CFI Instrument Practical Test Standards, FAA-S-8081-9B, June 2001

III. Preflight Preparation

A. Weather Information

d. Significant weather prognostic charts

1) U.S. low-level significant weather prognostic chart (SIG WX prog)
a) Forecast of weather from surface to 24,000 ft MSL in a four-panel format
b) Issued 4 times daily (0000, 0600, 1200 and 1800Z)
c) Surface prog panels (the 2 lower)
i) 12-hour (left side) and 24-hour surface forecasts
ii) Provided by the HPC
iii) Elements
• Pressure systems
• Fronts
• Precipitation
d) Signigicant weather panels (the 2 upper)
i) 12-hour and 24-hour forecasts from the surface to 24,000 ft MSL
ii) Produced by the AWC
iii) Elements
• IFR, MVFR
• Turbulence
• Freezing levels
e) Good overview of selected flying weather conditions and their progression over the next 24 hours
f) 36-hour and 48-hour surface progs issued daily twice (0000 and 1200Z)
g) Low-level significant weather progs online
i) AWC
ii) Aviation Digital Data Service (ADDS)
2) High-level signigicant weather prog chart
a) Provided for en-route portion of international flights
b) Weather from FL 250 to FL 600
c) Issued 4 times daily (0000, 0600, 1200, 1800Z)
d) Elements
i) Thunderstorms
ii) Tropical cyclones
iii) Turbulence
iv) Convergence zones
v) Surface fronts
vi) Tropopause heights
vii) Jet stream
viii) Volcanic activity
ix) Severe squall lines
x) Sandstorms and duststorms
e) Useful in determining progression of weather above FL 240
f) AWC high-level progs online

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