NEW AWOS FOR STATIONS IN ALASKA

AK – The FAA has begun the installation of technology to support weather reporting stations in Alaska. The weather reporting stations are designed to help provide pilots with weather information prior to departure. The FAA is planning on installing eight new Automated Weather Observing Systems (AWOS) that are expected to become operational by this October.

AWOS provides a continuous flow of real-time weather information which will be valuable for pilots in remote areas of Alaska. The Alaskan aviation community recommended the eight sites for AWOS installation to improve operational safety. The new station locations include Akiachak, Coldfoot, Crooked Creek, Kotlik, Nulato, Perryville, Tok Junction, and Tununak. The FAA released a list of recommendations last year to help increase aviation safety in Alaska, where an estimated 82 percent of the state’s rural and Tribal communities are only accessible by air. The FAA and National Weather Service currently manage 132 weather systems in Alaska.