Cloud base at high airports

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

Say we have an airport with elevation 2,000ft AMSL and I'm inbound for an instrument approach descent for it.Its METAR reports 5000 visibility and BKN010 OVC030.For FS9, is ASA forming the cloud base at 3,000ft AMSL (as it should since METAR gives height above airport) or at 2,000 ft AMSL ?Also at which altitude will the visibility go down to 5,000m; below the base of the last cloud layer (i.e. once I descend below the above mentioned BKN) ?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,3,000 in FS04. We are aware that in FSX the layers are at the wrong height.The visibility layer is set in FS to show at around 10K though users experiences will vary with this.

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

Hi,3,000 in FS04. We are aware that in FSX the layers are at the wrong height.The visibility layer is set in FS to show at around 10K though users experiences will vary with this.

So Jim to understand this, 1) Active Sky (or FS's limits so to speak) generate the reduced visibility only below the last layer (bottom) of clouds or the reduced vis. can occur with a height higher than the lower cloud layer ?2) The cloud layers bottom altitudes are decoded from the METARs as feet AMSL or ft. above aerodrome level ?I assume you do understand why I ask.At elevated airports of say 2,000ft+ elevation this means you may never get the reduced visibility nor the last (bottom) cloud layer.

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,1. No, not exactly. FS limits the visibility layer height, but it is a fixed value and does not depend on the cloud layer heights.2. Again, that is being fixed with our next SP becuae right now the altitudes are not correct.

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

Hi,1. No, not exactly. FS limits the visibility layer height, but it is a fixed value and does not depend on the cloud layer heights.2. Again, that is being fixed with our next SP becuae right now the altitudes are not correct.

1. Position an aircraft at LSZS Samedan, Europe's highest airport @ 5603 ft AMSL. If you reduce the visibility there in ASE (automatic by real METAR or manually) do you get reduced visibility ?In real (Source NOAA) the METAR right now is:LSZS 280750Z 19007KT 160V240 3000 -SN OVC020 M02/M04 Q1002 R03/4/9999 In ASE Map page it indeed shows the above real METAR when I move the mouse over LSZS but when I go to Wx Config page I get this METAR for LSZS LSZS 280750Z 34010KT 10SM FEW025 14/01 A2900In FS9 itself when I let ASE load and complete the process I get the thick low clouds, the snow but NOT the reduced visibility.Any clues ?Here's a snapshot at the next, even worse, METAR of:LSZS 280820Z 21010KT 180V240 1000 -SN OVC010 M02/M04 Q1002 R/SNOCLO 2. Has this been fixed in ASE ?I run FS9 with ASE

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,I tried just now and everything was OK. Of course the visibility was reported at 10+ and that is what I got in FS04.

[ST1322 10]

Actually when i look at the screen it does not look bad. I lived in mountain areas and yes, when weather is bad it looks exactly like this, meaning that clouds linger "on the ground".

[JSkorna 137]

Hi ST,I think his main concern was about the visibilitty. Yes, you are right we can't control where the mountains are and where the clouds get drawn there. But the general altitude of the cloud layers is the important issue we were trying to fix.

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

Hi,I tried just now and everything was OK. Of course the visibility was reported at 10+ and that is what I got in FS04.

Jim can you please Download the offline February 28th morning weather that includes one of the two METAR's belowLSZS 280750Z 19007KT 160V240 3000 -SN OVC020 M02/M04 Q1002 R03/4/9999LSZS 280820Z 21010KT 180V240 1000 -SN OVC010 M02/M04 Q1002 R/SNOCLO Then please park at LSZS and let me know if you get the reduced VIS.Parking there with live WX of 10+ VIS won't help you investigate the VISIBILITY issue I report here ....

[JSkorna 137]

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

Hmmmm ... thank you JimI have to try it again with offline download myself because I smell something to do with settings even though I have not touched anything in deviation from the manual's instructions.Which exact download cycle did you use in that wonderful snapshot ?

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,From that date, the 20Z file.

[Kyprianos Biris 12]

I indeed get this METAR ...LSZS 281650Z 18006KT 140V210 7000 -SN FEW010 BKN050 OVC080 M00/M03 Q1001but this is the visual outcomeNo Visibility reduction :( My Vis settingsFSUIPC vis tab is clean

[JSkorna 137]

Let me try with my FS9.

[JSkorna 137]

Hi,OK I tried and got the same thing as you did in my FS9. But even setting up weather in FS itself did not produce any low vis at that airport. I just think there is a problem with that airport in FS9 and visibility.