Definition
Aviation weather information transmitted continuously or at scheduled intervals over radio frequencies, allowing pilots to receive current weather and aeronautical data in flight without requesting it from a controller or specialist. Common examples include ATIS at airports, AWOS and ASOS at smaller fields, and HIWAS for hazardous weather advisories along a route.
Plain English
Weather information that's being read out continuously over a radio frequency. You tune in, listen, and get the current conditions without having to ask anyone.
Context Anchor
Seen when studying how pilots get weather updates before flight or while airborne, especially in instrument flying.
Derivation
Broadcast' comes from old farming language meaning to scatter seed widely by hand. The same idea applies here: the information is sent out widely on a frequency for anyone to receive, rather than directed to one specific aircraft.
Why Pilots Care
Gives pilots immediate access to current conditions and forecasts without using the radio to contact a briefer, supporting safer go/no-go and in-flight decisions.
Intuition Check
Broadcast weather does not mean ordinary TV or public weather. Here it means aviation weather information transmitted through systems pilots are expected to use and interpret carefully.
Example Sentence 1
Before contacting approach, the pilot tuned in the broadcast weather to get the current altimeter setting and active runway.
Example Sentence 2
En route the crew listened to broadcast weather for updates on changing visibility.