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High Level SIGWX Charts Help
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NWS Product Description Document (PDF) |
NWS Directive (PDF) |
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Package |
Issue Time |
24 hour forecast package valid at 00Z |
08Z |
24 hour forecast package valid at 06Z |
14Z |
24 hour forecast package valid at 12Z |
20Z |
24 hour forecast package valid at 18Z |
02Z |
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In accordance with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and
the World Area Forecast System (WAFS) of the International Civil
Aviation Organization (ICAO), high level significant weather (SIGWX)
forecasts are provided for the en-route portion of international
flights. The AWC provides a suite of SIGWX forecast products for the
World Area Forecast Center (WAFC) in Washington, D.C. These products
are used directly by airline dispatchers for flight planning and
weather briefing before departure, and by flight crew members during
flight.
High level SIGWX charts are valid at specific fixed times: 0000, 0600,
1200, and 1800 UTC. They show significant en-route weather phenomena
over a range of flight levels from 250 to 630, and associated surface
weather features. The significant weather elements are defined by WMO
and ICAO, and include:
- thunderstorms and cumulonimbus clouds
- tropical cyclones
![Cyclone](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swh/info/cyc.gif)
- moderate or severe turbulence
- tropopause heights
![Low tropopause height](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swh/info/trop3.gif)
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- jetstreams (80kt and above depicted)
![Jet stream, 100 knots](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swh/info/jet1.gif)
- volcanic eruptions
![Volcanic eruption](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swh/info/vol.gif)
- Jet Depth *
![Jet Depth](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swh/info/jetdepth.gif)
- Hash Marks (each pair indicates successive 20kt wind speed
changes referenced to Jet Max)
- Release of Radioactive Materials
![Cyclone](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20130218134704im_/http://bcaws.aviationweather.gov/static/images/swm/info/radiologic.gif)
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* Jet Depth: The vertical depths to the
80 knot wind field above and below the jet steam using flight levels.
Jet stream vertical depth forecasts are included when the maximum
speed is 120 knots or more. More
details ... |
WAFS Significant Weather (SIGWX) Data in BUFR
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ICAO WAFS SIGWX BUFR [pdf]
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This document has been prepared by the World Area Forecast Centres
(WAFCs) for the purpose of providing guidance to software developers
who have the task of constructing WAFS SIGWX BUFR visualisation
software. The document is designed to assist developers in the
construction of compliant visualisation software that receives its
data input from text files obtained from BUFR decoding software. |
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