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WFO Albuquerque, NM
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Aviation Weather Hazards Briefing Available for Your Company or Group

The Albuquerque National Weather Service Forecast Office (NWSFO) and the Federal Aviation Administration�s (FAA) Albuquerque Air Route Traffic Control (ARTCC) Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) began jointly briefing Aviation Weather Hazards in the Southwest to operational pilots during April, 2006.  

The locally developed presentation covers regional weather hazards.  During the presentation pilots gain a better understanding of aviation hazards such as:

  • Smoke and haze obscurations

  • Thunderstorms

  • Strong wind events

  • Low level wind shear

  • Mountain wave turbulence

  • Icing

Forecasters explain the process of creating, monitoring and updating Center Weather Advisories, the Collaborative Convective Forecast Product and Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts.  The briefing concludes with a trip to the Internet, where pilots learn about new internet features like RIDGE-radar overlays, the Hourly Weather Graph, graphical forecasts from the National Digital Forecast Database, and flight planning resources from the Aviation Weather Center.  

The team effort helps pilots meet semi-annual training requirements, teaches them to interpret weather forecasts more effectively, and introduces them to internet-based products that make flight planning easier.  Pilots have expressed appreciation for the opportunity to openly discuss weather with local meteorologists, and often relate some of their own hazardous weather knowledge and experiences during the one to three-hour presentation.  Meteorologists benefit from the insights provided by pilots in turn.  The rewarding exchange often extends to a tour of customer operations, or the Albuquerque NWS Forecast Office, where late afternoon visitors can see weather balloon launches first-hand.

 


NWSFO & CWSU staff touring Bode Aviation apron at Double Eagle Airport.  From left to right:
David Craft (NWS), Gregory Harris (CWSU), and Shawn Bennett (Meteorologist-in-Charge NWSFO).

Bode Brief Craft 2.jpg (26698 bytes)
NWS Albuquerque meteorologist David Craft 
beginning the presentation.

Presentation at Bode Aviation in 
Albuquerque, April 2008

Bode Brief Vieira 1.jpg (36654 bytes)
CWSU Albuquerque meteorologist Gregory 
Harris explains icing conditions.

The WFO and CWSU are striving to reach as many operational aviators as possible with the live presentation, and intend to involve as many forecasters as possible to maximize the internal and external benefit.  If your company or organization would like to receive the Aviation Weather Hazards in the Southwest presentation, please contact David Craft at 505-243-0702 extension 0, or via email  David.Craft@noaa.gov.    

 

Aviation Weather Hazards in the Southwest
Briefing Outline

 

1.  Very brief background-about NWS Albuquerque and the FAA�s ZAB ARTCC Weather Service Unit (CWSU)

 

---------------------------------------------- NWS ABQ Forecaster-------------------------------------------

  2.  Weather Hazards

  a.       Smoke and haze obscuration

b.      Spring and East Winds

c.       Low level wind shear

d.      Thunderstorms and thunderstorm season (monsoon)

e.       Microbursts

f.        Dryline

 

************************************** 5-to-10 minute break? *********************************

 

---------------------------------------------ZAB CWSU Forecaster------------------------------------------

 

g.       Turbulence-convective, mechanical, mountain wave, high altitude

h.       Mountain obscuration

i.         Icing-clear, mixed, rime, locations, intensities

 

3.  Forecast Products and Internet Resources

 

a.       Collaborative Convective Forecast Product

b.      Center Weather Advisory

c.       Aviation Weather Center Digital Data Service (internet)

 

---------------------------------------------NWS ABQ Forecaster-----------------------------------------------

 

d.      TAF/TWEB (15-minute DVD)

                        - Describes process of creating, monitoring, and updating

                        - Explains data sources (ASOS, computer models, weather balloons, radars)

e.       New RIDGE-Radar display w/ user-selected background maps (internet)

f.        New graphical weather forecasts (internet)

g.       New Hourly Weather Graph (internet)

 

4.  Summary & Questions