Definition
Pre-coordinated routings used by Air Traffic Control to redirect IFR traffic around areas of severe weather, such as lines of thunderstorms, in order to maintain orderly flow and prevent congestion in unaffected airspace. These routings are planned in advance by the FAA and participating ATC facilities and are activated when severe weather makes normal preferred IFR routes unusable.
Plain English
A set of backup routes that controllers use to steer IFR flights around big areas of bad weather so the system keeps moving and traffic doesn't pile up where the weather is clear.
Context Anchor
Seen in IFR route planning and clearances, especially when a preferred IFR route may be affected by storms or other unsafe weather.
Why Pilots Care
Following these procedures prevents loss of control and keeps the flight safe.
Intuition Check
Do not read “avoidance procedures” as a guarantee that all bad weather is handled for you. It means special routing or instructions are being used to reduce the risk, while the pilot still stays alert and asks for changes when needed.
Example Sentence 1
Due to a line of thunderstorms across the Midwest, severe weather avoidance procedures were in effect, and the flight received a reroute well south of its filed course.
Example Sentence 2
During preflight, the crew reviewed severe weather avoidance procedures for the expected route.