In addition to providing detailed current and forecast weather information, the U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) provides critical weather information for aircraft en route. Quoting the most recent NWS description of air weather services, “The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA’s) NWS provides decision support services to the FAA [U.S. Federal Aviation Administration] at the Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) and Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) for any weather event that has a potential impact on air traffic operations and safety of flight.”1
To start with, the ATCSCC in Warrenton, Virginia, manages the National Airspace System (NAS) with safety and efficiency as priorities. Illustrating the magnitude of the task, the FAA says that it “coordinates up to 43,000 flights in the U.S. per day … with 5,000 aircraft in the nation’s skies at any given moment.”2 In addition, the FAA says, “Because weat…
