Radio Weather
Any FSS
122.1 and listen on VOR is a way when close to VOR.  Uses land line.
122.0 Flight Watch can be contacted almost nation wide if plane is 5000' AGL
135.7 Flight Watch for high altitudes and as alternate to 122.0
122.2 Nearly universal FSS frequency if you can't use a discrete one.

TWEB Transcribed weather en route broadcast.
Over NAVAID frequencies with weather changes as they occur,
advisories, winds, and local NOTAMS
HIWAS High Altitude weather advisory service
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Getting the Weather
You can learn the weather by watching the sky. As clouds occur, correlate their types, altitudes and seasons with flight conditions. Clouds may be classified by shape but its trend of change is more significant. Changes in color, from pearl-like to lead-like give a feel for the presence of trouble or lack of it. Clouds can grow vertically, flatten, fall apart, change color, become transparent, and display luminosity. Clouds precede weather frontal systems. Where one weather front meets with another we have a zone of discontinuity between air masses giving a change in weather. Clouds are the advance salesmen of weather fronts.

The difference between the world systems occurred because the U.S. had limited coding ability via Teletype. The rest of the world could transmit faster and developed a different code.

There are seventeen terminal forecast sites from Bakersfield to the northern California border to make SFO forecast. 14 more are south of Bakersfield for LAX forecast. Nevada has 6 for Reno forecast. California has three upper air wind and temperature forecast sites, 5 more give wind and temperatures. Sacramento is the only northern weather radar site. Southern California has 6 such sites. California has eleven in flight weather advisory (Flight Watch) sites remoted to OAK and LAX.

The New FSS115 Weather Forecast Offices in the U.S.
Data automation, Doppler radar, satellite pictures
Briefer

Cold Fronts
Where a cold front comes from will help determine its moisture content.
In a weather briefing that includes a cold front, be sure to ask as to the nature and type of this cold front. Ask about its speed, intensity change, gust front, thunderstorms, cloud tops, icing, and convection.

Standard Briefing:
Consider giving flight plan first. This allows FSS specialist to fit briefing to plan.
1. Pilot statement:
2. Identification and type
3. IFR or VFR
4. Departure point and time
5. Destination and route
6. Altitude and time enroute

Synopsis - where weather is (watch TV) This tells you where the fronts and pressure systems are and where they are 'expected' to move. This is the core information all the rest is details, details, and more details.

Hazardous weather - Try not to interrupt but this might be where you cancel flight. Ask for additional information or alternative routes.

Current weather - Ask questions of Flight Watch (122.0)
when real time and forecast weather differ. Get frequent weather updates if conditions begin to change. Monitor 122.0 to keep up to date with what others are encountering.

Forecasts from route terminals - This tells you how the weather is 'supposed' to progress. By getting an update before departure you will get an idea as to how accurate the forecast is. Time is the greatest variable in accuracy.

Area forecast - Winds aloft - When weather does not occur as forecast it can be detected in changes in the winds aloft tables. Weather moves with the wind.

--NOTAMS (DUAT best source for unpublished notams. but giving L"s is not in their contract)
--You must ask briefer for published notams.
--Local user requirements
--'D" Distant beyond FSS area
--'FDC' Regulatory system-wide

Ask briefer for Class II notams and consult the Airport/Facilities directory.
Route Forecasts
300 route forecasts
Routes are numbered
Weather to 25 miles each side of route
All AIRMETS, SIGMETS and convective SIGMET from Kansas City

WinDs and temperatures Aloft Forecast (FD)
--Winds and temperatures aloft from 176 locations in continental U.S. and are generated from Washington, D. C.
--Header states day and time for data base. Valid time is a twelve hour prognosis that is valid for only nine hours.
--Winds in 10 degrees segments from true north
--Winds aloft information is usually inaccurate but rarely off by more than 30-degrees or 10-knots.

Temperatures in Celsius
Very close approximation to Celsius temperature in Fahrenheit can be Obtained by doubling the Celsius deg; and then subtracting 10%. Works!
--Require interpolation for intermediate altitudes.
--Radar system in west is FAA, in East combined FAA and NWS
--Clues to upper-level wind shear and z-level.

Metar supplemental information given as
WS13 means wind shear and two digit runway number or ALL for
all runways
RE is a recent weather of significance indicator
RMK is an indicator of remarks to follow, U.S. only.
METAR supplemental information given if:
Turbulence if 4 to 8-kt change per 1000' between levels
Turbulence if 40 kt wind speed change in 150 miles

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