Definition
A short-term forecast issued by an airport's weather office alerting airport personnel to weather conditions that could damage aircraft or facilities on the ground, such as strong surface winds, thunderstorms, hail, heavy snow, or freezing precipitation.
Plain English
A heads-up from the weather office telling people at the airport that rough weather is coming soon and that aircraft and equipment on the ground need to be protected.
Context Anchor
Seen in airport operations and weather information for conditions that affect the airport surface, not mainly the route of flight.
Why Pilots Care
It signals the need to delay, divert, or prepare for changed procedures to avoid unsafe conditions.
Intuition Check
Do not assume this is a general weather forecast for pilots. It is a warning for a specific airport, mainly about weather that can affect ground operations there.
Example Sentence 1
The line crew began tying down the aircraft as soon as the Airport Weather Warning for 50-knot wind gusts was posted.
Example Sentence 2
An airport weather warning for strong crosswinds led the crew to request a different runway.