Current day weather map Radar summary map
24 hour forecast map Satelite map
48 hour forecast map Depiction Map (IFR, VFR, MVFR)
It wasn't so many years ago when the FAA unveiled a marvelous system whereby those of us with personal computers could simply dial a phone number and connect to an automated weather briefing service. DUATS-Direct User Access Terminals-wowed us. At safety seminars we learned how easily one could program our computer to call DUATS, download a briefing and sign-off, all automatically. We merely had to arise, check the print out and decide to go out and fly or go back to bed. What a country!
As is often the case when it comes to technological wonders, DUATS, as exciting as it was (and is) was only a signpost of things to come. Today those of us with personal computers, and that number grows by leaps and bounds daily, can access a wealth of weather information, just by going online!
Current day weather map Radar summary map
24 hour forecast map Satelite map
48 hour forecast map Depiction Map (IFR, VFR, MVFR)
At the outset the point should be made that excepting DUATS, no online weather is prepared to take the place of a professional pre-flight weather briefing. But if you want to learn more about the whys and wherefores of weather, online is the place to be.
Wondering what the forecast for tomorrow is? Don't want to wait for the evening TV weather cast? Simply sign on to America Online and use the keyword "Weather." Suddenly you are greeted with several choices including city forecasts. You begin by selecting a region of the country - in my case, the Southwest. Next I select my state, Texas. Finally I enter the name of the desired city or airport identifier and viola; there on my screen appears the latest forecast for my hometown, Longview, Texas. When using America Online the weather information provided has been prepared by Weather Services Corporation., an independent commercial weather casting firm.
In addition to city forecasts, AOL's weather information includes free access to a variety of weather maps. In fact, all three online services provide access to various maps on a no charge basis, thus having a distinct advantage over DUATS which provides forecasts for free but charges a fee for any maps or charts. On AOL you'll find the following maps available: US Satellite Map, a 6-10 day Precipitation Outlook map, the US Radar Image map, a High and Low temperatures map, a 3-day Weather Outlook map, plus outlook maps for rainfall, the jet stream, snowfall, and thunderstorm activity.
Besides maps and forecasts, AOL offers a variety of weather forums where one can "talk" to others wanting to know more about various aspects of weather. Some of the members of these forums may be professional meteorologists but in most cases they're just like you and I, people with a basic knowledge of weather who want to expand their horizons. In fact while exploring one of these forums I found an entry from someone asking where they could find information about surface winds. Sounded like a balloonist until he mentioned that his hobby was racing pigeons!
Of the three services sampled for this report I found Prodigy to offer the least amount and variety of information, all limited to a few maps and forecasts. Once signed on to the main menu you can "jump" to weather and find a menu offering a US Weather map. Actually there are two maps to be found here. One, the forecast map shows only rain, snow and temperature information. The second, a scientific forecast map shows frontal activity, the jet stream and barometric isobars. (In each case you can view today's map or tomorrow's forecast map.) From these basic two maps you can also access regional maps which are simply enlarged sections of the primary map.
Prodigy also offers both city forecasts and international forecasts, the latter is something the other services do not include. However, Prodigy's city forecasts are lacking compared to its competitors. Prodigy offers only a list of selected cities in the US. For example, here in Texas only 9 cities are included on the list and Longview is not one of them. As for the international forecasts, again this is a preselected list of some 112 foreign destinations, so while it's a nice additional service, its' scope is limited.
By contrast, Compuserve easily offers the most comprehensive weather information of the three services and the only true aviation weather. Compuserve's maps are prepared by AccuWeather and include current weather, a satellite view of the US, a 48-hour outlook map, current/high and low temperatures plus regional maps.
Simply "Go" weather and you're greeted with a digest of forecasts available including a short term forecast, state extended forecast, severe weather alert, precipitation probability, regional summary, daily climatological forecast, sports & recreation and a marine forecast. Below these options are "buttons" to allow you to read any of the above, or you can (among others) select the aviation button.
Compuserve's aviation weather is as complete as you can get anywhere short of an official flight service briefing. Reports offered include: hourly observations, terminal forecasts, previous hourly reports, winds aloft forecasts, NOTAMs, PIREPs, Sigmets, Airmets, area forecasts and radar reports.
For those who really want to expand their knowledge of weather, Compuserve offers The Weather Channel Forum. Here you can access all kinds of information through a variety of libraries and forums all sponsored by TWC. For example, you can access the biographies of each and every TWC staffer. Other forums include weather records, this day in history, weather safety tips, and more. One of the most enjoyable forums discovered in our sampling was the Weather fun and facts forum. Here you'll find such wonderful tidbits as "the highest wind ever recorded by an anemometer on earth's surface was at Mount Washington, NH at 231 mph!" Or, "the term sustained wind generally refers to wind speed averaged over 2 minutes." This, we learned, was changed by the National Weather Service in 1994 because they used to average the wind over just one minute's time.
For those truly into online services TWC even offers a "live" forum where you can log on and talk to a weather professional. During our sampling Tim Vasquez, a forecaster at Dyes Air Force Base and KTXS-TV12 in Abilene, Texas was on live talking about WeatherGraphix, a mapping software he has developed.
However, before you plan to log on to Compuserve to get weather briefings and information for your next club flight or rally, consider the aviation disclaimer that binds Compuserve weather information. "Users shall not provide copies of any of the flight planning materials, data, forecasts, analyses, or service documentation furnished through provider (Compuserve) to any other 3rd party with or without consideration and shall not procure flight planning material, data, forecasts or analysis for the benefit of another party." Fine print aside, Compuserve is an excellent source of weather education for pilots and crew alike.
Again this article is not meant to be a thorough examination of the services offered by the three online systems we discussed or any others. Rather it was our intent to provide a sampling of the information provided that can be found quickly and easily on each service. For those unfamiliar with online providers, the services are not free. You can expect to pay $10-15 per month for their basic services, which in the cases cited above includes the weather information we described. Online weather is not a substitute for a flight service briefing, but in the spirit of the FARs which direct a pilot to make him/herself aware of all available information regarding weather that might impact a flight, going online can be fun, educational and practical.
