Flight planning: San Luis Valley Rgnl/Bergman Field ALS / KALS
What a pilot looks at before a flight from or to San Luis Valley Rgnl/Bergman Field in Alamosa, Colorado, in plain English. The warnings, reports and winds below come from the government's aviation weather service and the restrictions from the FAA, refreshed every few minutes. For planning, not a briefing: the legal preflight briefing comes from Flight Service (1-800-WX-BRIEF) or the FAA's own tools.
Warnings in force SIGMETs and AIRMETs whose area covers this field
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence above 18,000 ft from 18,000 ft to 36,000 ft.
- AIRMET TANGO 4W: moderate turbulence below 18,000 ft up to 18,000 ft.
A SIGMET warns of weather hazardous to all aircraft (thunderstorms, severe turbulence or icing, volcanic ash); an AIRMET of weather that matters to small aircraft and to flying without instruments (moderate turbulence or icing, low cloud, strong surface wind, mountains hidden in cloud). An area is counted when it covers this field's position.
Pilot reports within 100 nautical miles, last three hours, nearest first
- E145 at 7,400 ft, 0 nm southwest, 6:15 pm MDT (00:15 UTC): remarks: base reported below minimums 1/2 miles visibility ZDVWC-41.
as filed, and in English
ALS UA /OV KALS/TM 0015/FL074/TP E145/RM BASE REPORTED BELOW MINIMUMS 1/2 SM VIS ZDVWC-41
- Report
- a routine report filed through ALS
- Where
- over KALS
- Time
- 00:15 UTC
- Height
- at 7,400 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Remarks
- base reported below minimums 1/2 miles visibility ZDVWC-41
- E145 at 7,400 ft, 6 nm southeast, 6:15 pm MDT (00:15 UTC): remarks: reported below minimums visibility 1/2SM ZDVWC-41.
as filed, and in English
ALS UA /OV ALS/TM 0015/FL074/TP E145/SK VASE UNKN/RM REPORTED BLO MINIMUMS VIS 1/2SM ZDVWC-41
- Report
- a routine report filed through ALS
- Where
- over ALS
- Time
- 00:15 UTC
- Height
- at 7,400 ft
- Aircraft
- E145
- Sky
- vase unknown
- Remarks
- reported below minimums visibility 1/2SM ZDVWC-41
- BE9L at 20,000 ft, 29 nm north, 6:34 pm MDT (00:34 UTC): light rime icing, -9 °C, remarks: ZDVWC-41.
as filed, and in English
ALS UA /OV ALS330035/TM 0034/FL200/TP BE9L/TA M09/IC LGT RIME/RM ZDVWC-41
- Report
- a routine report filed through ALS
- Where
- 35 nm northwest (330°) of ALS
- Time
- 00:34 UTC
- Height
- at 20,000 ft
- Aircraft
- BE9L
- Temperature
- −9 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- ZDVWC-41
- PRM1 at 41,000 ft, 30 nm northwest, 5:38 pm MDT (23:38 UTC): light to moderate clear-air turbulence, remarks: ZDVWC-46.
as filed, and in English
ALS UA /OV ALS290035/TM 2338/FL410/TP PRM1/TB LGT-MOD CAT/RM ZDVWC-46
- Report
- a routine report filed through ALS
- Where
- 35 nm west (290°) of ALS
- Time
- 23:38 UTC
- Height
- at 41,000 ft
- Aircraft
- PRM1
- Turbulence
- light to moderate clear-air turbulence
- Remarks
- ZDVWC-46
- B738 at 35,000 ft, 34 nm northwest, 4:18 pm MDT (22:18 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: ZDVWC-30.
as filed, and in English
ALS UA /OV ALS319040/TM 2218/FL350/TP B738/TB CONS LGT-OCNL MOD CHOP/RM ZDVWC-30
- Report
- a routine report filed through ALS
- Where
- 40 nm northwest (319°) of ALS
- Time
- 22:18 UTC
- Height
- at 35,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B738
- Turbulence
- continuous lgt-ocnl moderate chop
- Remarks
- ZDVWC-30
- CL35 at 43,000 ft, 52 nm northeast, 6:21 pm MDT (00:21 UTC): remarks: mtw +/-300FT zdvwc.
