We recently added two new collections of graphical forecasts to the Imagery view on mobile and web: Graphical Aviation Forecasts for cloud cover and surface conditions, and Ceiling and Visibility Analysis graphics.
Graphical Aviation Forecasts
While the Graphical Aviation Forecasts were already available as part of ForeFlight’s Graphical HTML Briefing, they are now even more accessible alongside ForeFlight’s other graphical weather imagery. The new cloud and surface forecasts replace the GFS MOS ceiling and visibility graphical forecast products, which NOAA discontinued in mid-December 2019. The GFS MOS textual products for ceiling and visibility are still available on NOAA’s site and in ForeFlight’s MOS airport weather tab.
The Graphical Aviation Forecasts for both cloud cover and surface conditions are provided for CONUS and nine additional regions: Northeast, East, Southeast, North Central, Central, South Central, Northwest, West, and Southwest. Each region and forecast type includes graphics for six forecast periods: 3 HR, 6 HR, 9 HR, 12 HR, 15 HR, and 18 HR. Forecasts are typically updated every 3 hours.
The Cloud Coverage product depicts not only the degree of cloud coverage (few, scattered, broken, or overcast), but also cloud top altitudes and icing or mountain obscuration AIRMETs.
The Surface product depicts even more, showing obscuration hazards and types (haze, fog, smoke, or dust/sand), weather conditions with color-coded probabilities (rain, snow, mix, or ice), thunderstorm probabilities, surface visibility, IFR or surface wind AIRMETs, and surface wind barbs with gust speeds indicated by red extensions on each barb’s tail.
Ceiling and Visibility Analysis
The Ceiling and Visibility Analysis collection provides three graphics depicting Flight Category, Visibility, and Ceiling information for CONUS and 18 major subdivisions, each named after a city in each region.
These detailed graphics replace the single “Weather Depiction” chart that was previously available in the National > Featured section. Visit this page hosted by NOAA for information about the different symbols used in these forecast graphics.
As with other graphics in the Imagery view, you can share, copy, or download the new forecast products using the Send To menu in the bottom-right while viewing them.
