How to figure out Alaska weather (and other interesting stuff)

[JohnnyR]

Getting this started from the great suggestion by jprax @ Iditarod or Bust thread. I'm certainly not one of the "highly experienced, high time" Alaska pilots he referenced, and hopefully folks with more than my few thousand hours here will chime in shortly, but below is an initial stab at looking ahead at weather hereabouts.

Basic study of AK weather patterns is a great start Alaska Weather Patterns Skewed by Terrain | Geophysical Institute

These are the sites I typically use for trip planning. I also like calling villages, NPS and USFW aviation centers and rangers, and local airport ops. Having a SAT phone and list of numbers out in the field on multiday trips is worth the cost.

Alaska Aviation Weather Unit

FAA WeatherCams

Weather – Alaska Climate Research Center (akclimate.org)

Alaska Wildland Fire Information Map Series (arcgis.com)

Local, National, & Global Daily Weather Forecast | AccuWeather

Not so much on topic, but fun to think about: UAF has a teaching unit focused on blending indigenous and modern forecast methodologies. It's interesting to ponder how folks hundreds and thousands of years ago decided on the safety of departing for a hunting or whaling trip. PredictingWeather_InterdisciplinaryLesson_FINAL (uaf.edu)

 

[BC12D-4-85]

Here's a wealth of Alaskan weather info and flight planning packaged on one site:

https://www.proflitealaska.com

And another from our local Fairbanks FSS re preflight, inflight, miscellaneous:

https://www.faa.gov/about/office_or...service_units/systemops/fs/alaskan/alaska/fai

The rest is see and avoid plus paying attention.

Gary

 

[DENNY]

Pay attention to the tides, especially when the temp and dew point are within 3 degrees. The tide will bring in a low fog layer and pull it back out. At Birchwood it is usually on one or two hundred foot high, you can see down through it but you won't be able to land with it in. I always try to plan return landings at low tide.
DENNY

 

[BC12D-4-85]

For Interior Alaska w/o tides, prepare for radiation fog after a good snow when the skies clear and the wind is calm. Flying near the ground in those clear post-snow conditions can create ice crystals from plane's exhaust and wake vortices that soon forms fog. Land or go elsewhere if it starts forming after a pass.

Gary

 

[aktango58]

Which way is the wind blowing?

Where is the High and low. Which side of the mountains are you on, and what river valley are you along.

Each area has it's own things that indicate or create the weather. So many local webcams now it makes life much easier, but the good old fly out and look while ready to turn around is always the final answer.

 

[BC12D-4-85]

My CFI Joe has satellite in cockpit. I-pad with real time Statewide WX and phone. At least that's what I've seen. Or thought I saw.

My biggest hit in a C-185 was between Mentasta Lake and Tok in a valley with West winds over terrain. The downdraft dropped me, passenger, plus dirt-charts-gear-legs-even a pencil floating for a few until we hit bottom - bang! Rotor winds or CAT downstream of terrain. Avoid.

Gary

 

[skywagon8a]

Rotor winds or CAT downstream of terrain. Avoid.

Gary

Always fly on the up wind side of a hill whenever possible.

 

[tempdoug]

Which way is the wind blowing?

Where is the High and low. Which side of the mountains are you on, and what river valley are you along.

Each area has it's own things that indicate or create the weather. So many local webcams now it makes life much easier, but the good old fly out and look while ready to turn around is always the final answer.

you can see what hes talking about. the very top right button, you can zoom it in where your at. https://www.windy.com/?64.101,-142.207,5

 

[frequent_flyer]

Always fly on the up wind side of a hill whenever possible.

Some of my most enjoyable flights have used lift on the downwind side of hills. Just yesterday with cumulus bases at about 8k ft I climbed the windward edge of a cloud bank to 13k ft. Lift was about a mile downwind of the 7,900 ft peak. (Wave induced lift does not always cause the classic lenticular cloud shape but the wisps on the leading edge of the cumulus bank showed the flow.)

 

[cubflier]

Having aviation weather (metars, tafs) and mesonet observations available on my inReach has been valuable asset when skiing the backcountry.

