11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 5-169 Solar Radiation Storm Forecast for Mar 11-Mar 13 2015 Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 13 S1 or greater 10% 10% 10% Rationale: There is a slight chance for S1 (Minor) solar radiation storms over the next three days (11-13 Mar) if Region 2297 produces significant flare activity.
C. NOAA Radio Blackout Activity and Forecast Radio blackouts reaching the R1 levels were observed over the past 24 hours. The largest was at Mar 11 2015 0002 UTC Radio Blackout Forecast for Mar 11-Mar 13 2015 Mar 11 Mar 12 Mar 13 R1-R2 60% 60% 60% R3 or greater 10% 10% 10% Rationale: (R1-R2/Minor-Moderate) radio blackouts are likely. A slight chance for (R3 or greater) radio blackouts remains for the next three days (11-13 Mar) as Region 2297 maintains its size and complex magnetic structure.
Refer to NWS’s SWPC Web site for additional information on this product.
5.22.2.4 Other Space Weather Products.
SWPC provides many products on their Web site, some of which can be of interest to aviation users. These products and displays will continue to evolve and thus it is not practical to provide all the various product examples along with their description. Instead users should refer to the product descriptions provided on the SWPC Web site. It is important to state these products are intending for trained users, are not aviation-specific, and subject to change by the NWS.
5.23 Use.
At the time of this publication, there are no aviation-specific forecasts or advisory products, such as SIGMETs or AIRMETs, issued for space weather events. Until such time as aviation-specific space weather products are developed, pilots can refer to SWPC’s Web page as well as their space weather alerts, watches, warnings, forecasts and forecast discussions, utilizing the NOAA’s Space Weather Scales, for situational awareness with space weather.
SWPC has a free subscription service that provides a wide range of space weather products, including alerts, warnings, watches, and forecasts that users can receive through email within moments of being issued. Details on this service can be found on SWPC’s Web site.
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 5-170
5.24 Soaring Forecast.
5.24.1 Issuance.
Select NWS WFOs issue soaring forecasts. These are automated forecasts primarily derived from the radiosonde observation or model generated soundings (seeparagraph 3.5).
5.24.2 Content and Format.
The content and format of soaring forecasts vary with the NWS WFO providing the forecast, based on the needs of their soaring community. It is beyond the scope of this advisory circular (AC) to describe all the many variations of soaring forecasts and their content. Soaring pilots should consult with the NWS WFO in their soaring area for more information.
5.24.3 Example.
The following example is Albuquerque, New Mexico:
SOARING FORECAST FOR ABQ DATE... 04/19/15...12Z THERMAL INDEX....MINUS SIGN INDICATES INSTABILITY 5000 FT ASL........-10.0 6000 FT ASL........-9.0 10000 FT ASL........-3.5 15000 FT ASL........0.0 HEIGHT OF THE -3 INDEX....10800 FT ASL TOP OF THE LIFT...........14600 FT ASL ABQ MAX TEMPERATURE.......67 DEGREES F FIRST USABLE LIFT.........59 DEGREES F MAXIMUM LIFT..............509 FT/MIN
UPPER LEVEL WINDS 5000 FT ASL..../// DEGREES AT // KNOTS 10000 FT ASL....330 DEGREES AT 35 KNOTS IT IS EMPHASIZED...THIS SOARING FORECAST INFORMATION IS VALID ONLY FOR THE RAOB SITE AREA AND FREQUENTLY WILL NOT APPLY TO OTHER AREAS IN THE STATE.
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 6-1 CHAPTER 6. AVIATION WEATHER TOOLS Aviation weather tools are Web-based applications that incorporate multiple weather products into a Web-based interactive display. Chapter 6 will describe two tools, the helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) Tool and the Flight Path Tool. Both of these tools can be found on the Aviation Weather Center’s (AWC) Web site at http://www.aviationweather.gov.
6.1 Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) Tool.
The HEMS Tool is specifically designed to display weather conditions for short-distance and low-altitude flights that are common for emergency first responders. HEMS operators are extremely sensitive to changing and/or adverse weather conditions and need weather information presented for non-weather experts quickly and effectively. To meet this need, the Flight Path Tool on the AWC’s Web site was adapted and simplified to display high-resolution grids of critical weather parameters, particularly cloud ceiling and surface visibility. Using a highly interactive and intuitive tool that focuses on small, localized regions, HEMS operators gain critical weather awareness to make all their flights safe for crews and patients.
6.1.1 Availability.
The HEMS Tool is continuously updated and available through the AWC’s Web site at http://www.aviationweather.gov/hemst.
