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Post by tornado on Apr 5, 2016 11:29:48 GMT -5
Los Angeles Intl Airport:
 
A ground stop has been issued for LAX. The reason given: weather/low ceilings. Yet, LAX has not reported
any low ceilings this morning:
METAR KLAX 051153Z 00000KT 10SM FEW015 SCT250 14/12 A3005
RMK AO2 SLP172 T01390117 10161 20133 55004
METAR KLAX 051253Z 00000KT 10SM FEW011 SCT220 13/11 A3006
RMK AO2 SLP178 T01330111
METAR KLAX 051353Z 00000KT 6SM BR FEW010 SCT220 13/12 A3008
RMK AO2 SLP183 T01330117
METAR KLAX 051453Z 13005KT 6SM BR FEW010 SCT220 14/12 A3009
RMK AO2 SLP187 T01440122 51014
SPECI KLAX 051543Z 14008KT 5SM BR SCT002 SCT250 14/13 A3010
RMK AO2
METAR KLAX 051553Z 15007KT 5SM BCFG BR SCT002 SCT250 15/13
A3011 RMK AO2 SLP194 VIS E-SW 2 1/2 T01500133
Satellite reveals low clouds very near LAX:
The ground stop is for arriving 24R departing 25R/24L. There are fog patches to the E-S-SW of those
runways, but visibility was not restricted to less than 2.5 miles. If the FAA doesn't consider poor
visibility as part of a site's BWO score, why was it issuing ground stops for the potential of low ceilings
and poor visibility? Those conditions haven't actually materialized at LAX yet!
The low conditions did materialize at nearby Hawthorne Airport (KHHR), about 4 miles away:
METAR KHHR 051453Z 14004KT 1/4SM FG VV002 13/12 A3010 RMK
AO2 SLP191 T01280122 51009
METAR KHHR 051553Z 13005KT 1 3/4SM BR OVC002 14/13 A3012
RMK AO2 SLP198 T01390133
SPECI KHHR 051605Z 14003KT 3SM BR SCT002 14/13 A3012 RMK
AO2 T01440128
So while a forecast or potential low ceiling/fog event is enough to issue a ground stop, an actual low ceiling/fog event wouldn't
make it into the calculation of the BWO score at LAX. Go figure.  |
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Post by tornado on Apr 15, 2016 10:23:37 GMT -5
Los Angeles Intl Airport, Fri 15 Apr 2016:A ground stop has been issued for LAX:   The reason given, was for wind. The latest METAR from Los Angeles International (KLAX), showed this: METAR KLAX 151353Z 35019G33KT 10SM FEW150 BKN200 16/01 A2986 RMK AO2 PK WND 32037/1337 SLP110 T01610006 That's a direct crosswind at times (the peak wind direction wasn't quite 90° from the runway):  Yet, although winds do not factor into a site's bad weather operations (BWO) score, they can be dangerous enough to cause a ground stop at one of the world's busiest airports. Late edit: the strong crosswinds continued. METAR KLAX 151453Z 34025G35KT 10SM FEW017 SCT160 BKN220 16/01 A2986 RMK AO2 PK WND 35043/1403 SLP110 T01610011 53003 METAR KLAX 151553Z 32023G31KT 10SM FEW010 SCT160 BKN220 18/01 A2989 RMK AO2 PK WND 33040/1508 SLP119 T01780006
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Post by tornado on Jun 2, 2016 15:40:52 GMT -5
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Post by tornado on Jun 21, 2016 15:24:18 GMT -5
For thunderstorms not being part of the bad weather operations score anymore, there sure have been a lot of thunderstorm delays today:   |
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Post by tornado on Jun 22, 2016 10:22:21 GMT -5
Thunderstorms have not yet arrived at O'Hare Airport in Chicago, IL:  Yet, the FAA is anticipating an average of 95-minute delays:   The maximum anticipated delay was listed as 163 minutes. This is due to the expected thunderstorms. So how is it that thunderstorms do not figure into a site's "Bad Weather Operations" Score? |
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Post by tornado on Jun 24, 2016 13:12:10 GMT -5
Fri 24 Jun 2016:Ground stops have been declared at 3 New York City area airports:  Yet the thunderstorms are well to the south:   Thunderstorms at a distance can be dangerous to aircraft en route- and also cause ground stops at airports they don't affect directly.
