Winter Weather Dashboard help
Overview
The Aviation Winter Weather Dashboard depicts the potential winter weather impact to the Core (minus Honolulu) airports, with a dropdown selector to view Canadian airports or additional smaller airports separated by region. Updated four times per day, the web display shows the potential impact to each airport through a matrix of color coded boxes that depict nominal (green), slight (yellow), moderate (orange), and high (red) impact through eighty-seven forecast hours. The impact information is calculated using the Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) weather forecast model made up of 21 separate forecasts or ensemble members, and the Regional Ensemble Prediction System over Canada.
Purpose
The purpose of the dashboard is to provide a decision support for FAA air traffic managers and operational meteorologists to coordinate long range strategic winter weather planning by providing guidance on the impact from winter weather at major airports.
The intended audiences are operational meteorologists, local and national air traffic managers,and commercial airlines. It is available 24/7 and updated 4 times a day, 00Z, 06Z, 12Z, and 18Z.
The dashboard renders the potential impact to each airport, at three-hourly forecast intervals, using data from the US Global Ensemble Forecast System (GEFS) and Canadian Regional Ensemble Prediction System (REPS). The probability of accumulated snowfall/ice pellets, accumulated freezing rain, and visibility are used to determine the particular impact category assigned to each airport, every three forecast hours. The airports are split into four separate groups, ranked according to annual snowfall climatology shown in Airport Criteria below, and each group has a specific probabilistic threshold for snowfall/ice pellets, freezing rain, and visibility that determine the category. For example, a probability of a high snowfall rate will have less impact at an airport that receives a large annual snowfall (such as Denver) versus an airport that receives little snowfall (such as Miami), so a “moderate” impact at Denver will translate to much higher winter weather precipitation than a “moderate” impact at Miami. The scientific algorithm that produces the impact category (nominal, slight, moderate, or high) uses probabilistic information derived from the GEFS and REPS along with empirically created thresholds for each group of airports.
The airports are divided into four groups based on the annual snowfall at that location:
| Group 1 (30" +) | Group 2 (15"-30") | Group 3 (0.1"-15") | Group 4 (Trace) |
|---|---|---|---|
| DEN (60") | EWR (28") | SEA (11") | FLL/MIA |
| SLC (59") | LGA (26") | CLT (6") | LAX |
| MSP (50") | JFK (23") | MEM (5") | MCO |
| BOS (42") | IAD (22") | DFW (3") | PHX |
| DTW (41") | BWI (21") | ATL (2") | SAN |
| MDW (39") | PHL (21") | LAS (1") | SFO |
| ORD (39") | DCA (17") | IAH (0.5") | TPA |
| Criteria | |||
| Snow: 3+" 24 hour snow: 12+" Freezing Rain: 0.1" Vis: <0.5 SM | Snow: 1.5-3" 24 hour snow: 6-12" Freezing Rain: 0.05-0.1" Vis: <1 SM | Snow: 0.75-1.5" 24 hour snow: 2-6" Freezing Rain: 0.01-0.05" Vis: <3 SM | Snow: 0.15-0.75" 24 hour snow: 1-2" |
| Snow: 1.5-3" 24 hour snow: 6-12" Freezing Rain: 0.05-0.1" Vis: <1 SM | Snow: 0.75-1.5" 24 hour snow: 2-6" Freezing Rain: 0.01-0.05" Vis: <3 SM | Snow: 0.15-0.75" 24 hour snow: 1-2" | Snow: 0.001-0.15" 24 hour snow: 0.15-1" |
| Snow: 0.75-1.5" 24 hour snow: 2-6" Freezing Rain: 0.01-0.05" Vis: <3 SM | Snow: 0.15-0.75" 24 hour snow: 1-2" | Snow: 0.001-0.15" 24 hour snow: 0.15-1" | |
FAQ
What has changed recently?
The entire site has been redesigned so almost everything is new. For information about the most recent updates, please see the change log.
Why is my link not working?
As part of the upgrade to the site, some pages were consolidated and some URL's have changed. Check out the link conversions to find what you are looking for. If you are still unable to find the information you are looking for, submit a question using the envelope in the top right.
Where is the METAR page?
You can view the METAR data by using the Products dropdown and selecting METAR data. The interactive Graphical Forecasts for Aviation map also displays METARs, under the observations tab. To view METARs alone, click on the Layers button at the top left corner of the map and deselect items you do not wish to view. You can view decoded METARs by checking the "decoded box in the Map Options under the gear icon on GFA. Here is a link to the observations tab: GFA Observations tab.
How do I submit PIREPs?
Sign up for an account on our registration page, or using the Contact Us dialog under the envelope at the top right corner of the screen. Select "PIREP Access" as the category, and be sure to include your airmen’s certificate number or affiliation with an airline, flight school, government or military organization for validation purposes to streamline the process. Accounts are validated via the FAA Airmen Inquiry.
Once you have an account and are logged in, select "Submit a PIREP" from the Tools dropdown and fill out the form. For more information on PIREP submit, use the link at the bottom, or click here.
Where do I submit questions/comments?
Click on the envelope button at the top right corner of your screen to fill out the webmail form. There are some new features and there will be some initial bugs. Please don't hesitate to let us know. We run a deployment of functionality upgrades every month. Critical bugs will be fixed as soon as possible.
Why can't I log in to my account?
You will need to log in and/or have correct permissions. If you do not see a confirmation email after registering, please check your spam folder. Please contact us if further information is required.
How do I access the Flight Path Tool?
The flight path tool is now embedded into the interactive Graphical Forecasts for Aviation map. Click on the route button along theright side of the map to open the display. Enter the airports to navigate, and select the product you wish to display from the dropdown. Watch a video on how to use the cross sections here.