Weather forecasting and monitoring is one of the most important aspects of soaring flight. Thoughtful analysis of weather not only keeps us from flying in conditions that could be less than fun, it helps us pick the days that have the potential to be extraordinary. You can be assured that the pilots making the big flights and knocking down records are the ones tuned into the weather forecasting.

Use the Current Conditions links to find out what’s going on right now. They will have the current winds, pressure and expected conditions for the day, as well as a general weather outlook for the week.

The Forecasting section will have info on Winds Aloft, one of the most important bits of data a pilot should obtain, especially if flying in the mountains. You’ll also find the NOAA discussion page here. It will take some time to get used to reading, but it can paint a very detailed picture of what to expect.

The MM5 links will take you to a page that has links to different computer model runs. Pick the latest run that has finished and check out the surface winds or the soundings. These pages will take some getting used to reading, but the data is usually spot on, especially from the middle of the run. Matt Amend wrote a fantastic guide for understanding how to interpret the MM5 Soundings.

The weather Maps section has barometric pressure and jet stream maps that can help you forecast the upcoming wind and general weather conditions.

The Soaring Forecast section will lead you to sites dedicated to predicting the amount of lift available on a given day. XC Skies is wonderful site that utilizes google maps to help you figure out the thermal and cross country potential for any site, and it works very well for Eastern Washington cross country flying.