The FAA has announced the retirement of three Outside the Contiguous United States (OCONUS) text area forecasts, transitioning to graphical forecasts for aviation weather updates to enhance accuracy and use for pilots and dispatchers. In collaboration with the National Weather Service (NWS), the FAA recently replaced the following OCONUS text area forecasts with graphical forecasts: FACA20 (OFAMKC) for the Caribbean and Gulf of America; FAGX20 (OFAGX) for the Gulf of America; and FAHW31 PHFO (FA0HI) for Hawaii.
These graphical forecasts provide an interactive and detailed representation of weather conditions, allowing users to pan, zoom, and focus on specific areas of interest. These tools include gridded displays of various weather parameters and textual weather observations, forecasts, and warnings. Icing, turbulence, wind, and temperature data are presented in three dimensions, offering a comprehensive view of weather patterns.
Pilots and dispatchers can access the graphical forecasts through the NWS Aviation Weather Center’s website. The FAA recommends that directors of operations, dispatch, and operational control managerial staff ensure that relevant personnel are trained to use these new tools effectively. Tutorials and instructional resources are available on the Aviation Weather Center’s website.
This transition aligns with the FAA’s ongoing efforts to modernize aviation weather services, providing pilots and operators with more accurate and user-friendly tools to support safe flight planning.