The Palmdale Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) is co located with the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Palmdale Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC). The CWSU is staffed by a team of National Weather Service Meteorologists. Our office is open seven days a week from 5:30 am until 9:00 pm.

The CWSU uses a variety of weather computers and other sophisticated equipment to provide weather forecasts and hazardous weather advisories to the FAA and the aviation industry. Two of our most important functions are:

1) to provide hazardous weather warnings to enhance the safety and efficient flow of air traffic through the Palmdale ARTCC airspace.

2) to provide detailed forecasts of weather conditions in the approach zone into Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas and other airports, and to alert the FAA as to times when corrective measures may be necessary to minimize weather delays and airborne holding.

Our CWSU provides formal weather briefings to FAA supervisors within the Palmdale ARTCC. Written and graphical forecasts are transmitted throughout the ARTCC three times a day. Verbal briefings are given to individual controllers and supervisors in the ARTCC and to other FAA facilities within the Palmdale ARTCC airspace as conditions dictate.

When necessary our meteorologists issue Center Weather Advisories (CWA). The CWA is a short- term warning of hazardous weather conditions provided to the aviation community. The CWA is similar to but more localized than, AIRMETs and SIGMETs issued by the Aviation Weather Center (AWC).