Explanations

The Significant Weather map provides all essential information on low VFR flight plans, i.e. information on cloud bases, visibility, weather phenomena and events that can have a critical influence on a VFR flight (e.g. showers and thunderstorms or even freezing rain or sleet).
When assessing the weather in the mountains, it should be taken into account that mountain peaks are frequently covered by clouds in these regions. As well as the weather model, high-resolution terrain information is used for the classification. The colours should be viewed as conservative, as any plan to fly through the Alps calls for preparation of a detailed weather report: Mountain peaks in clouds lead to yellow cloud bases. If the cloud base lies below 600 m/2000 ft above the mean valley reference height, then we colour this forecast point orange. Above 300 m/1000 ft, the forecast turns red.

Background colours (closed stratus cloud cover)

Below 500 ft

Below 1000 ft

Below 2000 ft

Visibility

Below 1000 m, fog

Below 2000 m, mist

Below 5000 m, mist

Showers

[SH-]

Light/occasional showers

[SH]

Moderate showers

[SH+]

Heavy showers

Storms

[TS-]

Light/occasional thunderstorms

[TS]

Moderate thunderstorms

[TS+]

Severe storms

Rain

[DZ]

Drizzle

[RA-]

Light rain

[RA]

Moderate rain

[RA+]

Heavy rain

Snow and rain

[SNRA-]

Light snow and rain

[SNRA]

Moderate to heavy snow and rain

Showers of snow and rain

[SHSNRA-]

Light showers of snow and rain

[SHSNRA]

Moderate to heavy showers of snow and rain

Snow

[SN-]

Light snowfall

[SN]

Moderate snowfall

[SN+]

Heavy snowfall

Snow showers

[SHSN-]

Light snow showers

[SHSN]

Moderate to heavy snow showers

Freezing rain

[FZRA-]

Light freezing rain

[FZRA]

Moderate to heavy freezing rain