priority than adding a few vowels and consonants to some of the most critical safety tools out there.

AMEN!!!!!!!!

Gump

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/ ... V&state=OH

This site translates the area TAF into something visual. I love this site. You just plug in your location info at the top of the page.

Much less mind numbing than reading a MF-TAF.

I just save my location to the homepage of my phone.

Summer time weather means thunderstorms. I don't think you can make a go/no go decision 4 days in advance with thunder storms. Check radar prior to departure and fly early in the day. If it's nasty along your route wait a few hours and it will often move on. If you are coming to Cascade stop by the Big Orange helicopter and say hi.

Ken

Waterboy wrote:Summer time weather means thunderstorms. I don't think you can make a go/no go decision 4 days in advance with thunder storms. Check radar prior to departure and fly early in the day. If it's nasty along your route wait a few hours and it will often move on. If you are coming to Cascade stop by the Big Orange helicopter and say hi.

Ken

Thanks Ken will do. If I come up it will be tonight.... that's the big if.

Crzyivan13 wrote:http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/ ... V&state=OH

This is awesome! Thanks Evan!

Crzyivan13 wrote:

GumpAir wrote:

lesuther wrote:***
I am baffled why we still use abbreviated text for our weather, a carryover from 120 baud teletype machines tippy tapping out reports. It seems silly after all these years of reading them, like some sort of crusty fertility ritual. CFIT/weather is still THE cause of accidents for us, and I can't help but think that situational awareness is impeded by this derelict practice.

Yet the FAA sees AOA indicators as a higher priority than adding a few vowels and consonants to some of the most critical safety tools out there.

AMEN!!!!!!!!

Gump

http://www.usairnet.com/cgi-bin/launch/ ... V&state=OH

This site translates the area TAF into something visual. I love this site. You just plug in your location info at the top of the page.

Much less mind numbing than reading a MF-TAF.

I just save my location to the homepage of my phone.

lesuther, Gump, and crazyivan...I agree. Lots of weird in that set of circumstances. Not completely unlike learning how to fly NDB approaches during IFR training this spring. As if that will ever happen again even once in the rest of my life...not saying they are bad...just no longer part of the future of aviation insofar as is reasonably foreseeable.


crazyivan...

I love the USAirnet product, but just to clarify. There are a number of aviation weather models, including GFS. The official TAF is not the GFS, but a forecaster interpretation of most likely major weather pattern shifts based on an evaluation of multiple models. The great part of the GFS forecast is that it goes out three days. The LAMP product is limited to 24 hours and can be equally or more important as you get close, and it is also used by the forecasters to develop the TAF.

The weather is real nice in Cascade at the moment, 5:24pm. The build ups are moving east. One cell south west of Boise moving real slow. Wind is light and variable. The weather has been great the last two days before noon. I expect it will be the same tomorrow morning.

Saw you take off last night and the rotor blades were turning when I drove by this morning


Got out of Boise just before that storm hit... about 5 minutes out they said 7 gusting 40 on the radio but to cascade from there was fine.

Sorry I missed you this morning Idair. We were doing some maintenance run ups. We are on stand by for new fire starts, and spent most of the day watching cars go by. If you interested in checking out the Sky Crane stop by, we enjoy giving tours. Of course we can get launched at a moments notice and have to be in the air in 15 minutes.