Asking For Weather

[Terry]

Hi all,

Lets say I am on an IFR flight from Hays, Kansas to Pueblo, Colorado. I am at 10,000' and everything is normal but I see Thunderheads in the distant ahead of me.

What is the correct way to ask for the weather at Pueblo, Colorado?

In the past, I have asked my controller if I had rain in the clouds directly in front of me but have not asked for weather at my destination airport while en-route and too far out for AWOS.

Thanks,
Terry

 

[N801BH]

Hi all,

Lets say I am on an IFR flight from Hays, Kansas to Pueblo, Colorado. I am at 10,000' and everything is normal but I see Thunderheads in the distant ahead of me.

What is the correct way to ask for the weather at Pueblo, Colorado?

In the past, I have asked my controller if I had rain in the clouds directly in front of me but have not asked for weather at my destination airport while en-route and too far out for AWOS.

Thanks,
Terry

Call Flight service/watch on the radio and ask there....

 

[colojo]

Simple... call up the nearest Flight Service/Flight Watch Station and ask them.

 

[Terry]

Sorry guys, senior moment. I knew that but thanks for reminding me. Am planning on an IFR flight in the next month or so and was wondering, but not thinking.

Terry

 

[dell30rb]

Unless the frequency is very busy, I would not hesitate to ask the controller if he can see any weather between you and your destination.

Most of them have the capability to tell you.

 

[ChrisK]

Unless the frequency is very busy, I would not hesitate to ask the controller if he can see any weather between you and your destination.

Most of them have the capability to tell you.

I've done this when picking among alternates VFR to see if fog had lifted.

 

[skidoo]

Interesting question. I was on an IFR flight to my home field which has no AWOS or other weather reporting. As I began my decent ATC, asked me if I had the destination weather. It was an uh oh moment, like had I forgot something? The bottom of clouds were high, perhaps 7 to 10K AGL. And, I could see that it was clear at the destination, but there were some puffy clouds building ahead and below. I could also see a thunderstorm building on XM weather about 20 miles north of my destination and moving the same heading as me (East). I also noted a few lightning strikes in it from the stormscope.

I replied that my destination looks clear, and ATC said do you have the local ATIS or AWOS, and after feeling a bit stupid, I replied No. So, he volunteered the ATIS info for the class D field about 50 miles north. I said thanks and that I see a thunderstorm between there and my destination. He said yes, he sees that too. So, it makes me wonder what is the value of getting the weather from a field that far away other than the altimeter setting, when weather can be so different in between or at the destination? If I was in actual IMC and didn't have any sort of On board weather, and if there was a thunderstorm closer or at the destination, would ATC have seen that and told me?

Anyway, a related question. In the OP scenereo, you are flying IFR and you see the thunderstorm way ahead, but slightly to one side. So, continuing your heading, you expect to miss it by at least 20 miles. But, there are a few puffy clouds in front that reach your altitude. Do you just go through them, or do you call ATC and request deviation around them?

 

[bobmrg]

Your question is why the feds established Flight Watch on 122.0...their only job is answering weather questions. However, if you decide to ask the controller (not a bad idea IMHO), keep in mind that his/her display comes from WARP: Weather and Radar Processor and suffers from the same delays that affect the accuracy of cockpit displays. Radar reflects only from precipitation, so if those big fluffy clouds you see ahead are not yet full of water, the controller will not see them.

Bob Gardner

 

[Velocity173]

Yeah if you're too far to receive the AWOS just ask ATC. Don't leave the freq for FSS. It takes all of 5 secs to type in the ID into the FDIO and get weather. If it's convective stuff they're going to have the best picture anyway. You go to FSS and they're just going to read a Convective SIGMET. Not much help there.

 

[frfly172]

Ask the controller and if he is to busy or can't get it for you ask to leave the freq for a few minutes and call FSS flight watch.also stratus two on fore flight can help.

 

[dell30rb]

Anyway, a related question. In the OP scenereo, you are flying IFR and you see the thunderstorm way ahead, but slightly to one side. So, continuing your heading, you expect to miss it by at least 20 miles. But, there are a few puffy clouds in front that reach your altitude. Do you just go through them, or do you call ATC and request deviation around them?

That depends. Puffy clouds just reaching 10,000 are probably harmless. However I would try and avoid going into solid IMC with a thunderstorm coming within 20 miles of me. If its just going to be in/out of puffy clouds for a few minutes I would continue on and not bother with a request. Weeee

My answer might change if I had passengers. Usually the puffy clouds contain some bumps and its best to avoid em

 

[Robert C.]

Yeah if you're too far to receive the AWOS just ask ATC. Don't leave the freq for FSS. It takes all of 5 secs to type in the ID into the FDIO and get weather. If it's convective stuff they're going to have the best picture anyway. You go to FSS and they're just going to read a Convective SIGMET. Not much help there.

Hmmm...are you sure about that? Was about to depart Martha's Vineyard for Danbury a few weeks ago. Looking West from the FBO it looked like a solid line of high CB over Providence and west of there. So I walked back in and called the briefer (who I assume has the same tech as the guys on 122.0) and asked him what he knew about the weather near DXR. He could tell me about individual cells, how they were moving and was able to assure me they'd be dissipated before I'd get there.

YMMV but I've found them well tooled up.

Robert