Space Weather Advisory Decoder

What is a Space Weather Advisory?

Space Weather Advisories provide aviation information about space-weather conditions that may affect communications, satellite navigation and surveillance, satellite communications, or radiation exposure at aircraft altitudes.

Space weather effects

The advisory format identifies effects involving GNSS, HF COM, SATCOM or radiation. Effects may be classified as moderate (MOD) or severe (SEV).

Observed and forecast impacts

A Space Weather Advisory describes the observed or expected impact and provides forecasts at 6, 12, 18 and 24 hours.

Location information can use the published latitude-band representation, longitude ranges or the DAYLIGHT SIDE form. The decoder also recognizes NO SWX EXP when no space-weather impact is expected at a forecast time.

Latitude bands

The advisory format uses six named latitude bands: HNH, MNH, EQN, EQS, MSH and HSH. Multiple bands may appear in the same advisory.

Radiation advisories

Radiation advisories may include an altitude qualification. For example, ABV FL370 identifies an impact above flight level 370.

Advisory status and replacement

The format can include TEST or EXER status information and may identify the advisory number being replaced. These fields are shown separately when present.

Next advisory

The next-advisory field may provide a scheduled UTC date and time or state that no further advisories are expected.

Decoder coverage

Coverage includes the documented latitude-band, longitude-range, daylight-side, no-space-weather and radiation-altitude forms described above.

Space Weather Advisories may also describe affected areas using latitude/longitude polygons. Polygon geography is left in its original form because the available documentation does not provide a sufficiently explicit encoded example to establish a reliable interpretation.

For significant atmospheric weather hazards rather than space weather effects, use the SIGMET Decoder.