as filed, and in English
PUB UA /OV PUB250040/TM 0021/FL430/TP CL35/RM MTW +/-300FT ZDVWC
- Report
- a routine report filed through PUB
- Where
- 40 nm west (250°) of PUB
- Time
- 00:21 UTC
- Height
- at 43,000 ft
- Aircraft
- CL35
- Remarks
- mtw +/-300FT zdvwc
- UAL2238 at 38,000 ft, 61 nm northwest, 5:44 pm MDT (23:44 UTC): moderate turbulence, wind 244° at 64 knots.
as filed, and in English
ARP UAL2238 3807N 10649W 2344 F380 244/064KT TB CONT MOD TURB IC
- Report
- a routine report filed through ARP
- A21N at 31,000 ft, 85 nm northeast, 6:24 pm MDT (00:24 UTC): remarks: mountain wave +/-10-20KT ZDVWC-29.
as filed, and in English
PUB UA /OV PUB/TM 0024/FL310/TP A21N/RM MTN WAVE +/-10-20KT ZDVWC-29
- Report
- a routine report filed through PUB
- Where
- over PUB
- Time
- 00:24 UTC
- Height
- at 31,000 ft
- Aircraft
- A21N
- Remarks
- mountain wave +/-10-20KT ZDVWC-29
- B38M at 37,000 ft, 88 nm south, 4:55 pm MDT (22:55 UTC): light to moderate chop turbulence, remarks: zab fdcs.
as filed, and in English
AXX UA /OV CIM210040/TM 2255/FL370/TP B38M/TB LGT-CONS MOD CHOP/RM ZAB FDCS
- Report
- a routine report filed through AXX
- Where
- 40 nm southwest (210°) of CIM
- Time
- 22:55 UTC
- Height
- at 37,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B38M
- Turbulence
- lgt-cons moderate chop
- Remarks
- zab fdcs
- B737 at 25,000 ft, 96 nm northeast, 6:29 pm MDT (00:29 UTC): light rime icing, 0 °C, remarks: during the climb ZDVWC-29.
as filed, and in English
COS UA /OV BRK242015/TM 0029/FL250/TP B737/SK TOP280/TA 00/IC LGT RIME/RM DURC ZDVWC-29
- Report
- a routine report filed through COS
- Where
- 15 nm southwest (242°) of BRK
- Time
- 00:29 UTC
- Height
- at 25,000 ft
- Aircraft
- B737
- Sky
- TOP280
- Temperature
- 0 °C
- Icing
- light rime
- Remarks
- during the climb ZDVWC-29
What pilots in the air told air traffic control or Flight Service: turbulence, icing, cloud tops and bases, temperature, wind, and whatever they remarked on (wind shear on final, a smooth ride). An urgent report is one of severe turbulence or icing, wind shear, or similar. Open "as filed, and in English" for the coded report and its translation line by line.
Winds and temperatures aloft forecast point ALS · for use 20:00–03:00 UTC
| Height | Wind from | Speed | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12,000 ft | 210° (southwest) | 32 knots | 5 °C |
| 18,000 ft | 230° (southwest) | 48 knots | -8 °C |
| 24,000 ft | 230° (southwest) | 49 knots | -20 °C |
| 30,000 ft | 230° (southwest) | 78 knots | -30 °C |
| 34,000 ft | 240° (southwest) | 74 knots | -36 °C |
| 39,000 ft | 240° (southwest) | 61 knots | -47 °C |
Based on data from the 11th at 18:00 UTC; valid on the 12th at 00:00 UTC for use 20:00 to 03:00 UTC; temperatures above 24,000 ft are below zero. Heights are above sea level; the lowest rows are left out where the ground is already that high.
Temporary flight restrictions within 50 nautical miles, from the FAA's list
No temporary flight restriction within 50 nautical miles right now.
Each restriction opens the FAA's own page with the exact area, heights and times. Ordinary notices to air missions (a closed runway, lights out, a crane) are not shown here: the FAA's notice search is not open to sites like this one at this time, and the application for the FAA's data feed is in hand.
Radar and forecast charts government pictures, the latest each time the page loads
The radar pictures come from the National Weather Service (the nearest radar, then the region); the surface analysis and the 12- and 24-hour forecast charts from the Weather Prediction Center. They are public-domain government images shown as they are published.
Sources: the Aviation Weather Center's data service (SIGMETs, AIRMETs, graphical AIRMETs, pilot reports, winds and temperatures aloft), the National Weather Service radar, the Weather Prediction Center's charts, and the FAA's temporary flight restriction list and shapes. Fetched when the page is viewed and kept a few minutes. Back to San Luis Valley Rgnl/Bergman Field, where the current observation and the forecast for the field are.