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- A surface analysis chart overlays weather conditions on a map. Pilots use it to get a visual understanding of phenomena like pressure, temperature, wind, and precipitation in the area at a given time.
pilotinstitute.com/surface-analysis-charts-explained/
Apr 10, 2024 · Reading a surface analysis chart is crucial for pilots as it provides vital information about current and forecasted weather conditions, which is essential for flight planning and decision-making. Here's a detailed explanation on how pilots can read a surface analysis chart:
The Surface Analysis Chart. A few key facts to know: Issued every 3hrs; Shows most recent observation of what is going on at the VALID time. (location of frontal lines and types of fronts) Isobar lines are space 4 millibars apart
- Temperature
- Dewpoint
- Weather
- Visibility and Ceiling
- Pressure
- Identifier
- Wind
- A Few Tips
The most familiar number on station plots is the temperature, which always appears at the plot’s top left. Maps from outside the United States will be in Celsius. Upper-level charts are always in Celsius. When using a map from a new source, scan the margins to look at the range of temperatures. Values from -10 to +80 degrees, are a giveaway that te...
The dewpoint is at the bottom left of the station plot in the same units as temperature. The value is proportional to the absolute quantity of moisture in a given volume of air. This value will always be relatively high in tropical regions, between 60 and 80 degrees F, and much lower in polar regions. We can use this as a tracer to guess where the ...
Weather symbols often grab your attention. Drawn on the station’s left side, they show the type of weather or obscuration to visibility at the station. The sample map on the previous page shows numerous plots with fog due to upslope flow of cool, humid air. A short list of the most common weather symbols is shown to the right. A full list is availa...
Visibility is always paired with the weather symbol. It’s given in statute miles, but plots from overseas locations will show four-digit visibility in meters. It provides a quick look at how bad things are at each site. If good weather, with unrestricted visibility, no value is plotted. The ceiling is rarely plotted on weather maps, but AWC knows h...
A weather map can show either sea level pressure or altimeter setting. They’re slightly different expressions. Most weather maps on the Internet show sea level pressure in millibars, plotting only the tens, units, and tenths digits. But AWC knows that pilots use these charts, so altimeter settings are in inches, using the units, tenths, and hundred...
All weather stations are referred to with an identifier. This grew out of the early 20th-century practice of disseminating reports via teletype and identifying each location with short three-letter identifiers. When a four-letter identifier appears here, it indicates an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) location indicator and signifi...
Wind data is plotted using a shaft and feathers that always point into the wind. If the shaft is pointing northwest, the wind is between 300 and 330 degrees. This means you’ll probably be landing on Runway 32 instead of 14. These winds are always transmitted in the METAR reports referencing true north, so they’re plotted on the map as-is without an...
You can pan and zoom by dragging the map and using the mouse wheel and the plus (+) and minus (-) buttons. Click on station plots to see the METAR. You can change this to a decoded form or add the TAF with the Configure Panel options. A slider at the top of the map lets you view data for up to 24 hours in the past, and an expand button lets you pop...
- Tim Vasquez
May 23, 2013 · Aviation meteorological reports, or Airmets report widespread existing and forecast reductions in visibility aimed primarily at conditions likely to affect flight planning for pilots of light aircraft. The prog chart provides a quick pictorial view of areas of widespread VMC, marginal VFR and IMC conditions at the surface.
Sep 28, 2016 · 5.1 Surface Analysis Charts. Surface Analysis charts are analyzed charts of surface weather observations. The chart depicts the distribution of several items including sea level pressure, the positions of highs, lows, ridges, and troughs, the location and character of fronts, and the various boundaries such as drylines, outflow boundaries, sea ...
Nov 1, 2024 · Most pilots have access to a ton of weather guidance, but if you are routinely flying in the flight levels, here’s one more product to add to your list—constant pressure charts.