Jerry

 

[frequent_flyer]

Pictures for post 9 (Work the airmass, don't fight it) -

 

[tedwaltman1]

I try to have a comprehensive, Canada & Alaska, weather sources page at https://fly2ak.com/?page_id=701 . I'll add the above Proflite https://www.proflitealaska.com/ page right now to my site. If there are other links I don't have, please let me know folks. I also have links to weather cams on the same page.

Thanks to everyone on this forum and website for information on useful weather links!

I also added a link to the Fairbanks FSS site.

On my weather page, there is also a "Tide Predictions" link for Alaska

Ted

 

[JeffP]

Pictures for post 9 (Work the airmass, don't fight it) -

This is a great thread

 

[BC12D-4-85]

No doubt VFR flying is a constant challenge. Tune to Flightradar24 for Alaska and see mostly IFR traffic. Yes, that's due to those eligible being equipped to become ID'd versus others not. But if you want to get there and the terrain has rocks above your FL, it requires some expertise and experience with the route and situational awareness.

If VFR, flying above terrain may not offer the perspective needed when ceilings and visibility lower. Get down to low but safe altitudes to learn the land and alternate routes before it becomes necessary. A GPS that turns Red in all directions due to higher terrain doesn't fly the airplane.

Gary

 

[cubflier]

For the times you get the weather wrong it's nice to have the tools that are available working to their fullest capability.

Just a reminder of what ForeFlight can do for those that use it.

Jerry

 

[BC12D-4-85]

I mentioned in another thread keeping track of the aircraft's altimeter as a weather canary. Today pick up the sat phone or sat text and get a briefing. Or, check Foreflight or similar for a visual downlook from a satellite or synoptic features. But, back to basics.

On the ground set the altimeter to "0" elevation (but remember where it was before). Read and record the local barometric pressure in the Kollsman Window. Do it again later and note any change in barometric trends that precede weather fronts and systems. Know where winds move around Lows and Highs, and generally where they can affect local conditions by their relative position.

Or, land with a reliable altimeter setting preset within 100 miles or so, and note the elevation (should match the local terrain's or water body). Check it later to see if it moved to a higher or lower indicated MSL. Reset it to the correct field elevation then use that barometric change as above.

Temperature affects altimeters but for this general use the trend between a few hours or a day is what matters.

Gary

 

[JohnnyR]

My (relatively) cheap Casio Protrek watch tracks barometric pressure, and can be set to alarm for trends indicating upcoming weather. Useful in the field. Also helps for predicting animal movement.
PRW3500-1 | Black Watch - PRO TREK | CASIO

I mentioned in another thread keeping track of the aircraft's altimeter as a weather canary. Today pick up the sat phone or sat text and get a briefing. Or, check Foreflight or similar for a visual downlook from a satellite or synoptic features. But, back to basics.

On the ground set the altimeter to "0" elevation (but remember where it was before). Read and record the local barometric pressure in the Kollsman Window. Do it again later and note any change in barometric trends that precede weather fronts and systems. Know where winds move around Lows and Highs, and generally where they can affect local conditions by their relative position.

Or, land with a reliable altimeter setting preset within 100 miles or so, and note the elevation (should match the local terrain's or water body). Check it later to see if it moved to a higher or lower indicated MSL. Reset it to the correct field elevation then use that barometric change as above.

Temperature affects altimeters but for this general use the trend between a few hours or a day is what matters.

Gary

 

[mam90]

I’ve been using this for years. Great battery life, portable and easy to replace if lost…

 

[Alex Clark]

Where I fly, we have to deal with maritime weather. So we use the nautical weather system a lot of the time.
Plus you have to think about things like fog created by cold fresh water rivers running into slightly warmer seawater.

 

[jrussl]

For the times you get the weather wrong it's nice to have the tools that are available working to their fullest capability.

Just a reminder of what ForeFlight can do for those that use it.

Jerry

Jerry,

That is super slick. I wasn’t aware that you could bring his red topo’s into Foreflight.

Thanks for sharing.


Sent from my iPhone using SuperCub.Org mobile app

 

[jprax]

Thank you for starting this. There are some great resources here. The addition of the local knowledge on how the weather will affect the local geography or what is likely to happen in the future based off a trend is most helpful. Flight service has to try to cover the whole state and often doesn't have the local knowledge needed. Often a briefer looks at a camera I can see on my phone. Also what the weather is presently is one thing, what it is likely to be in a few days is another. I appreciate the information shared.

