A Day In The Life Of A NWS Meteorologist: Aviation (Day 7 of 14)

While eastern Kentucky does not house any major/commercial airports, we are still responsible for issuing aviation forecasts for some of the general aviation airports across the region. The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is a key component in aviation forecasting. Airlines and airports use these coded forecasts, which include expected winds, cloud heights, weather types and visibilities for a 24-hour period, to help with the preparation of their operations. The NWS Jackson currently produces a forecast 4 times daily for 5 airports across eastern Kentucky, including Morehead (SYM), Big Sandy (SJS), Jackson (JKL), Somerset (SME), and London (LOZ).

Day 6: River Monitoring

Day 5: Training

Day 4: Issuing Severe Weather Warnings

Day 3: Analyzing Weather Data

Day 2: Weather Observations

Day 1: Introduction