Enhanced Digital Services for Future Aviation Weather Needs

National Weather Service (NWS) supports the National Airspace System (NAS) by producing Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs) at over 640 airports, nationwide. For NWS to support the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) and the evolving needs of the General Aviation community, the forecast process and services must change. Several NWS Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs) are producing digital forecasts of ceiling, visibility, and probability of thunder, from which TAFs are produced, with forecaster oversight. These enhanced digital aviation services will be expanded to many WFOs over the next few years and will be produced on a national level within the next 3-5 years. The result will be a national mosaic of aviation forecast elements available for the aviation community to utilize in their decision making process. In addition, producing digital aviation weather elements will aid in the production of Terminal Radar Approach Control Facilities (TRACON) forecasts and Tactical Decision Aids (TDAs). Furthermore, NOAA's Aviation Weather Center (AWC) can use these digital forecasts in the future to generate Area Forecasts and other aviation products. This effort will result in a seamless and consistent forecast suite from the local TAF to the regional and to the national en-route aviation weather products, providing a common weather picture for the NAS. The digital aviation services as described above are consistent with the NextGen weather vision and will be an important step to providing weather information for the future.