National Weather Service

Airways Airspace ZDV Airspace Outline

Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) Denver

Mission: Denver Center Weather Service meteorologists are responsible for maintaining watch over current and forecasted weather phenomena that may affect the centers airspace and surrounding areas. The meteorologists track and forecast weather conditions and report these conditions to the control room floor. The controllers then in turn plan and project their traffic flows and react accordingly. National products issued by the CWSU meteorologist include Center Weather Advisories (CWA) and Meteorological Impact Statements (MIS). The CWA is a short term advisory valid for two hours or less describing areas of hazardous weather in progress or forecast to develop. The MIS is a forecast product valid up to 12 hours describing areas of weather that may impact air traffic operations.

Operations:ZDV CWSU meteorologists provide formal weather briefings to FAA supervisors within the Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC) for the day and evening shifts. Verbal briefings are given to individual controllers at the ARTCC and tower control facilities around the ZDV airspace, as well as to equipment technicians when weather conditions dictate. Two types of written products are also provided by the CWSU meteorologists. The Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS) is a 4 to 12 hour planning forecast of weather conditions expected to impact the ZDV air traffic. The Center Weather Advisory (CWA) is a short-term warning of hazardous weather conditions provided to all aviation interests, including private pilots, towers, flight service stations, and commercial airlines. Thus, a CWA is similar to, but more localized than, the Airmets and Sigmets issued by the Aviation Weather Center (AWC) in Kansas City, Missouri.