Definition
Predictive weather products issued by the National Weather Service specifically for aviation use, describing expected weather conditions at airports, along routes, and within defined regions over a stated future time period. Common aviation forecasts include the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF), Aviation Area Forecast, Inflight Aviation Weather Advisories (AIRMET, SIGMET, Convective SIGMET), and Winds and Temperatures Aloft Forecast.
Plain English
Official weather predictions written for pilots, telling you what the weather is expected to do at airports and along your route during a specific future time window.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight weather planning, when deciding whether a flight can be made safely and what conditions may be encountered along the way.
Derivation
Forecast comes from the Old English fore- (before) and casten (to throw or plan), meaning to plan or estimate ahead of time. Aviation forecasts are weather estimates thrown ahead in time specifically for flight operations.
Why Pilots Care
They support safe go/no-go decisions and route selection by highlighting weather hazards before departure.
Intuition Check
Do not treat an aviation forecast as a promise that the weather will happen exactly as written. It is a time- and place-limited prediction for flight planning, and the pilot must keep checking actual conditions as the flight gets closer and continues.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight planning, the pilot reviewed the aviation forecasts for both the departure and destination airports to confirm conditions would remain VFR throughout the flight.
Example Sentence 2
Updated aviation forecasts showed improving visibility, allowing the flight to proceed.