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Post by tornado on Jul 13, 2016 13:02:34 GMT -5
Lots of ground stops today due to... thunderstorms.
 
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Post by tornado on Jul 27, 2016 15:09:58 GMT -5
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Post by tornado on Apr 5, 2017 11:38:07 GMT -5
Atlanta, Charlotte, Wed 5 Apr 2017: Average delays are up to 166 minutes at Atlanta. Yet, thunderstorms are not part of a site's "Bad Weather Operations" score.
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Post by tornado on Mar 2, 2018 15:14:25 GMT -5
Las Vegas, Nevada, Fri 2 Mar 2018:
69 minutes was the average delay at Las Vegas McCarran Intl Airport, due to wind:
The recent ground stop was cancelled. Though the average delay was 69 minutes, the maximum delay
was 191 minutes!
How much wind caused that issue? 32 knots has been the strongest reported peak gust:
METAR KLAS 021956Z 19016G26KT 10SM FEW080 18/M01 A2990 RMK
AO2 PK WND 19031/1917 SLP114 OCNL VCBLDU T01831006
METAR KLAS 021856Z 19018G30KT 10SM FEW080 17/M01 A2992 RMK
AO2 PK WND 19030/1758 SLP122 OCNL VCBLDU T01721006
METAR KLAS 021756Z 19021G28KT 10SM FEW080 17/M01 A2993 RMK
AO2 PK WND 18032/1735 SLP126 OCNL VCBLDU T01671011
10167 20106 53001
METAR KLAS 021656Z 17015G29KT 10SM FEW080 15/M01 A2992 RMK
AO2 PK WND 18029/1654 SLP124 T01501011
METAR KLAS 021556Z 18012G18KT 10SM FEW080 13/M02 A2993 RMK
AO2 SLP126 T01331022
METAR KLAS 021456Z 16013G21KT 10SM FEW080 12/M03 A2993 RMK
AO2 SLP127 T01171028 53005
METAR KLAS 021356Z 16013G19KT 10SM FEW100 11/M02 A2990 RMK
AO2 SLP120 T01061017
Wind doesn't factor into a site's bad weather operation score, but it's bad enough to cause 1+ hour delays. 
John F. Kennedy Intl Airport, New York City, New York, Fri 2 Mar 2018:
Meanwhile, at JFK, the average delay was 75 minutes:
The reason given was also wind.
METAR KJFK 021951Z 34039G48KT 6SM -RA BR SCT019 BKN025 OVC037
04/02 A2929 RMK AO2 PK WND 33055/1935 SNB31E46
SLP919 P0006 T00390017
METAR KJFK 021851Z 34033G49KT 7SM -RA BKN017 BKN024 OVC034
04/02 A2924 RMK AO2 PK WND 35053/1826 SLP900 BKN017
V SCT P0006 T00390022
METAR KJFK 021751Z 35035G47KT 3SM -RA BR BKN015 OVC025 03/02
A2923 RMK AO2 PK WND 34055/1728 SFC VIS 4 SNE38
SLP897 931000 P0012 60059 T00330017 10039 20017
58007
SPECI KJFK 021728Z 33042G55KT 3SM R04R/5500VP6000FT -RASN
BR FEW007 BKN016 OVC035 02/01 A2922 RMK AO2 PK
WND 34055/1728 VIS E-S 2 1/2 P0007 T00220011
METAR KJFK 021651Z 34032G47KT 3SM -RASN BR FEW007 BKN014
OVC019 02/01 A2925 RMK AO2 PK WND 34047/1642 SNB21
SLP904 VIS E-S 2 P0005 T00220011
Wind of this strength is enough to cause >1 hour delays, but is not considered in a site's "Bad Weather Operations" Score. What kind of logic is that? 