6.1.2 Content.
The HEMS Tool can overlay multiple grids of various weather parameters, as well as NWS textual weather observations and forecasts including: ceiling, visibility, flight category, winds, relative humidity, temperature, icing, satellite, radar (base and composite reflectivity), Airmen’s Meteorological Information (AIRMET) and significant meteorological information (SIGMET), Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METAR), Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF), Pilot Weather Reports (PIREP), NWS hazards, and Center Weather Advisories (CWA). Some gridded products (e.g., temperature, relative humidity, winds, and icing) are three-dimensional (3-D). Other gridded products are two-dimensional (2-D) and may represent a “composite” of a 3-D weather phenomenon or a surface weather variable, such as horizontal visibility. The tool also displays relevant NWS textual weather observations and forecasts needed for aviation.
These data are either points of observed or forecast weather, often at airports, or regions of hazardous weather represented by 2-D polygons.
The default displays the most recent analysis of flight category; colored flight category dots are selected airports, radar loops, SIGMETs, and recent PIREPs. The map can be panned in any direction and zoomed by using the “+/-” buttons or the mouse scroll wheel.
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 6-2 All 3-D data are interpolated to above ground level (AGL) altitudes and can be sliced horizontally on 1,000-foot intervals up to 5,000 feet (ft). All data can be animated from 6 hours before to 6 hours after the current time.
6.1.2.1 Visibility and Flight Category.
Three products are available for the ceiling and visibility analysis (CVA) (see paragraph 4.2.1). The ceiling, visibility, and flight category weather products originate from the CVA product, which is a gridded analysis of ceiling and visibility based on surface observations and satellite imagery, and is updated approximately every 5 minutes. The ceiling and visibility are used together to classify the flight category as visual flight rules (VFR), Marginal Visual Flight Rules (MVFR), instrument flight rules (IFR), and Low Instrument Flight Rules (LIFR). Due to limitations of the observations, the grid cells are approximately 5 kilometers (km) apart at best. In data sparse regions, the best possible estimate of ceiling and visibility is assumed from the nearest surrounding data and may not represent the actual conditions at a specific point. Analyses of these fields are not available if the time slider is moved into the future. Figure 6-1, HEMS Ceiling with Flight Category—Example, Figure 6-2, HEMS Visibility with Flight Category Overlay—Example, and Figure 6-3, HEMS Flight Category with Flight Category Overlay—Example, are examples of the different overlays.
By default, the HEMS Tool displays the most recent analysis of flight category colored distinctly for VFR, MVFR, IFR, and LIFR. The classifications (see Table 6-1, Flight Categories) are defined by certain cloud base ceilings and surface visibility values.
Table 6-1. Flight Categories
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H Figure 6-1. HEMS Ceiling with Flight Category Overlay-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool weater Overlays View Configure 1555 UTC 7 May 201 Satellite
- Radar
• None
• Flight Category
• Ceiling
• Visibility Icing Severity >> Icing Probability >> Temperature >> Rel Humidity >> Wind speed >>
COLOR OKLAROMA
NEW MEXICO 100 mil Ceiling a RAP Windbarb at 1000 AGL SIGMET CWA GAIRMET urbH FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT AMOD A SEV PIREP Ice: L LGT Up MOD I SEV Obscure 0' 500' 1000' 3000' Note: Ceilings above 3,000 ft are transparent.
Figure 6-2. HEMS Visibility with Flight Category Overlay-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool Weather Overlays View Configure 1555 UTC 7 May 2015 _ Satellite NEBRASKA
- Radar Ches nge
• None
• Flight Category
• Ceiling
• Visibility Icing Severity >> Icing Probability Temperature >> Rel Humidity >>
N D S LAROMA Oklahoma MEXICO Pcế: Es jubback
SACRAMENJO 100 mi Visibility RAP Windbarb at 1000 AG SIGMET CWA GAIRMET CurbHit FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT A MOD A SEV PIREP Ice: LJ LGT (J MOD ( SEV Note: Visibilities above 5 miles (mi) are transparent.
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11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 6-4 Figure 6-3. HEMS Flight Category with Flight Category Overlay—Example
Note: The flight category is colored for MVFR, IFR, and LIFR. The VFR areas are transparent.
Yellow is used instead of red for coloring because it’s more difficult to distinguish between red and magenta on the image backgrounds.
6.1.2.2 Radar.
The HEMS Tool uses the Multi-Radar/Multi-System (MRMS) mosaic produced by NWS. The radar image combines more than 140 radars from around the country into a single image. Additional post-processing is performed to remove some ground clutter and Anomalous Propagation (AP).
Due to limitations of the radar, such as blockage by mountains, spacing of radar locations, and over processing of clutter and AP, there may be precipitation when radar data does not detect or show a complete weather picture.
