This is only a guide and should be used with other references

Weather Services
Study Guide
 Weather Services

METAR
 STANDS FOR: Aviation Routine Weather Report
 DEFINITION: Observation of current weather conditions at an airport
 Contains:
1. Wind direction and Velocity
2. Visibility at the SURFACE
3. Cloud base and coverage
4. Precipitation
5. Temperature
6. Altimeter Setting
 ISSUED: Hourly (H+50)
 VALID: At time of issuance only
 COVERAGE AREA: Airport

TAF
 STANDS FOR: Terminal Aerodrome Forecast
 DEFINITION: Concise statement of EXPECTED meteorological conditions
within 5SM radius of an airport
 CONTAINS:
1. Wind direction and velocity
2. Visibility at the SURFACE
3. Cloud base and coverage
4. Precipitation
 ISSUED: 4x daily (0000Z, 0600Z, 1200Z, 1800Z)
 VALID: 24 Hours
 COVERAGE AREA: 5SM Radius

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FA
 STANDS FOR: Aviation Area Forecast
 DEFINITION: A forecast of visual meteorological conditions (VMC), clouds,
and general weather covering an area of SEVERAL STATES
 CONTAINS:
1. Communication and Product Header
2. Precautionary Statement
3. Synopsis
4. VFR Clouds and Weather
 ISSUED: 3x daily
 VALID: 18 hr Synopsis, 12 hr Forecast, 6 hr Outlook
 COVERAGE AREA: A Few States

FD
 STANDS FOR: Wind and temperature aloft forecast
 DEFINITION: A forecast of winds and temperature in MSL altitudes above
the ground
 CONTAINS:
1. Wind velocity and direction
2. Temperature
 ISSUED: Every 12 hrs
 VALID: Up to 12 hrs or less
 COVERAGE AREA: A Few States

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PIREP
 STANDS FOR: Pilot Weather Report
 DEFINITION: An observation of current conditions by a pilot in the air
 CONTAINS:
1. Height of cloud base/tops
2. Flight Visibility
3. Icing conditions
4. Turbulence
5. ETC
 ISSUED: Anytime
 VALID: Time of issuance only
 COVERAGE AREA: Specific to an area

AIRMET
 STANDS FOR: Airmen’s Meteorological Information
 DEFINITION: Advises of weather potentially hazardous to all aircraft but
especially SMALL AIRCRAFT
 ISSUED: Every 6 hours, starting at 0145 UTC
 VALID: 6 hours
 COVERAGE AREA: 3000 square miles
The following are three AIRMET designations and what they contain
I. SIERRA
 IFR conditions and extensive mountain obscuration
II. TANGO
 Moderate turbulence, sustained surface winds 30 kts or
greater, non-convective low-level wind shear
III. ZULU
 Moderate icing and freezing levels

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SIGMET
 STANDS FOR: Significant Meteorological Information
 DEFINITION: Advises of non-convective weather potentially hazardous to
all aircraft
 CONTAINS:
1. Severe icing
2. Severe to extreme turbulence or CAT (clear air turbulence)
3. Dust storms or sand storms reducing visibility to less than 3sm
4. Volcanic ash
 ISSUED: Unscheduled
 VALID: 4 hours
 COVERAGE AREA: 3000 square miles

CONVECTIVE SIGMET
 STANDS FOR: Convective Significant Meteorological Information
 DEFINITION: Advises of convective weather potentially hazardous to all
aircraft
 CONTAINS:
1. Severe thunderstorms due to:
a) Hail at surface ¾ inch or greater
b) Surface winds 50kts or greater
c) Tornadoes
2. Embedded thunderstorms
3. Line of thunderstorms
4. Thunderstorms producing heavy or greater precipitation affecting at
least 40% of an area 3000 square miles
 ISSUED: Hourly (H+55)
 VALID: 2 hours
 COVERAGE AREA: 3000 square miles

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NOTAM
 STANDS FOR: Notice To Airmen
 DEFINITION: Time critical aeronautical information not sufficiently known
in advance to permit publications, charts, etc. This information might affect
a pilots decision to make the flight
NOTAM (D)
 STANDS FOR: Distant NOTAM
 DEFINITION: Information concerning local airport environment as well as
distant information for all navigational facilities and public airports beyond
the area of responsibility of Flight Service Station (FSS)
 CONTAINS:
1. Taxiway closures
2. Workers and equipment near or crossing runways
3. Navigational lighting such as VASI
4. Outages/limitations to VOR, ILS, NDB, DME
5. Major runway closures
NOTAM (FDC)
 STANDS FOR: Flight Data Center
 DEFINITION: Regulatory Information
 CONTAINS:
1. Aeronautical charts
2. Instrument approach procedures
3. Temporary flight restrictions

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