The Aviation Weather Center (AWC) provides weather information and forecasts for air flights over United States territory and at certain altitudes for global traffic. It works with customers, such as commercial airlines, and international partners to improve flight safety and efficiency. It is one of the components of the

National Centers for Environmental Prediction The United States National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) delivers national and global weather, water, climate and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings and analyses to its Partners and External User Communities. These prod ...

of the

National Weather Service The National Weather Service (NWS) is an Government agency, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weathe ...

(NWS) of the United States.

Responsibilities and Products

Each local NWS office issues Terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs) for airports under its area of responsibility. These forecasts are only valid for 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) around the airfield. AWC forecasts, in text and chart, conditions over all of the

continental United States The contiguous United States (officially the conterminous United States) consists of the 48 adjoining U.S. states and the Federal District of the United States of America. The term excludes the only two non-contiguous states, Alaska and Hawaii ...

from the surface to over 20 km altitude (Aviation Area forecast). These include

freezing level The freezing level, or 0 °C (zero-degree) isotherm, represents the altitude in which the temperature is at 0 °C (the freezing point of water) in a free atmosphere (i.e. allowing reflection of the sun by snow, icing conditions, etc.). A ...

, icing, wind and turbulence levels, cloudy areas and thunderstorms at various altitudes. It does the same for high altitudes around the world. The AWC is also responsible for aviation warnings, such as

AIRMET An AIRMET, or Airmen's Meteorological Information, is a concise description of weather phenomena that are occurring or may occur (forecast) along an air route that may affect aircraft safety. Compared to SIGMETs, AIRMETs cover less severe weather: ...

s and

SIGMET SIGMET, or Significant Meteorological Information (AIM 7-1-6), is a severe weather advisory that contains meteorological information concerning the safety of all aircraft. Compared to AIRMETs, SIGMETs cover more severe weather. Types There a ...

s, for the United States, including its overseas territories, and northern portions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. It is finally the center that issues forecasts for the displacement of

volcanic ash Volcanic ash consists of fragments of rock, mineral crystals, and volcanic glass, created during volcano, volcanic eruptions and measuring less than 2 mm (0.079 inches) in diameter. The term volcanic ash is also often loosely used t ...

and forest fire smoke plumes for the same territories.

References

National Centers for Environmental Prediction Aviation meteorology {{Meteorology-stub