ASA Aviation Weather

let's talk about thunderstorms pilots should fly with careful pre-flight weather briefings and planning here's what to look for try to get out of it as soon as possible thunderstorms exhibit extensive vertical cloud development they are cumulonimbus and the Manas clouds mixed in tops of these clouds 60,000 feet that's twice the height an airliner typically flies now there are three stages to a thunderstorm the cumulus stage the mature stage and the dissipating stage in this abstract example the three stages typically manifest themselves beginning with the cumulus stage then it changes to the mature stage and finally the dissipating stage the three stages shown here illustrate the vertical air movement there's lots going on first of all in the cumulus stage you notice all updrafts then in the beginning of the mature stage you notice some down drafts you'll see heavy precipitation right h