Worst area for weather?

[Pasturepilot]

Alaska is like another planet altogether regarding wx extremes.

I'm reading Don Sheldon's biography, "Wager With The Wind" that I picked up in a used bookstore last week. I've gotta agree, Alaska's weather extremes are amazing, and the stories of battling Denali's weather in a Super Cub... enthralling. Pick up a copy if you can find it.

The pop-up thunderstorms of the Southeast U.S. can be intense, but once you get out to the Midwest, the storms deserve some serious respect. I was battling a line of storms near Omaha in early April that rivaled anything I'd expect to see in late summer.

 

[tomgoodman]

FWIW, the worst weather in the U.S. is frequently reported at Mount Washington, NH (KMWN).
Here's the current report, which happens to be relatively nice:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.28&lon=-71.3

 

[waveflyer]

Sometimes it gets foggy in California ....

 

[igneousy2]

If you're talking about consistent severity of the weather systems..then I think the answer clearly are the midwest storms. The spring/summer CB's and the winter snow storms are all incredible demonstrations of the power of nature. That being said, although it is true that you sometimes have to deviate hundreds of miles and the only good alternate is usually 3 states away there really isn't anything to hit in the midwest and there are usually plenty of airports with big long runways if things don't work out.

As far as Alaska goes...saying "Alaska" has extremes of weather is a bit like saying the lower 48 has extremes of weather as the distance comparisons are similar. SE Alaska has a lot of small runways cut into valleys or on the side of mountain on relatively small islands. The weather rarely gets that "bad" in SE, it's the combination of everything that makes this place particularly tough.

The Arctic winter flying in Alaska can be pretty crazy as the weather is truly misreable (-40F wouldn't be surprising) and it is always dark, and the runways are always contaminated. The good thing is that most of these places are geographically pretty wide open so terrain isn't nearly the issue that it is in SE Alaska.

Then there are Kodiak, Adak, and Dutch...Sometimes I am surprised that some of these airports are served with passengers at all, let alone in the winter. These have got to be the worst operationally as they have near arctic like weather conditions with the terrain problems of SE. Although I never went to Dutch myself, that is one airport that I am glad we don't do anymore.

 

[paulsalem]

Actually this video was what got me thinking about this stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm1kL07V8P0

I fly through this area weekly. It ranks near the top on the planet in lightning strikes. It's always air mass thunderstorms so there is always holes between them. The tropopause is usually in the mid-upper 50,000 foot range, so there is no topping them.

It's not as bad as central Africa though.

http://geology.com/articles/lightning-map/lightning-map.gif

 

[waveflyer]

Good thread btw- loving the stories so far

 

[Rough67]

Joplin, MO.... It's like a magnet for some reason.

 

[fareview]

The worst weather in my experience is in the US central and southeast...BUT they have the best controllers hands down. Regular super cells 100+ wide in Texas with excellent vectors.

Joint second is Indian during monsoon and central Africa (anytime)? Particularly within Kinshasa FIR and South Sudan north of Jubu.

With Africa you essentially self navigate and let them now on HF when you can get them - not always.

The real stress is India, busy airspace, congested frequencies, and marginal ATC that somehow are razor sharp when it comes to you leaving their airways - nightmare.

And while we are on it ...in my humble opinion ATL TMA controllers are cream of the crop and # 1 of any controllers I worked with.

fv

 

[TMMT]

Sometimes it gets foggy in California ....

Thats just haze from all the pot being smoked Wavey.... :0

 

[Flyby1206]

Joplin, MO.... It's like a magnet for some reason.

Its all the trailer parks

FWIW, the worst weather in the U.S. is frequently reported at Mount Washington, NH (KMWN).
Here's the current report, which happens to be relatively nice:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=44.28&lon=-71.3

Always good to print up the KMWN METAR and slide it over to the CA when beginning descent and say "Damn glad its your leg!"