Aviation Weather Hazards Reference Directory

Overview#

Weather is the single largest cause of flight delays, diversions, and operational disruption in aviation. It also plays a role in many incidents and accidents when hazardous conditions exceed aircraft or crew limits.

This directory organizes the major aviation weather hazards encountered by pilots, dispatchers, and air traffic controllers, grouped by type and linked to deeper guides and glossary explanations.

Start here → Aviation Weather Explained provides the full operational overview of aviation meteorology. The sections below link to guides that explore each hazard in more detail.

Turbulence#

Turbulence is irregular air motion that causes sudden changes in aircraft altitude, airspeed, and attitude.

Type	Cause	Guide
Convective	Thermals, cumulonimbus	What Is Turbulence?
Clear air turbulence	Jet stream boundaries, tropopause	Clear Air Turbulence Explained
Mechanical	Terrain, buildings, surface friction	What Is Turbulence?
Mountain wave	Stable airflow over mountain ranges	Clear Air Turbulence Explained
Wake turbulence	Wingtip vortices from preceding aircraft	What Is Turbulence?

Wind Shear & Microbursts#

Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed or direction over a short distance. It is especially dangerous during takeoff and landing.

Microburst — a powerful localized downdraft that spreads outward after striking the ground, producing rapid wind shifts of 30–100+ knots.
Low-level wind shear often occurs with thunderstorms, frontal boundaries, and temperature inversions.

Operational weather advisories include:

SIGMET
AIRMET
PIREP

Aircraft Icing#

Aircraft icing occurs when supercooled water droplets freeze on aircraft surfaces, degrading aerodynamic performance and increasing weight.

Icing Type	Conditions	Severity
Rime	Small droplets in stratiform cloud	Light–moderate
Clear (glaze)	Large droplets, freezing rain	Moderate–severe
Mixed	Combination of droplet sizes	Variable

Key guide:
Aircraft Icing Explained

Thunderstorms & Convection#

Cumulonimbus thunderstorms produce multiple hazards simultaneously, including:

severe turbulence
hail
lightning
heavy precipitation
wind shear
icing
reduced visibility

Operational considerations:

Embedded thunderstorms may be hidden inside cloud layers.
SIGMETs are issued for major convective activity.
Aircraft typically maintain 20 NM or greater lateral separation from strong thunderstorm cells.

Frontal Systems#

Frontal boundaries occur where air masses with different temperature and moisture characteristics meet.

Front Type	Weather Character	Guide
Cold front	Narrow, intense weather — thunderstorms, strong winds	Air Masses & Fronts in Aviation
Warm front	Broad cloud layers, drizzle, icing	Air Masses & Fronts in Aviation
Occluded front	Complex mixed weather systems	Air Masses & Fronts in Aviation
Stationary front	Prolonged precipitation and cloud cover	Air Masses & Fronts in Aviation

Low Visibility & Low Ceilings#

Reduced visibility and low ceiling conditions can restrict aircraft operations.

Key operational factors:

RVR becomes the controlling measurement when visibility drops below roughly 1 mile.
ILS Category II/III approaches allow landings in very low visibility.
Deicing procedures are required when frost, ice, or snow forms on aircraft surfaces.

Aviation Weather Advisory Products#

Meteorological advisories warn pilots and dispatchers about hazardous conditions.

Product	Scope	Hazards Covered
SIGMET	All aircraft	Severe turbulence, severe icing, thunderstorms, volcanic ash
AIRMET	Primarily light aircraft	Moderate turbulence, moderate icing, IFR conditions
PIREP	Pilot reports	Real-time weather observations

Aviation Weather Hazards