An approach controller advises a pilot that a Center Weather Advisory (CWA) has just been issued for the arrival airport describing an area of moderate-to-severe turbulence below 10,000 feet. What is the primary purpose of a CWA?
- ATo report only past observed weather at the airport
- BTo serve as an unscheduled, short-term advisory for conditions meeting or approaching AIRMET/SIGMET criteria that affect ATC operations
- CTo provide a routine 24-hour forecast for planning purposes
- DTo replace the need for AIRMETs and SIGMETs in that region
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: B. To serve as an unscheduled, short-term advisory for conditions meeting or approaching AIRMET/SIGMET criteria that affect ATC operations
A Center Weather Advisory is an unscheduled, short-fuse (typically valid up to 2 hours) forecast issued by a Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) for conditions that meet or are expected to meet AIRMET/SIGMET criteria, primarily to alert ATC facilities and pilots of hazards affecting operations within an ARTCC's area of responsibility.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. CWAs are forecasts of expected conditions, not reports of past weather.
- C. CWAs are short-fuse, not routine 24-hour forecasts.
- D. CWAs supplement, not replace, existing AIRMET/SIGMET products.
Center Weather Advisory (CWA)
A CWA is an unscheduled inflight weather advisory issued by a Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) for conditions meeting or approaching AIRMET/SIGMET criteria, valid for up to 2 hours, primarily to support ATC and pilot awareness.
- Issued by CWSU meteorologists at ARTCCs
- Valid for a maximum of 2 hours
- Supplements, does not replace, AIRMETs and SIGMETs
Memory trick: CWA: Center's Warning for the Air, right now