NWS proposes using airports to define forecast, alert areas

The proposed change includes significant meteorological information, airmen's meteorological information, center weather advisories, and meteorological impact statements issued across the country, including Alaska.

The change is being driven by the national reduction of VHF omnidirectional range (VOR) navaids as GPS becomes the dominant way to navigate our airspace. Weather products that up to now have defined boundaries with reference to a distance/direction from a VOR (for example: BRG-100ESE) would instead use a three-letter airport identifier as the reference point (such as 10SE-BUF). While weather products are often viewed as graphics, when communicating via phone or airborne by radio, we still need a means to convey the boundaries of forecast information, such as areas of severe thunderstorms.

AOPA is part of a national working group that spent considerable time exploring this issue and identifying airports to fill gaps. We expect this list of airports maintained in NWS computers will provide a more dense network of points for forecasters to use, particularly in Alaska where VORs are few and far between. NWS is soliciting comments on this proposed change through May 15.