Flight planning: Frederick Municipal FDK / KFDK
What a pilot looks at before a flight from or to Frederick Municipal in Frederick, Maryland, in plain English: right now IFR: instrument conditions, Wind from the north (010°) at 8 knots. 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
- SIGMET E97E: thunderstorms (a convective SIGMET) up to 36,000 ft, moving from the southwest at 35 knots, until 4:55 pm EDT (20:55 UTC).
as issued
WSUS31 KKCI 111855 MKCE WST 111855 CONVECTIVE SIGMET 97E VALID UNTIL 2055Z NJ PA DE MD VA DC WV FROM 10SW PSB-20NW CYN-40N SBY-EKN-10SW PSB AREA EMBD TS MOV FROM 22035KT. TOPS TO FL360.
- AIRMET SIERRA 3E: low cloud or poor visibility (IFR conditions) (due to ceilings below 1,000 ft, visibility below 3 miles, precipitation, mist).
- AIRMET TANGO 2W: low-level wind shear (due to air speed loss or gain of 20 knots or more below 2,000 ft above the ground).
- AIRMET ZULU 1C: moderate icing up to 26,000 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
- urgent LJ35 , 83 nm east, 1:20 pm EDT (17:20 UTC): overcast above 500 ft.
as filed
ILG UUA /OV KILG/TM 1720/FLDURD/TP LJ35/SK OVC005/RM LLWS +/-10KTS SFC-020 DURD RWY09 ILG
- S22T at 700 ft, 0 nm south, 2:54 pm EDT (18:54 UTC): overcast above 700 ft.
as filed
FDK UA /OV FDK/TM 1854/FL007/TP S22T/SK OVC007
- C414 at 700 ft, 0 nm south, 1:56 pm EDT (17:56 UTC): overcast above 700 ft.
as filed
FDK UA /OV FDK/TM 1756/FL007/TP C414/SK OVC007
- GALX at 200 ft, 0 nm south, 1:42 pm EDT (17:42 UTC): a broken layer above 800 ft.
as filed
FDK UA /OV 230001/TM 1742/FL002/TP GALX/SK BKN008
- C56A at 12,500 ft, 16 nm south, 1:27 pm EDT (17:27 UTC): no turbulence, clear.
as filed
BWI UA /OV BAL280030/TM 1727/FL125/TP C56A/SK CLR/TB SMOOTH/RM BTWN LAYERS
- A21N at 11,000 ft, 18 nm southeast, 3:01 pm EDT (19:01 UTC): a broken layer from 500 ft to 11,000 ft.
as filed
BWI UA /OV BAL290020/TM 1901/FL110/TP A21N/SK BASES BKN005 TOPS 110
- E545 at 10,000 ft, 20 nm northeast, 2:08 pm EDT (18:08 UTC): light to moderate turbulence.
as filed
IAD UA /OV FDK040020/TM 1808/FL100/TP E545/TB LHT TO MOD
- B38M at 19,000 ft, 28 nm northwest, 2:26 pm EDT (18:26 UTC): light rime icing.
as filed
HGR UA /OV HGR/TM 1826/FL190/TP B38M/IC LGT RIME
- GLAX descending, 28 nm south, 1:54 pm EDT (17:54 UTC): overcast above 900 ft.
as filed
IAD UA /OV FINAL RWY1R/TM 1754/FLDURD/TP GLAX/SK OVC009/WX 4SM
- E55P descending, 28 nm south, 1:18 pm EDT (17:18 UTC): overcast above 900 ft, rain.
as filed
IAD UA /OV KIAD/TM 1718/FLDURD/TP E55P/SK BASE OVC 009/WX 3SM RA
- PA31 at 7,000 ft, 28 nm northwest, 1:10 pm EDT (17:10 UTC): light to moderate turbulence.
as filed
IAD UA /OV HGR/TM 1710/FL070/TP PA31/TB CONT LGT OCNL MOD FROM 090-070/RM DURD
- E145 climbing, 28 nm south, 1:05 pm EDT (17:05 UTC): no turbulence.
as filed
IAD UA /OV IAD/TM 1705/FLDURC/TP E145/SK BASES 016/TB NEG
What pilots in the air told air traffic control or Flight Service: turbulence, icing, cloud tops and bases, temperature, wind. An urgent report is one of severe turbulence or icing, or similar.
Winds and temperatures aloft forecast point PSB, 94 nm north of the field · for use 14:00–21:00 UTC
| Height | Wind from | Speed | Temperature |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000 ft | 150° (southeast) | 58 knots | 13 °C |
| 9,000 ft | 180° (south) | 42 knots | 9 °C |
| 12,000 ft | 200° (south) | 36 knots | 5 °C |
| 18,000 ft | 220° (southwest) | 38 knots | -7 °C |
| 24,000 ft | 220° (southwest) | 45 knots | -18 °C |
| 30,000 ft | 220° (southwest) | 65 knots | -33 °C |
| 34,000 ft | 220° (southwest) | 83 knots | -42 °C |
| 39,000 ft | 220° (southwest) | 94 knots | -53 °C |
Based on data from the 11th at 12:00 UTC; valid on the 11th at 18:00 UTC for use 14:00 to 21:00 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
- 6/8600 Sterling, VA, Monday, October 12, 2026 through Monday, October 12, 2026 Local 17 nm south · a VIP movement · starts tomorrow · ZDC
- 4/9383 WASHINGTON, DC., USA 22 nm southeast · security · ZDC
- 6/8800 Baltimore, MD, Saturday, October 17, 2026 through Sunday, October 18, 2026 UTC 35 nm east · drones kept away from a public gathering · starts Saturday 17 October · ZDC
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 Frederick Municipal, where the current observation and the forecast for the field are.