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Post by tornado on Mar 5, 2018 13:47:49 GMT -5
Denver Intl Airport, Colorado, Mon 5 Mar 2018:METAR KDEN 051753Z 28029G40KT 10SM FEW100 03/M18 A2999 RMK AO2 PK WND 29045/1728 SLP158 T00281183 10028 21039 56006 METAR KDEN 051653Z 29026G37KT 10SM FEW100 02/M18 A3000 RMK AO2 PK WND 28045/1615 SLP160 T00171183 METAR KDEN 051553Z 28023G37KT 10SM FEW080 FEW110 01/M17 A2999 RMK AO2 PK WND 30039/1540 SLP153 T00111172 The ground stop to Denver is cancelled. Delays are now averaging only 115 minutes, with the maximum delay 695 minutes:  But, wind isn't bad weather! Even though wind caused ground stops at Newark and LaGuardia a bit later:  2130Z Update: Now a ground stop has been issued for JFK:   Isn't it interesting how the misery map shows most of the "bad weather" (FZRA/SN) in the northern plains, while the worst delays have been in Denver and New York City? This is a prime example of how the FAA "Bad Weather Operations Score" is out of touch with reality!
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Post by tornado on Mar 7, 2018 15:41:12 GMT -5
Newark, New Jersey, Wed 7 Mar 2018:
The Newark Intl Airport closed at 1924Z:
The reason given was "weather". What was the weather up to that point?
SPECI KEWR 071913Z 03016KT 1/4SM R04R/4500VP6000FT SN SCT003
BKN006 OVC016 01/00 A2956 RMK AO2 SFC VIS 1/2
CIG 005V008 P0004 T00060000 $
METAR KEWR 071851Z 02017KT 1/4SM R04R/2400V3500FT SN VV004
01/00 A2957 RMK AO2 SFC VIS 1/2 TSB15E38 SLP013
SNINCR 1/2 P0018 T00060000
So the "weather" was moderate snow causing poor visibility and low ceilings, low IFR
conditions. RVR was also poor, and there had been recent thunder. Yet, none of those
parameters factor into a site's BWO score. While small hail or graupel did fall at Newark,
it didn't begin until 1947Z:
SPECI KEWR 072006Z 01016G22KT 1/2SM R04R/3500V4000FT -TSSNGS
SCT003 BKN007CB OVC025 01/00 A2954 RMK AO2 TSB06
T00060000 PNO $
METAR KEWR 071951Z 01016G22KT 3/4SM R04R/5000VP6000FT -SNGS
SCT003 BKN007 OVC025 01/00 A2956 RMK AO2 GSB47
SLP008 P0004 T00060000 $
SPECI KEWR 071933Z 02016G22KT 3/4SM R04R/5500VP6000FT VCTS
-SN SCT003 BKN007 OVC025 01/00 A2957 RMK AO2 P0004
T00060000 $
SPECI KEWR 071930Z 02016G22KT 1/4SM R04R/5500VP6000FT -SN
SCT003 BKN007 OVC025 01/00 A2957 RMK AO2 SFC VIS
3/4 P0004 T00060000 $
Once again, the FAA is trying to have it both ways: the very weather that does NOT factor
into the BWO score, closed a major airport!
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Post by tornado on Apr 6, 2018 13:05:18 GMT -5
Denver Intl Airport, Colorado, Fri 6 Apr 2018:  Didn't the FAA remove snow from the BWO score? That's not much snow on radar, to cause delays for 2,685 airplanes!
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Post by tornado on Nov 30, 2020 16:42:05 GMT -5
Newark, New Jersey; La Guardia Airport, New York:
The NAS was being affected by thunderstorms, with Ground Stops at Newark (and also La Guardia, NY) on 30 Nov. Note the number of delays at the 2 airports were 1186 and 980, respectively. Yet, years ago, the FAA revised its “Bad Weather Operations” Score (BWO) to drop thunderstorms from the calculation. Thunderstorms clearly continue to affect the NAS!
 
The radar loop at right (click to animate) shows that the "bad weather" hasn't even reached EWR and LGA
yet- although it is windy at LGA. |
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Post by tornado on Oct 13, 2021 10:46:05 GMT -5
The OIS Legacy site (bottom of page) has been reimagined and will be discontinued in early November. The new page (see top) has a lot less information. I wonder why the change?
 Late edit: Ground stop at DFW, due to thunderstorms:  |
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