Weather websites.
 

Any recommendations for aviation related websites that are reasonable accurate at forecasting the weather 3 to 4 days ahead ?

I know it's a problem we all face, trying to work out the weather a few days ahead before booking a session. I currently use the BBC which is reasonably good given the problems of weather forecasting but isn't aviation biased.

Weather Online UK - current weather and weather forecast worldwide This is quite good especially for precipitation and cloud maps.

Metbrief - Met Office Analysis and Synoptic Weather Forecast Charts

G

Wetter : Wetterzentrale : Top Karten is a nice collection from various sources. Take a look at the "Diagramme"; "GFS 0.5" and click on your location.

Also the FAX section gives you access to various synoptic charts, including Bracknell. But take a good look at the run date and forecast date of these charts, as the set is not always complete and may include the occasional chart from 2004, or mix charts from two different calculation runs.:confused:

UK Weather Forecasts - Radar, Alerts, News and More - Netweather.tv and look for the GFS Weather Charts. It uses the same GFS source.

Google for Sembach Weather, look at the loop so you can see what's happening.

Any form of rainfall radar for short-term forecasts (MeteoX for instance)

iPad apps: AeroWeather and WeatherProHD

WindGURU: Weather forecasts for windsurfing, kitesurfing and other wind related sports

Weather Sites.

As well those menttioned above try this site.

Aviation Weather >> Europe > metar taf sigmet notam winds aloft significant weather information


This has many links and rewards some effort from the user to explore.




Charlie

There is an excellent Spanish site (in both Spanish and English) that also has historical METARs and TAFs, charts, etc:

Ogimet home page

www.topmeteo.eu
Gives 'today' plus next three days. In English and German. Target marketplace is recreational aviation with different data displayed for aeroplanes, gliders and balloons.

Like many things in life you get what you pay for and this is a subscription service. I pay (less than one Euro per week) and it's worth it to me.

You can subscribe by the individual chart, for three days, two weeks or a year.

No. They're all equally useless/unreliable/general/vague except when even an idiot can look out the window and work out if it's going to rain or not. And if you're looking for a forecast beyond 3 or 4 days, don't bother.

If you want to look ahead a little, have a look at "ac network weather" which is at acweather.b l o g s p o t.com , can't give the link due to the prune rules turning it into http://acweather.********.com/then click on North Atlantic and you'll be able to see what's coming across the pond in a few days...

Weatherjack gives many good pointers to weather related sites...

weather+soaring

Any good site that covers Latin America?

###Ultra Long Hauler###

The ac weather site I mentioned above has South America charts

New Zealand Weather Forecasts rainfall and wind direction ( not cloud base ) but gives a good idea of whether it is likely to be a good flying day.

Select forecast charts, United Kingdom, 3 or 7 day thumbnails and click on one of the thumbnails to get a large picture.

The rainfall is colour coded from mauve through blue and green - if it shows red flee the Country !

and .............

Weather Forecast & Reports - Long Range & Local | Wunderground : Weather Underground

type in the nearest big town.

I've always found xcweather.co.uk to be accurate and detailed for the UK

One picks the websites according to one's flying.

Here's a good collection.

You will find that practically all free websites deliver data from the US-run GFS weather model, which is free (subsidised by the US taxpayer, like so much in aviation ;) ). The UK Met Office keeps most of its data confidential because they sell it, at a hefty subscription in 4 digits plus, to commercial weather repackaging firms, and it publishes F214, F215, the MSLP charts, and little else. The UKMO MSLP charts can be found, in variously out of date / disorganised forms, on sites such as this. Or you can get it nicely set out and up to date from Avbrief.

I think the huge number of weather sites is largely illusory because most get the stuff from the same place (GFS) or from each other ;)

TAFs and METARs normally come from the US NWS site, or one of its spinoffs, because each country is obliged to deliver this info under ICAO obligations.

Except as a very general forecast of what is coming, in a reasonably fast moving frontal weather situation (which is quite common in the UK), you cannot forecast 3-4 days ahead with any meaning for VFR aviation. The UKMO MSLP charts are the best general guide for what is coming but unless you are an expert (i.e. a full time forecaster and a good one too) you won't be able to work out likely cloudbases or tops from that, several days ahead.

Historical upper level winds
 

Is anyone able to suggest a site which records the historical data for Upper Level winds for the Pacific region ? Ok if it is one which requires nominal payment.

Weather Sites
 

Not sure about the Pacific Rim, but I quite like the charts from USAF 21st Operational Weather Squadron

21st Operational Weather Squadron

No words but the pictures are good when used with say Metoffice and Orbifly

In the UK I would recommend good old BBC Weather, which uses MetOffice data . I have seen or used most of the sites already mentioned, but I generally find the BBC website to be about as good as it gets for 3 - 4 day planning.

BBC Weather : Luton Airport