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Prognostic Charts

Introduction:
Found at
http://aviationweather.gov/adds/progs/
Portray forecasts of selected weather
conditions at specific times
The chart is an extension of the day 1
U.S. LLSWPC issued from the same
observed data base time
Displays forecast positions and
characteristics of pressure patterns,
fronts, and precipitation
The 36 and 48-Hour Prognostic Chart is
a day 2 forecast of general weather for
the conterminous United States

Aviation Weather Prognostic

Charts:

Figure 1: Aviation Weather Prognostic Charts

Aviation Weather Prognostic Charts provide

relatively long-term weather forecasts on a
large scale to enable future flight planning

Issuance & Validity:

Issued four times daily (00Z, 06Z, 12Z, 18Z)
Valid for the time specified (12, 24, 36, 48
hrs)
Data is forecasted
Information is insufficient for flight planning
An effective overview of observed and
prognostic charts allow the many essential
details to fit into place and have continuity

Low-Level Significant
Weather Prognostic Chart:
LLSWPC in a day 1 forecast of significant
weather in the conterminous United States
Provides information from the surface to
FL240 (400 mbs)
Altitudes from the surface to 17,999 are
referenced using MSL altitudes
Altitudes from 18,000' to FL240 are
referenced using pressure altitude
Provided in two forecasts, 12 and 24 hours
in 4 panels
Two top panels depict the 12 and 24 hour
produced at the Aviation Weather Center
(AWC) in Kansas City, Missouri
Two lower panels depict the 12 and 24 hour
produced at the Hydro meteorological
Prediction Center (HPC) in Camp Springs,
Maryland

High-Level Significant
Weather Prognostic Chart:
HLSWPC is a day 1 forecast of significant
weather in the conterminous United States
Provides information from 24,000' to
60,000'
Covers much of the Northern Hemisphere
and a limited portion of the Southern
Hemisphere
Each section covers a specific area and
areas sometimes overlap
Conditions routinely appearing on the chart
are jet streams, cumulonimbus clouds,
turbulence, and Tropopause heights
Surface fronts are included to add
perspective
Sometimes tropical cyclones, squall lines,
volcanic eruption sites, sandstorms, and
dust storms will appear

Surface Pressure Systems:

Depict pressure centers, troughs and on
selected panels, isobars
High and Lows identified by "Hs" and
"Ls" respectively
Pressure troughs are identified by long
dashed lines labeled "TROF"
Isobars are drawn as solid lines to portray
pressure patterns
Isobars are drawn in 8 millibar (mb)
intervals instead of 4 mb to provide a less
sensitive analysis
Occasionally, nonstandard isobars will be
drawn using 4 mb intervals to highlight
patterns with weak pressure gradients
Nonstandard isobars are drawn as dashed
lines

Figure 2: Prognostic Chart Symbols 2

Figure 3: Prognostic Chart Symbols 1

Fronts:
Surface fronts are depicted on each panel
Formats used are the standard symbols
and three-digit characterization code used
on the surface chart

Type of Front:
Code Descriptions
0 Quasi-stationary at surface
2 Warm front at surface
4 Cold front at surface
6 Occlusion
7 Instability line

Intensity of Front:
Code Descriptions
0 No specification
1 Weak, decreasing
2 Weak, little, or no change
3 Weak, increasing
4 Moderate, decreasing
5 Moderate, little, or no change
6 Moderate, increasing
7 Strong, decreasing
8 Strong, little, or no change
9 Strong, increasing

Character of Front:
Code: Descriptions:
0 No specification
5 Forming or existence expected
6 Quasi-stationary
7 With waves
8 Diffuse

Precipitation:
Solid lines enclose precipitation areas
Symbols specify the forums and types of
precipitation
A mix is indicated by the use of two
pertinent symbols separated by a slash
Areas of continuous precipitation is shaded
as well as precipitation covering more than
half of the area
A bold dashed line is used to separate
precipitation with contrasting characteristics
A dashed line would be used to separate an
area of similar characteristics (snow and
rain)

