FAA Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA)Weather and Weather ServicesHard
A pilot reviewing a Weather Depiction Chart before a VFR cross-country flight sees a shaded contour area over the destination airport. According to the chart's legend, what does this shading typically represent?
- AAreas of IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and/or visibility less than 3 statute miles
- BAreas forecast to have freezing precipitation
- CAreas of VFR conditions with unrestricted visibility
- DAreas experiencing severe turbulence only
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Areas of IFR conditions with ceilings below 1,000 feet and/or visibility less than 3 statute miles
On a Weather Depiction Chart, shaded contour areas represent IFR conditions (ceilings below 1,000 feet and/or visibility less than 3 statute miles), while unshaded areas depict VFR, and areas outlined by hatched contour lines without heavy shading represent Marginal VFR (MVFR).
Why the other options are wrong
- B. Freezing precipitation is not directly depicted by this chart's shading.
- C. VFR areas are left unshaded on the chart, not shaded.
- D. Weather Depiction Charts show ceiling/visibility categories, not turbulence.
Weather Depiction Chart
A graphical chart, updated every 3 hours, that shows current ceiling and visibility categories (IFR, MVFR, VFR) at reporting stations across the country, primarily used for preflight planning.
- IFR: ceiling <1,000 ft and/or visibility <3 SM (heavily shaded)
- MVFR: ceiling 1,000-3,000 ft and/or visibility 3-5 SM (hatched contour, no shading)
- VFR: ceiling >3,000 ft and visibility >5 SM (unshaded)
Memory trick: Shaded = socked in (IFR); clear = clear skies (VFR).