UA.III.A.K4: Weather charts.

ACS Area III — Weather Task A: Sources of Weather References: ACAdvisory CircularCloseFAA guidance that explains acceptable ways to comply with rules or understand FAA procedures. 107-2; AIMAeronautical Information ManualCloseFAA operational guidance and glossary material used to understand aviation procedures and terminology.; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-H-8083-25; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-G-8082-22

Key Concepts

Regulatory foundation and who makes the charts

Before every flight, the PICPilot in CommandCloseThe person responsible for the flight. Under Part 107, this is usually the remote pilot in command. must be familiar with “all available information,” which explicitly includes weather reports and forecasts per 14 CFRCode of Federal RegulationsCloseThe federal rulebook where Part 107, Part 89, Part 48, and other aviation rules live. §91.103. For many pilots, that information is obtained via a mix of FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes./NWSNational Weather ServiceCloseNOAA agency that produces official U.S. weather observations, forecasts, and warnings. products, online tools, and commercial apps; however, the FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. does not certify internet providers of aviation weather services, so verify what you use and how you use it for regulatory compliance.^[1] In the U.S., weather support to aviation is a joint effort led by the FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. as the Meteorological Authority, with the National Weather Service (NWSNational Weather ServiceCloseNOAA agency that produces official U.S. weather observations, forecasts, and warnings.), Department of Defense, and private providers contributing observations and forecasts.^[4] NWSNational Weather ServiceCloseNOAA agency that produces official U.S. weather observations, forecasts, and warnings. meteorologists staff Center Weather Service Units (CWSUCenter Weather Service UnitCloseNWS meteorologists embedded at an ARTCC to support aviation weather decisions.) at ARTCCs and the ATCSCCAir Traffic Control System Command CenterCloseThe FAA facility that helps manage national air traffic flow and large-scale constraints., issuing Center Weather Advisories (CWACenter Weather AdvisoryCloseA short-term aviation weather advisory issued by a Center Weather Service Unit.) and tailored briefings. Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFTerminal Aerodrome ForecastCloseAirport forecast format used to reason about future weather conditions.) are produced by 123 Weather Forecast Offices for over 700 airports and are valid for 24 or 30 hours; inflight advisories such as SIGMETsSignificant Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for significant hazards such as severe turbulence, severe icing, or thunderstorms. and AIRMETsAirmen's Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for conditions such as turbulence, icing, mountain obscuration, or widespread low visibility. are issued by the Aviation Weather Center (AWCAviation Weather CenterCloseNOAA/NWS aviation weather center that publishes many aviation weather products.), the Alaska Aviation Weather Unit (AAWUAlaska Aviation Weather UnitCloseAn aviation weather unit that issues and supports weather products for Alaska.), and Honolulu.^[4]

What you’ll see on weather charts: five information types

Aviation weather information is organized into five types you’ll routinely encounter on charts and briefing pages: observations, analysis, advisories, forecasts, and aviation weather tools.^[2]

• Observations: Raw weather data from sensors and trained observers, gathered at the surface and aloft, including radar and satellite. Surface aviation observations (METARsMeteorological Aerodrome ReportCloseA current airport weather report format tested on the UAG exam./SPECIsSpecial Weather ReportCloseA special METAR-type observation issued when important weather changes occur.) come from networks that include automated AWOS/ASOSAutomated Weather Observing System / Automated Surface Observing SystemCloseAutomated airport systems that provide current local weather observations. sites and provide current, local airport conditions.^[2][3]
• Analysis: Enhanced depictions that interpolate irregularly spaced observations onto grids (for example, pressure, temperature, winds), turning scattered reports into coherent charts you can visualize and compare regionally.^[2]
• Advisories: Hazard-focused alerts (e.g., AIRMETsAirmen's Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for conditions such as turbulence, icing, mountain obscuration, or widespread low visibility., SIGMETsSignificant Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for significant hazards such as severe turbulence, severe icing, or thunderstorms., CWAsCenter Weather AdvisoryCloseA short-term aviation weather advisory issued by a Center Weather Service Unit.) intended to cue mitigation or avoidance, depending on aircraft/pilot capabilities.^[2]
• Forecasts: Predictions of development/movement of weather phenomena, from terminal (TAFTerminal Aerodrome ForecastCloseAirport forecast format used to reason about future weather conditions.) to broader-area products (e.g., FA in selected areas) generated by NWSNational Weather ServiceCloseNOAA agency that produces official U.S. weather observations, forecasts, and warnings. centers.^[2][4]
• Aviation weather tools: Web-based applications that combine multiple products in interactive displays—your primary charting interfaces for strategic planning.^[2]

