Aviation Forecasts
Aviation Forecasts is a core knowledge area on the Aviation Weather FAA written exam. This hub collects our 6 in-depth, ACS-aligned aviation forecasts articles — each written in plain English and grounded in the official FAA handbooks. Work through them below, then drill the topic with practice questions.
Decoding the TAF: Terminal Aerodrome Forecast Format Explained
A TAF is a concise aviation forecast covering conditions within 5 statute miles of an airport for 24 or 30 hours; mastering its coded format lets pilots quickly extract winds, visibility, weather, and change groups critical to flight planning.
TAF Change Groups: FM, TEMPO, PROB, and BECMG
TAF change groups—FM, TEMPO, PROB, and BECMG—tell pilots exactly when, how completely, and how likely conditions will shift during a forecast period. Understanding each group is essential for legal flight planning and sound go/no-go decisions.
Aviation Surface and Clouds Forecasts for Flight Planning
Aviation Surface and Clouds Forecasts, part of the FAA's broader suite of aviation forecasts, give pilots gridded, graphically depicted weather outlooks that replace older text-only products and are essential tools for pre-flight and in-flight planning.
Low-Level and Mid-Level Significant Weather (SIGWX) Charts
Low-Level and Mid-Level SIGWX charts are graphical aviation forecasts depicting significant weather hazards from the surface up to FL450, used by pilots to identify turbulence, icing, IFR conditions, and convective activity during preflight planning.
World Area Forecast System (WAFS) Wind, Temperature, and Hazard Charts
The World Area Forecast System (WAFS) provides globally standardized wind, temperature, and hazard forecasts for international flight planning, offering critical safety data on icing, turbulence, and cumulonimbus activity from the surface to FL630.
Area Forecasts and the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)
Area Forecasts still serve specific regions while the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) tool has replaced the old continental FA, offering pilots richer, more current forecast data for preflight planning.
More Aviation Weather subjects
Articles are original summaries grounded in the public-domain FAA handbooks and cite their source. ACS-aligned study aids — not a substitute for the official handbooks or regulations.