> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.planeconnection.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Use the Weather Briefing

> Look up current METAR and TAF observations by ICAO airport code, interpret flight category labels, and review pre-flight weather conditions.

By the end of this guide, you will have looked up current METAR and TAF observations by ICAO airport code, interpreted flight category labels, and reviewed pre-flight weather conditions.

<Info>
  The Operations module must be enabled for your workspace. You also need the appropriate operations
  permissions. Contact your workspace administrator if you cannot access these features.
</Info>

<Info>You need the `dispatch.read` permission.</Info>

## Prerequisites

* Your workspace must have the Operations module enabled.
* Airport ICAO codes for the airports you want to check.

## Open the Weather page

The Weather page is not listed in the main sidebar. Open it from the
**Command Palette**:

1. Press **Cmd+K** (macOS) or **Ctrl+K** (Windows / Linux) from anywhere
   in the app.
2. Type `weather` and select **Weather Briefing** from the results.
3. The page loads at `/ops/weather` with the breadcrumb path
   **Ops > Weather**.

You can also navigate directly to `/{workspace}/ops/weather` in your
browser.

## Default airports

When the page first loads, it attempts to fetch current observations for
two pre-loaded airports:

* **KTEB** -- Teterboro Airport, New Jersey
* **KPBI** -- Palm Beach International Airport, Florida

If data is available, station cards for these airports appear immediately.
If either fetch fails (network error or station offline), that card is
silently omitted.

## Look up an airport

<Steps>
  ### Step 1: Enter the ICAO code

  Type a four-letter ICAO airport code into the search field at the top of
  the page (e.g., `KJFK`, `KLAX`, `KORD`). The field converts input to
  uppercase automatically.

  ### Step 2: Fetch weather

  Press **Enter** or click **Get Weather**. The page reloads with the new
  airport's station card appended to the grid. You can look up multiple
  airports by searching again.

  ### Step 3: Read the station card

  Each airport shows a card with its ICAO code, flight category label, and
  a four-cell conditions grid.
</Steps>

## Flight category labels

Each station card displays a colored label indicating the current flight
category:

| Category | Color                  | Ceiling                       | Visibility          |
| -------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------- | ------------------- |
| VFR      | Green                  | Greater than 3,000 ft AGL     | Greater than 5 SM   |
| MVFR     | Blue                   | 1,000 -- 3,000 ft AGL         | 3 -- 5 SM           |
| IFR      | Red                    | 500 -- less than 1,000 ft AGL | 1 -- less than 3 SM |
| LIFR     | Magenta (shown as red) | Less than 500 ft AGL          | Less than 1 SM      |

<Warning>
  LIFR conditions require an instrument approach and may be below minimums for some operators.
  Confirm instrument approach availability and crew currency before dispatching into LIFR
  conditions. See 14 CFR 135.225 for IFR takeoff minimums and approach requirements.
</Warning>

## Station card fields

The conditions grid on each card shows four data points:

| Field   | Description                                                                                        |
| ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Temp    | Surface temperature in degrees Celsius.                                                            |
| Wind    | Wind speed in knots with wind direction in degrees true shown as a caption beneath.                |
| Vis     | Visibility in statute miles (SM).                                                                  |
| Ceiling | Lowest broken or overcast cloud layer in feet AGL, or **CLR** if the sky is clear below 12,000 ft. |

Below the conditions grid, the raw METAR string appears in a monospace
block. If a Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is available for the
station, it appears in a second block beneath the METAR.

## Active weather alerts

If the system has loaded any active SIGMETs or AIRMETs for the region,
they appear as yellow alert banners above the station grid. Each alert
shows the advisory text. If no alerts are present, the banner section is
hidden.

## Offline behavior

If the app cannot reach the server, a yellow banner reads **You are
viewing cached data**. Station cards reflect the last successfully loaded
observations. Weather data ages quickly -- click **Refresh** in the
banner to reload when connectivity returns.

<Note>
  Cached METAR data may be stale by the time you view it. Always verify the observation time in the
  raw METAR string (the `DDHHmmZ` group) before making dispatch decisions.
</Note>

<Note>
  The Weather page supplements -- but does not replace -- a full FAA standard weather briefing from
  1800wxbrief.com or an equivalent approved source required under 14 CFR 135.213. Pilots must obtain
  a standard briefing before each flight.
</Note>

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Use the Dispatch Board" href="/how-to/ops/use-dispatch-board">
    The Dispatch Board includes a Weather Summary panel that shows conditions at today's departure
    and arrival airports.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Conduct a FRAT" href="/how-to/ops/conduct-frat">
    Weather conditions feed directly into the Flight Risk Assessment Tool scoring model.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a Trip" href="/how-to/ops/create-trip">
    Weather review is part of the pre-release checklist for trips requiring a dispatch release.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use the Dispatch Dashboard" href="/how-to/ops/use-dispatch-dashboard">
    The Dispatcher Dashboard auto-refreshes the weather summary every 15 minutes for active
    departure and arrival airports.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>