Winter Cloud Tops

This is somewhat related to the optimal altitudes question, but I
thought I would start a new thread here...

What are the typical cloud tops at for winter flying--if there is any
such thing as typical. I would venture to guess that tops are below
10,000 ft 80% of the time. I am talking here about mid-west and east
coast. I am particularlly interested in the Wisconsin-to-D.C. flight
path, if folks have direct experience with that particular one.

It sure would be nice if there was a historical weather data
(particularly on tops) that pilots could go research.

-Sami

In a previous article, "O. Sami Saydjari" said:
What are the typical cloud tops at for winter flying--if there is any
such thing as typical. I would venture to guess that tops are below
10,000 ft 80% of the time. I am talking here about mid-west and east

I'm curious as to the answer to that as well, especially as regarding lake
effect snow off the Great Lakes.


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Paul Tomblin ) wrote:

I'm curious as to the answer to that as well, especially as regarding lake
effect snow off the Great Lakes.

I was just up flying approaches in a lake effect band off Lake Ontario last
night (RVR kept fluctuating between 1,800 and 5,000) with a very
experienced pilot/flight instructor. He told me that typically the cloud
tops for lake effect snow events are between 5 and 6,000 feet.

--
Peter












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I flew to the GRR area a couple weeks ago from STE, flying south to RFD then
south around Chicago to SBN. In between layers tops at 2800 at STE, by MSN
they were 4000, RFD was about 5000. Upper layer was at 12,000. Once I
"turned the corner" and headed north east, the tops came up faster as the
moisture from the lake was lifted. SBN was 8000. Once I got inland towards
AZO, the tops dropped away quickly, down to 4000 Broken. My airport of
landing was just south of the GRR VOR and by the time we got there it was
VFR 2500 scattered with the solid layer above at 12,000.
--
Jim Burns III

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"Peter R." wrote in message
...
Paul Tomblin ) wrote:

I'm curious as to the answer to that as well, especially as regarding
lake
effect snow off the Great Lakes.

I was just up flying approaches in a lake effect band off Lake Ontario
last
night (RVR kept fluctuating between 1,800 and 5,000) with a very
experienced pilot/flight instructor. He told me that typically the cloud
tops for lake effect snow events are between 5 and 6,000 feet.

--
Peter












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News==----
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On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 08:44:38 -0600, "O. Sami Saydjari"
wrote:

This is somewhat related to the optimal altitudes question, but I
thought I would start a new thread here...

What are the typical cloud tops at for winter flying--if there is any
such thing as typical. I would venture to guess that tops are below
10,000 ft 80% of the time. I am talking here about mid-west and east
coast. I am particularlly interested in the Wisconsin-to-D.C. flight
path, if folks have direct experience with that particular one.

I've seen the tops listed as high as 10,000 on occasion, but in my
experience they rarely get near that high. I've flown over blizzard
conditions where the tops were less than 5000.

OTOH, Last Winter I ran into heavy snow (strictly lake effect) coming
south from St Ignace (right down 27) and gave up trying to get over it
just north of Gaylord. I went back about 20 miles north, then East
about 20 miles and had sunshine all the way to Midland (3BS)

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com.

It sure would be nice if there was a historical weather data
(particularly on tops) that pilots could go research.

-Sami

It sure would be nice if there was a historical weather data
(particularly on tops) that pilots could go research.

This site doesn't have historical data but it does show recent cloud
movement and tops. It is a great way to watch the lake effect snow.

http://aviationweather.gov/obs/radar/radarpu.html