USAirNet.com For Kick Butt Weather Forecasts

I know many of you are at times like. Obsessed with weather? Big days, multiple day trips and generally getting objectives done, often mean short or long stints of good weather. Yeah, it’s nice to have everlasting dumpage and soft powder, but sooner or later the clouds are gonna break, the sun will shine and it will be time to set our sights on bigger, further, higher objectives. When will that day come? I often turn to USAirNet.com to tell.

I have to thank my paragliding buddies for this one. USAirNet is an aviation forecast that caters to hang gliders, hot air balloons, paragliders, skydivers, ultra-light pilots and anyone who ventures into the sky to get their birdman fix.

Selecting your reagiona nd locationa re easy.

There are a few things that I like about USAirnet’s forecast. The first being, and the biggest, is that it is broken up into 3-hour blocks, which helps one pin-point when things are going to move in or conversely…clear up so you can nail your line in perfect bluebird cold smoke like fashion. Secondly, I really like the graphical representation of the different variables, like temperature, wind speed, chance of precip, etc. I find that my small brain absorbs this kinds of information quicker that having to read numbers, and it also helps in being able get a bigger picture of what is going on.

The forecast you get is for 3-days out, which I think is generally the furthest
one can predict into the future…with any amount of certainty.

The third thing I like about the forecast you get from USAirNet is the fact that there are so many variables that it spits out. My favorites in the winter time are mainly cloud-base and visibility. While a normal forecast would give a prediction of “mostly cloudy”, knowing at what altitude the clouds are at, along with how far I might be able to see, can really help in turning a “red light” day…into one with a big green go sign!

I haven’t looked into too many other regions and location that USAirNet covers, but my guess is that it hits the majority of area where some of you skis live. Check it out!