Jet Streams:
Jet streams with a maximum speed of more
than 80 knots are identified by bold lines
Arrowheads indicate the orientation of each
jet stream
Double hatched lines identified changes in
wind speed
Speed indicators are drawn at 20-knot
intervals and begin with 100 knots
Standard wind symbol (shaft, pennants, and
barbs) is placed at each pertinent position
to identify velocity
The altitude in hundreds of feet prefaced
with "FL" is placed adjacent to each wind
symbol

Cumulonimbus Clouds:
Cumulonimbus clouds (CBs) are
thunderstorm clouds
Enclosed by scalloped lines
Isolated or scattered CBs (one-half or less
coverage) which are not embedded are not
depicted
Identified with CB and altitude
Isolated (ISOL)
Occasional (OCNL)
Frequent (FRQ)
Bases that extended below 24,000 are
encoded "XXX" (High-Level)
Thunderstorms imply hazards including
turbulence and hail

Tropopause:
Plotted in hundreds of feet
Heights enclosed by rectangles
Centers of high and low heights are
identified with "H" and "L" respectively with
their heights and enclosed by polygons

Weather Flying Categories:

Ceiling and visibility determine the category
VFR - Visual Flight Rules
MVFR - Marginal Visual Flight Rules
IFR - Instrument Flight Rules
IFR areas are enclosed by solid lines
MVFR areas are enclosed by scalloped
lines
All other areas are VFR

Freezing Levels:
Depicted by a zigzag line labeled as "SFC"
for surface
Freezing levels aloft are depicted by thin,
short dashed lines
Lines are drawn at 4,000' intervals (80 =
8,000')
Lines are discontinued where they intersect
corresponding altitudes of the Rocky
Mountains
Areas with multiple freezing levels have
lines drawn to the highest freezing level

Turbulence:
Areas of moderate or greater turbulence are
enclosed by bold, long dashed lines
Turbulence intensities are identified by
symbols
The vertical extent of turbulence layers are
specified by top and base heights
Areas of thunderstorms do not include
indications of turbulence because it is
implied
Added emphasis is included if the
turbulence is from the surface to 24,000' or
above, having thunderstorms covering more
than half of the area
Intensity symbols and layer altitudes appear
within or adjacent to the forecast area
Heights are pressure altitude
Bases that extended below 24,000 are
encoded "XXX" (High-Level)

Tropical Cyclones:
Positions of hurricanes, typhoons and
tropical storms are depicted
Hurricanes use standard symbol while
typhoons are shaded
When pertinent the name of each storm is
positioned adjacent to the symbol

Squall Lines:
Severe squall lines are lines of CBs with 5/8
coverage or greater
Identified by long dashed lines separated by
aV

Volcanic Eruption Sites:

Identified by a trapezoidal symbol
Dot at the base indicates latitude and
longitude of volcano
Name, latitude, and longitude are noted
adjacent
Reference SIGMETs for more information

Sand and Dust Storms:

Areas of widespread sandstorms and dust
storms are labeled by an S
The S with an arrow depicts areas of
widespread sandstorms or dust storms
The S without an arrow depicts severe
sandstorm or dust haze

Conclusion:
For more information, a paper copy of
Aviation Weather Services: FAA Advisory
Circular 00-45H, Change 1&2 (FAA
Handbooks series) [Amazon] is available for
purchase
A digital copy of Advisory Circular (00-
45), Aviation Weather Services is
available from the FAA's website
Still looking for something? Continue
searching:

References:
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA-H-
8083-28) Aviation Weather Handbook
Federal Aviation Administration -
Pilot/Controller Glossary
Advisory Circular (00-45) Aviation Weather
Services (8.1) Short-Range Surface
Prognostic (PROG) Charts
CFI Notebook.net - Atmosphere

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