NCL/Stansted Closure

[EvelcyclopS]

Can anybody supply any ino regardg the likelyhood of CL opening tonight? Im stuck in stansted on a buisness trip, and its not looking good from this end.

Which raises a good question...

What are the limiting factors for planes in snowy conditions presuming they have been thouroughly deiced?

Sorry if this is inappropriate...

[spannersatKL]

TV said its opening?

[EvelcyclopS]

how long ago?

my flight was meant to depart at 19:20, and then got delayed to 19:45, shortly after it said that due to the weather at stansted and newcastle, the flight was indefinately delayed. the snow down here is incredible - hard to see how we're gonna get away

[Deano777]

METAR EGSS 121920Z 21007KT 1500 SN FEW001 SCT003 M00/M00 Q1022=

TAF AMD EGSS 121759Z 1218/1324 23008KT 3000 -SN SCT004 BKN013 TEMPO 1218/1224 1200 SN BR BKN004 PROB40 TEMPO 1220/1224 0300 +SN VV/// BECMG 1300/1303 35010KT BKN005 PROB40 TEMPO 1300/1306 0600 FG -DZ BKN000 BECMG 1305/1309 5000 HZ BECMG 1309/1312 9999 NSW SCT020 PROB30 1320/1324 8000=

I don't fancy your chances mate, sorry.

Contaminated runways and de-ice holdover times are a big issue in snowfall, but if the airport is shut then there's nothing the airlines can do about it.

[EvelcyclopS]

cheers - is there a website that i can use to decipher that?

[west lakes]

Local news at 18:30 stated NCL had been closed twice today but reopened at 17:00, so must have been closed again. Last report on the local weather on top of the BBC building in Newcastle was snow there had turned to sleet.

[Lurking123]

Snow with a high probability of lots of snow. From your perspective the rest is rather irrelevant.

[Deano777]

Sorry, the bold bit

TEMPO 1218/1224 - Temporary between 18:00 on the 12th to 00:00 on the 12th
1200 - the visibility is 1200mtrs
SN BR - in moderate snow & mist
BKN004 - Cloud is Broken at 400ft.
PROB40 - A 40% probability of the weather being --
TEMPO 1220/1224 - temporarily between 20:00 on the 12th to midnight on the 12th
0300 - 300mtrs visibility
+SN - in heavy snow
VV/// - vertical visibility not available.

.

[TheKabaka]

from 1800-2400 snow and heavy snow forecast, so it will depend on if NCL opens.

I fly a320 and it is quite capable of landing on a contaminated runway, this includes significant depths of snow/slush. As long as it is not icey we can calculate a max landing weight (or take off weight).

However in the UK and alot of Europe airport operators insist on closing rather than publish details of contamination. In Scandinavia throughout the winter they operate in and out of runways 100% contaminated (usually compacted snow). Don't know why we do it different!

[power set]

1218/1324 23008KT 3000 -SN SCT004 BKN013

General forecast between 6pm and midnight light winds 3000m visibility light snow cloudbase 400ft

TEMPO 1218/1224 1200 SN BR BKN004

Temporary change in the same time frame of 1200m visibility moderate snow and mist cloudbase 400ft

PROB40 TEMPO 1220/1224 0300 +SN VV///

probable change between 8pm and midnight 300m visibility heavy snow vertical visibility not measurable (zero basically)

As the man said - don't fancy your chances.

[flowman]

Mr. EvelcyclopS, sorry to hear you are stuck.

You might as well do something while you're hanging around the terminal, so here is your first METAR decoding lesson:

METAR decoding in Europe (http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/01UKAV/METAR.htm)

Have fun:ok:

[gusting_45]

METAR EGSS 121920Z 21007KT 1500 SN FEW001 SCT003 M00/M00 Q1022=

A real time weather observation
STANSTED 12th @ 1920 wind 210 degrees @ 7kts, 1500 metres visibility in moderate snow, a few clouds @ 100' above the ground, some scattered clouds @ 300' above the ground, temperature 0 degrees celsius, / dew point 0 degrees celsius, air pressure 1022 millibars

TAF AMD EGSS 121759Z 1218/1324 23008KT 3000 -SN SCT004 BKN013 TEMPO 1218/1224 1200 SN BR BKN004 PROB40 TEMPO 1220/1224 0300 +SN VV///

Forecast for Stansted issued 12th @ 17.59.
Period 12th @ 1800 to 13th @ 2400, wind 230 degrees @ 8knots, 3000 metres visibility in light snow, scattered clouds @ 400' above the ground, broken cloud layer @ 1300' above the ground. Temporarily between 12th 18.00 to 12th 24.00, visibility 1200 metres in moderate snow, mist, broken cloud layer @ 400' above the ground, high probability between 12th 20.00 to 12th 24.00 visibility 300 metres in heavy snow, vertical visibility zero.

None of which makes it impossible to operate, will certainly induce significant delays, mostly due to the improbability of runway / taxiiway clearance equipment being able to cope with the conditions.

Challenging but not imposible.

Good Luck. Hope you get home.

[EvelcyclopS]

its ok actually - found a good site - but what does BKN mean?

[EvelcyclopS]

lol thanks everybody! Especially you flowman! Another feather in the cap - another step closer to an fATPL :)

cheers guys you rock

even if it means im stuck in this place

[gusting_45]

If you imagine yourself looking up at the sky, BKN, broken, implies that between 5 and 7 eights of the celestial dome will be obscurred by cloud.

If you are having difficulty visualising a celestial dome then hopefully you saw the Simpson's Movie, remember when Springfield was covered by a giant glass dome. Now enlarge the dome to enclose the entire horizon. There you go. If you didn't see the film, ask a child.

[Dysag]

Pilots are highly professional but not trained to be polite on PPRune.

Today you've found an exceptionally helpful bunch!

I hope you make it to your destination ok.

[tightcircuit]

TheKabaka,

When have you ever seen enough snow on the ground long enough, with cold enough conditions, to make a compacted snow runway in the UK?

[flowman]

Mr Evelcyclops, you are welcome. Its always good to have a keen pupil!

Here is another one that answers your BKN question:

Aerodrome actual weather (http://www.para-excellence.co.uk/Taf%20Metar%20decode.html)

Look under 8. Cloud

When you've learned all that you will have to come back to us to find out when it becomes critical to aircraft. You'll soon be boring the pants off your fellow passengers:O

[EvelcyclopS]

i already do mate - its terrible - i cant actually help it

[TheKabaka]

When have you ever seen enough snow on the ground long enough, with cold enough conditions, to make a compacted snow runway in the UK?



err never, it was an example of contaminated runways being in everyday use. examples recently of uk airfields being closed with slush/wet snow/dry snow exist now. I would think a good surface report would be better than total closure.

Eventually it will get can get too dangerous if the braking action on runways or taxiways gets too bad as seen with the cyprus aircraft at LHR.