Definition
A section of an Area Forecast that highlights potentially hazardous weather not fully detailed elsewhere in the forecast, such as instrument flight rules conditions, mountain obscuration, and non-convective low-level wind shear. It alerts pilots to conditions that warrant extra attention or further investigation before or during flight.
Plain English
A short warning section in an Area Forecast that flags weather hazards the pilot should be aware of, even if the full details are not spelled out in the forecast itself.
Context Anchor
Seen near the beginning of an Area Forecast, before the main weather information.
Derivation
From the Latin praecautio, meaning 'a guarding beforehand.' A precautionary statement is literally a heads-up given in advance so the reader can take care.
Why Pilots Care
These statements help pilots anticipate and avoid hazardous conditions, improving flight safety and decision-making.
Intuition Check
Do not read “precautionary” as optional or unimportant. Here it means the statement is placed there to warn you before you rely on the forecast.
Example Sentence 1
During the weather briefing, the precautionary statements in the Area Forecast warned of mountain obscuration along the planned route.
Example Sentence 2
Pilots reviewed the precautionary statements before departure to check for any icing risks in the route.