The image used in HEMS is the lowest reflectivity scan from the nearest radar. This is a 1 km image for the continental United States (CONUS). Like the satellite images, the radar mosaic is sliced up and put into the tile cache to provide the maximum resolution and optimal transmission bandwidth. The tile cache is only updated every 10 minutes (MRMS data is available every 2 minutes).
The HEMS display (see Figure 6-4, HEMS Radar Display—Example) incorporates the latest radar image plus the previous four into a loop of radar data showing the progression of precipitation echoes. By moving the time
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H slider into the past, the radar loop will always show the latest five images ending in the time shown in the slider box.
Figure 6-4. HEMS Radar Display-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feedback Weather Overlays View Configure 1557 UTC 7 May 2015
• Satellite • Radar Cheyenne NEBRASK
• None
• Flight Category.
• Ceiling.
• Visibility Icing Severity >> Icing Probability >> COLORADO Temperature >> KANSAS Rel Humidity >> Wind speed >>
UNITED STATE Santa Fe, OKLAHOMA AU Albuquerque Oklahoma City Cr
NEW MEXICO |100:!
km SACRAMENTO 100 mi RAP Windbarb at 1000 Anal SIGMET ]CWA I GAIRMET r FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT AMOD A SEV PIREP Ice: L LGT / MOD I SEV
6.1.2.3 Satellite.
The HEMS Tool uses a global satellite mosaic constructed from the five geostationary satellites plus the appropriate polar global imagery. The resulting image is created every 30 minutes from the available imagery.
Images are sliced up and provided through a progressive tile cache to optimize data transmission and image resolution.
Note: A limitation of the satellite imagery is that the European Meteosat imagery is only available every 3 hours; therefore, imagery over Europe and Central Asia may be up to 3 hours old.
There are three types of satellite imagery available in HEMS:
1. Infrared (IR): This is a 10 km image where brighter grays show colder cloud temperatures (see Figure 6-5, HEMS Satellite Imagery-Example).
2. Visible: This is a 5 km image showing visible reflection from clouds and the ground surface. Consequentially, these images will be black at night.
3. Water Vapor: This is a 10 km image where brighter grays show higher areas of water vapor.
6-5
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 6-6 Figure 6-5. HEMS Satellite Imagery—Example
6.1.2.4 Icing.
The icing severity product is a 3-D product and provides depictions at specified altitudes AGL at 1,000 foot-intervals up to 5,000 ft. In regions of steep terrain, these altitudes may have significant deviations from actual height above terrain given the limiting factor of grid cell size, which is approximately 13 km, and the resolution of the topography in the model. The icing severity product (see Figure 6-6, HEMS Icing Severity—Example) combines a multitude of weather observations (e.g., temperature, humidity, satellite, observed surface weather and pilot reports, radar data) to diagnose areas of expected trace, light, moderate, and heavy icing. Separate overall icing probability (from 5 to 85 percent) (see Figure 6-7, HEMS Icing Probability—Example) is provided as well.
These products originate from the Current Icing Product (CIP) and Forecast Icing Product (FIP) (see paragraph 5.19.1). These products start with data from the Rapid Refresh (RAP) model, which is run hourly. FIP has forecasts at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18 hours. The time slider will use CIP for current and past times and time-adjusted FIP for future times.
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H Figure 6-6. HEMS Icing Severity-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feedback Weather Overlays VIew 2023 UTC 8 May 2015 _ Satellite
• Radar Jone Flight Category Visibility Icing Severity >> @1000' AGL Icing Probability •@2000' AGL
DOSUUU AGI Temperature 22 0@5000 AGL •@4000' AGL Rel Humidity >> WIna speed >2 1200 KANSAS ALL 200 mr cing Severity at 5000 AGL NATED STATES RAP Windbarb at 5000'AGL SIGMET | leg ta 58 penal FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT A MOD A SEV PIREP Ice: LU LGT ( MOD ( SEV Trace Light Moderate Heavy
HEMS PDD Ihe severity is colored in shades of blue, with the lightest for trace and the darkest for neavy.
Figure 6-7. HEMS Icing Probability-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feedba Weather Overlays View Configure 2023 UTC 8 May 2015
• Radar None Flight Category ceiling Visibility Icing Severity >> Icing Probability JOTOUT AGE >> @2000' AGL Temperature >> @3000' AGL NOR THIN DAKOTA ke mula 22 @4000' AGL
•@5000' AGL Wind speed >> SOUTH DAKOTA
• OREGON 200 MISSOLe ES CALIF200 mil Icing Probability at 5000 AGL NITED STATES RAP Windbarb at 5000'AGL
SIGMET CWA FIt Cat: • MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT AMOD A SEV PIREP Ice: LJ LGT ( MOD / SEV 5 15 25 35 45 55 65 75
HEMS PDD The probability is colored in shades starting at blue (5 percent), through yellow (50 percent), to orange (>75 percent).