For exam and practical use, be able to name representative products and where to view them. A consolidated list that supplements TAFsTerminal Aerodrome ForecastCloseAirport forecast format used to reason about future weather conditions. includes AIRMETsAirmen's Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for conditions such as turbulence, icing, mountain obscuration, or widespread low visibility., CWAsCenter Weather AdvisoryCloseA short-term aviation weather advisory issued by a Center Weather Service Unit., SIGMETsSignificant Meteorological InformationCloseA weather advisory for significant hazards such as severe turbulence, severe icing, or thunderstorms., the Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFAGraphical Forecasts for AviationCloseAviation weather forecast graphics used to review broad weather trends and hazards.), FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. Aviation Weather Cameras, PIREPsPilot Weather ReportCloseA weather report from a pilot in flight, useful for confirming real conditions., RTMAReal-Time Mesoscale AnalysisCloseA high-resolution weather analysis product used to estimate current conditions. (Real-Time Mesoscale Analysis), RVRRunway Visual RangeCloseA visibility measurement along a runway, mainly used in crewed aviation operations., and short-range forecast guidance like LAMPLocalized Aviation MOS ProgramCloseShort-range aviation forecast guidance that can supplement other weather products. (Localized Aviation MOSModel Output StatisticsCloseWeather forecast guidance produced from model output and statistics. Product). Each has a dedicated access point (for example, GFAGraphical Forecasts for AviationCloseAviation weather forecast graphics used to review broad weather trends and hazards. at aviationweather.gov/gfa; FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. weather cameras at weathercams.faa.gov).^[5]

Getting and using charts: briefing pathways and practical tips

• Flight Service specialists (FSSFlight Service StationCloseFAA-certified briefing support for weather, NOTAMs, and flight information.) are FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.-certified Pilot Weather Briefers. They translate and interpret existing products into plain-language expectations for departure, en route, and destination; they do not create original forecasts. Individual FSSFlight Service StationCloseFAA-certified briefing support for weather, NOTAMs, and flight information. numbers (including Alaska) are listed in Chart Supplements. You can also phone local AWOS/ASOSAutomated Weather Observing System / Automated Surface Observing SystemCloseAutomated airport systems that provide current local weather observations. numbers from the Chart Supplement to obtain the latest airport weather.^[7]
• Self-briefing via online resources is acceptable and often more efficient when you use approved, complete sources. Some online tools don’t include Flight Information Services items like NOTAMsNotice to Airmen / Notice to Air MissionsCloseOfficial notice about temporary conditions, hazards, or changes that can affect a flight. and TFRsTemporary Flight RestrictionCloseA temporary airspace restriction issued for safety, security, disasters, or special events., so be sure to add those from appropriate sites. The FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes.’s flight services portal (https://www.1800wxbrief.com) provides a regulatory-compliant briefing flow.^[7]
• On charts and tools, expect units typical to aviation: wind in kt (knots), distances in NMNautical MileCloseA distance unit used in aviation. One nautical mile is about 1.15 statute miles. (nautical miles), and visibility in SMStatute MileCloseA distance unit used for visibility in U.S. aviation weather reports. (statute miles). Know the unit conventions to avoid misinterpretation during planning and test questions.^[8]

Emerging “analyzed weather information” and what it means for remote pilots

Beyond traditional ASOS/AWOSAutomated Weather Observing System / Automated Surface Observing SystemCloseAutomated airport systems that provide current local weather observations. METARsMeteorological Aerodrome ReportCloseA current airport weather report format tested on the UAG exam., modern analysis systems fuse surface sensors, radar, satellite, and novel sources (including UASUnmanned Aircraft SystemCloseAn unmanned aircraft plus its control station, communication links, and supporting components. observations and weather cameras) into high-resolution gridded depictions that can deliver METARMeteorological Aerodrome ReportCloseA current airport weather report format tested on the UAG exam.-equivalent elements (ceiling, visibility, temperature, dew point, pressure, wind). These analyzed surface weather datasets can fill gaps when an airport sensor is unavailable or incomplete. FAAFederal Aviation AdministrationCloseThe U.S. aviation regulator responsible for Part 107 rules, airspace, and pilot certification processes. Flight Standards has evaluated their risk and identified mitigations for variability and latency to support broader operational use when sensed weather is missing. For a drone pilot, this means more consistent situational awareness near and between airports—especially valuable when operating away from a reporting station—but always consider potential latency and local variability noted in the analysis.^[6]

Bottom line for the test and the field: know the five information types, who produces them, where to access them, and how to assemble a complete briefing. Use charts and interactive tools (e.g., GFAGraphical Forecasts for AviationCloseAviation weather forecast graphics used to review broad weather trends and hazards.) to visualize observations, hazards, and forecasts together, then verify any gaps with FSSFlight Service StationCloseFAA-certified briefing support for weather, NOTAMs, and flight information. or airport sources to satisfy §91.103 and to manage operational risk.^[2][1][5]