 

[cubflier]

Fortunately our local upper air weather balloons survived the recent counter offensive and are still reporting the stuff I want to know. It was just a couple of beautiful days ago that friends were prodding me to launch. Winds aloft forecasts showed a different story than the clear blue sky out the window. A quick verification of the most recent Anchorage Upper Air Sounding verified the fact that I should stay home.

Today its a different story and the ballon is all smiles.


Jerry

 

[tedwaltman1]

Thank you, "cubflier" for the link/info for the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center (link here).

I added the NOAA link to my Weather page https://fly2ak.com/?page_id=701

 

[cubflier]

Thank you, "cubflier" for the link/info for the NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center (link here).

I added the NOAA link to my Weather page https://fly2ak.com/?page_id=701

I was confused by your post at first because I have never been to that link enough to recall it. Now I see it in the right hand side of the balloon sounding I posted above. I does look worth exploring. You site list is excellent BTW.

Jerry

 

[h2oavi8r]

I kind of thought of it at the last moment, but if want those maps (mbtiles files) I uploaded them to my Google Drive account just in case.

There is a small process involved. The files have to be downloaded to a mac computer then transferred via airdrop to the ForeFlight device. I have them both on my iPad and iPhone.

If it becomes of interest pm me and I'll send you the link.

Take care - Jerry

Are you willing to give a short tutorial of how to download maps in the correct format? I tried using USGS TopoBuilder and got a PDF. I loaded it on ForeFlight but it doesn’t work like your mbtiles do. I want to upload topo maps for Idaho. I used my GAIA app which helps but it will be better to have the maps integrated. Thanks for getting me educated on this.
Robert

 

[tedwaltman1]

A site which I found easier to creat custom content thru, for later import to ForeFlight, is https://caltopo.com/map.html

You don’t specifically need a MAC. Can do it thru Windows, which I’ve done too.

I can creat a short tutorial, but it will be a few days or week until I can get to it.

Ted

 

[cubflier]

Are you willing to give a short tutorial of how to download maps in the correct format? I tried using USGS TopoBuilder and got a PDF. I loaded it on ForeFlight but it doesn’t work like your mbtiles do. I want to upload topo maps for Idaho. I used my GAIA app which helps but it will be better to have the maps integrated. Thanks for getting me educated on this.
Robert

I looks like Ted has you covered. You are in good hands there.

Jerry

 

[tedwaltman1]

...short tutorial on how to create & download maps...

• ForeFlight, in their “Custom Content” help page, describes how to create “Custom Charts.”
  • ForeFlight recommends using an app named MapTiler
  • Personally, I find the user interface of the MapTiler app/website far less than intuitive. Hence, I use Caltopo
• Go to the Caltop website
• You can proceed with the free version, or you can subscribe if desired
  • Subscribing allows you to create/output larger custom maps, amongst other benefits
  • This short tutorial assumes you only have a free account
  • By the way, Caltopo doesn’t make you sign up/sign in just to use their free version like MapTiler does
• Search on a location that you want to create a topo map overlay in ForeFlight, e.g. Icy Bay, Alaska
• On the L side of the Caltopo site page, click on the “Print” icon/image
  • This will bring up a red-border, 8.5” x 11” page-size
  • If desired, move the red-border selection with your mouse or on your trackpad around your desired area using the center red dot
  • If desired, select different “Base Layers” and “Map Overlays” on the R side of the Caltopo site page
• On the L side, select “Geospatial PDF” as the “Format” output
• When you’re happy with all your settings, select “Generate PDF”
  • It takes a minute or so, but you’ll see a PDF image eventually pop up in a new browser tab
  • Select the “download” icon on the top right of your tab/page; Note what folder/location your PDF is saved into
  • ForeFlight has a help page that covers various ways to import the custom content you just created
  • Personally I find it easiest to just email the newly created PDF to myself to transfer it into ForeFlight. This email process is covered by the “Importing via Email/Hyperlinks” section on the above referenced help page

If you still have questions please feel free to contact me via email.