Preface  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  vi

Part I: -- Aviation Weather

Study Unit 1: The Earth's Atmosphere . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Study Unit 2: Temperature  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Study Unit 3: Atmospheric Pressure and Altimetry . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  15
Study Unit 4: Wind  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Study Unit 5: Moisture, Cloud Formation, and Precipitation . . . . . . . . .  45
Study Unit 6: Stable and Unstable Air  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  55
Study Unit 7: Clouds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  63
Study Unit 8: Air Masses and Fronts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  73
Study Unit 9: Turbulence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  91
Study Unit 10: Icing  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  103
Study Unit 11: Thunderstorms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Study Unit 12: Common IFR Producers  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Part II: -- Aviation Weather -- Over and Beyond

Study Unit 13: High Altitude Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Study Unit 14: Arctic Weather  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Study Unit 15: Tropical Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  161
Study Unit 16: Soaring Weather  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  177

Part III: -- Aviation Weather Services

Study Unit 1: The Aviation Weather Service Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Study Unit 2: Aviation Weather Product Classification and Policy  . . . . .  219
Study Unit 3: Aviation Routine Weather Reports (METAR) . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Study Unit 4: Pilot Weather Reports (PIREP)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Study Unit 5: Radar Weather Reports (SD/ROB) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 251
Study Unit 6: Radar Imagery  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 255
Study Unit 7: Satellite Imagery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  269
Study Unit 8: Surface Analysis Charts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Study Unit 9: Constant Pressure Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Study Unit 10: Freezing-Level Graphics  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  291
Study Unit 11: Lifted Index Analysis Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  295
Study Unit 12: Weather Depiction Charts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
Study Unit 13: Alaska Weather Depiction Charts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Study Unit 14: Radar Summary Charts  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309
Study Unit 15: Alaska Initial Geopotential Heights and Winds Charts . . . .  317
Study Unit 16: Significant Meteorological Information (SIGMET)  . . . . . .  325
Study Unit 17: Airmen's Meteorological Information (AIRMET) . . . . . . . .  339
Study Unit 18: Center Weather Advisory (CWA)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  347
Study Unit 19: Additional Products for Convection . . . . . . . . . . . . .  351
Study Unit 20: Tropical Cyclone Products  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  361
Study Unit 21: Volcanic Ash Advisory Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  371
Study Unit 22: Area Forecasts (FA)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  377
Study Unit 23: Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 391
Study Unit 24: International Aviation Route Forecasts (ROFOR)  . . . . . . . 405
Study Unit 25: Wind and Temperature Aloft Forecasts (FB) . . . . . . . . . . 407
Study Unit 26: Short-Range Surface Prognostic (PROG) Charts  . . . . . . . . 413
Study Unit 27: Low-Level Significant Weather (SIGWX) Charts . . . . . . . .  417
Study Unit 28: Mid-Level Significant Weather (SIGWX) Charts  . . . . . . . . 421
Study Unit 29: High-Level Significant Weather (SIGWX) Charts . . . . . . . . 429
Study Unit 30: Collaborative Convective Forecast Products (CCFP)  . . . . .  435
Study Unit 31: National Convective Weather Forecasts (NCWF) . . . . . . . .  441
Study Unit 32: Current Icing Potential (CIP)  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  445
Study Unit 33: Forecast Icing Potential (FIP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  449
Study Unit 34: Graphical Turbulence Guidance (GTG)  . . . . . . . . . . . .  451
Study Unit 35: Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS) . . . . . . . . . . . . 453
Study Unit 36: Other Weather Related Information  . . . . . . . . . . . . .  457

Appendices
APPENDIX A: FAA Glossary of Weather Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  499
APPENDIX B: The Weather Channel  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 511
APPENDIX C: Automated Flight Service Stations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  515
APPENDIX D: Direct User Access Terminal Service (DUATS)  . . . . . . . . . . 529
APPENDIX E: Aviation Weather Resources on the Internet . . . . . . . . . . . 538
INDEX  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 543
ORDER FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551