6-7
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H
6.1.2.5 Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Wind Speed.
Temperature (see Figure 6-8, HEMS Temperature-Example), relative humidity (see Figure 6-9, HEMS Relative Humidity-Example), and wind speed data (see Figure 6-10, HEMS Wind Speed with Windbarb-Example) is derived from the AGL grids provided as part of the RAP model output.
Data are presented on 1,000 ft AGL increments to 5,000 ft. These grids are available from the RAP model output every hour and forecasts run 7 hours into the future. If the time slider is moved into the past, the RAP analysis for that hour is shown.
Figure 6-8. HEMS Temperature-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feedback Weather Overlays View Configure 1605 UTC 7 May 2015
• Satellite
- Radar
• None
• Flight Category.
• Ceiling
• Visibility.
Icing Severity >> Icing Probability >> Temperature >> @1000 AGL Rel Humidity >> • @2000' AGL Wind speed >> • @3000' AGL
• @4000' AGL
• @5000' AGL Source: Esri 500 km 500 mi | RAP Temperature at 5000'AGL RAP Windbarb at 5000 AGL
SIGMET CWA FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR O LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT A MOD A SEV PIREP Ice: LJ LGT J MOD (/ SEV -40-30-20-10 0 10 • 30 The temperature data are colored from blues for the coldest temperatures to reds for the warmest.
Delineation between light blue and yellow is used to show the freezing level.
6-8
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H Figure 6-9. HEMS Relative Humidity-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feed Weather Overlays View Configure 1605 UTC 7 May 2015
- Satemte D
• Radar _ None
• Flight Category
• Ceiling
• Visibility..
Icing Severity >> Icing Probability >> Temperature >> Rel Humidity >> • @1000' AGL Wind speed >> • @2000 AGL
• @3000' AGL
• @4000 AGL
• @5000 AGL | 500| km 500 mi RAP Rel humidity at 5000 AGL RAP Wingbarb at 5000 AGL SIGMET CWA GAIRMET ArbH BrbLo LEWS Stewnd lang FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFR • LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT ALMOD A SEV PIREP Ice: LU LGT I MOD I SEV 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 The humidity data are colored from oranges for very dry, to yellow for 50 percent, to dark green for near 100 percent. Oranges would be more indicative of clear skies while greens would show cloud or low-visibility areas.
Figure 6-10. HEMS Wind Speed with Windbarb-Example Helicopter Emergency Medical Services Tool INFO Feedback Weather Overlays vIew ConTigure 1607 UTC 7 May 2015
• Satellite
- Radar
• None
• Flight Category..
• Ceiling
• Visibility Icing Severity >> Icing Probability >> Temperature >> Rel Humidity >> no Sleed » • @1000' AGL
• @2000' AGL
• @3000 AGL
• @4000' AGL
- Source: Esri RAP WHY barb at 1000 ACh a SIGMET FIt Cat: •MVFR • IFRO LIFR PIREP Turb: ALGT AMOD ASEV PIREP Ice: LJ LGT W MOD | SEV 15 30 45 60 75 The wind speed data are colored from blues for the lightest winds to light green for stronger winds.
6-9
11/14/16 Aviation Weather Services AC 00-45H 6-10
6.1.2.6 Data Overlays.
The HEMS Tool allows the user to select multiple fields to be overlaid on the grids including: METARs/TAFs, Flight Category, PIREPs, Windbarbs, SIGMETs and G-AIRMETs (Graphical Airmen’s Meteorological Information), CWAs, and NWS hazards. These fields may be selected on or off in the drop-down Overlays menu. Figure 6-11, HEMS Data Overlays with Text METAR—Example, is an example.
6.1.2.6.1 METARs/TAFs.
The METAR observations plotted using the standard station model where temperature, dewpoint, winds, altimeter setting, weather, ceiling, and visibility are displayed around the station location.
The data plotted comes from the latest available observation, including Special Weather Reports (SPECI). The stations displayed follow a progressive priority scheme that will show more stations depending on how far the user zooms in. This density can be changed through the Configuration menu. If the time slider is moved into the past, the nearest observation before the listed time is displayed. If the slider is moved into the future, the TAF for that station is shown. It should be noted there are fewer TAF stations than available METAR sites. More configuration options are available, including parameters displayed, scale factor of graphic, and whether the TAF is included in the pop-up display.
6.1.2.6.2 Flight Category.
This displays only the flight conditions at a particular airport as a colored dot.
The flight category display uses the same priority filter system as the METAR plots, but the density is much higher.
6.1.2.6.3 PIREPs.
This displays turbulence and icing PIREPs. The default is to show only PIREPs reported in the last 90 minutes, and only those below 12,500 ft. These options can be changed in the Configuration menu.