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FIA · 8% of the exam

Weather Information practice questions

10 free Weather Information questions for the Flight Instructor Airplane (FIA) Knowledge Test exam, each with the correct answer and an explanation for every option.

Start the questionsFree 10-question FIA quiz

What this domain covers

Reading and applying aviation weather information, and understanding the weather that drives it.

Exam weight
8%
On a real exam
≈ 8 questions
In our bank
48 questions

Topics that come up most

  • METAR and TAF decoding
  • Fronts, air masses and stability
  • Thunderstorms, icing and wind shear
  • Fog and other visibility restrictions
  • Weather advisories such as AIRMETs and SIGMETs

How to study it

Decode real METARs and TAFs every day for a week until each code group reads at a glance; decoding questions are quick marks once it is automatic.

Sample Weather Information questions

Try each one before opening the answer. Original questions written to the official exam objectives.

  1. Question 1

    How does advection fog form?

    • AThe ground cools on calm, clear nights near sunrise
    • BCold air moves over warm water
    • CWarm, moist air moves over a cooler surface
    • DMoist air rises up a slope
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: C) Warm, moist air moves over a cooler surface

    • AIncorrect. That's radiation fog.
    • BIncorrect. That's steam fog.
    • CCorrect. It's common along coasts.
    • DIncorrect. That's upslope fog.

  2. Question 2

    How does a warm front's slope compare with a cold front's?

    • AWarm fronts have no slope
    • BIt's much steeper
    • CThey have the same slope
    • DIt's much gentler
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) It's much gentler

    • AIncorrect. Fronts have sloping surfaces.
    • BIncorrect. Cold fronts are steeper.
    • CIncorrect. Warm fronts are gentler.
    • DCorrect. Clouds and precipitation spread far ahead.

  3. Question 3

    A TAF contains a new line beginning with "FM151600". How should a pilot interpret this group?

    • AA gradual change in conditions is expected between 1500Z and 1600Z
    • BStarting 1600Z on the 15th, the conditions on that line replace the prior forecast
    • CTemporary fluctuations lasting under an hour are expected after 1600Z on the 15th
    • DThe forecast valid period ends at 1600Z on the 15th, after which a new TAF is issued
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: B) Starting 1600Z on the 15th, the conditions on that line replace the prior forecast

    In a TAF, FM plus DDHHMM (here, the 15th at 1600Z) marks a rapid, lasting change. The conditions on the FM line replace the earlier forecast from that time on.

    • AIncorrect. A gradual change over a period is coded BECMG with a start and end time. FM marks a rapid change, and the digits are the date (15), hour (16) and minutes (00).
    • BCorrect. FM (from) is followed by the six-digit date, hour and minute (DDHHMM) when a rapid change, usually within an hour, is expected. The FM line gives a complete new set of conditions that apply from that time.
    • CIncorrect. That describes a TEMPO group, which is coded with a start and end time (DDHH/DDHH). FM signals a lasting change in prevailing conditions.
    • DIncorrect. The valid period appears in the TAF header as DDHH/DDHH. An FM group inside the forecast marks when new prevailing conditions begin.

  4. Question 4

    On a sunny afternoon at a coastal airport, a light wind is blowing from the ocean toward the shore even though the large-scale pressure gradient is weak. Which explanation should a flight instructor give the student?

    • AThe land has heated faster than the water, so cooler, denser air over the water flows inland
    • BThe water has heated faster than the land, so air over the land flows out toward the water
    • CThe land is cooling faster than the water, so dense air over the land drains offshore
    • DCoriolis force turns the weak gradient wind onshore along every coastline in the afternoon
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) The land has heated faster than the water, so cooler, denser air over the water flows inland

    A sea breeze is a daytime onshore wind. Land heats faster than water, which lowers pressure over land and draws cooler, denser air in from over the water.

    • ACorrect. This is a sea breeze. Land warms faster than water during the day, and the warm air over land rises and lowers the pressure. Cooler, denser air from over the water then flows onshore to replace it.
    • BIncorrect. Water heats more slowly than land, and the flow described here (land toward water) is a land breeze, which usually occurs at night.
    • CIncorrect. This describes the nighttime land breeze, which blows from land toward water, the opposite of the afternoon onshore wind in the scenario.
    • DIncorrect. Coriolis force does not depend on time of day and does not make winds turn onshore. The daily onshore wind comes from uneven heating of land and water.

  5. Question 5

    The dissipating stage of a thunderstorm is characterized by:

    • AMostly downdrafts
    • BMostly updrafts
    • CStrongest updrafts
    • DNo precipitation
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Mostly downdrafts

    • ACorrect. The storm rains itself out.
    • BIncorrect. That's the cumulus stage.
    • CIncorrect. That's the mature stage.
    • DIncorrect. Rain continues.

  6. Question 6

    While preparing a ground lesson on thunderstorms, a flight instructor lists the three conditions that must all be present for a thunderstorm to form. Which set is correct?

    • ASufficient moisture, an unstable lapse rate and a lifting action
    • BSufficient moisture, a stable lapse rate and a lifting action
    • CUnstable air, a lifting action and a temperature inversion aloft
    • DSufficient moisture, unstable air and strong upper-level winds
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Sufficient moisture, an unstable lapse rate and a lifting action

    A thunderstorm needs three things: enough moisture, unstable air and a lifting action. If any one is missing, a thunderstorm will not form.

    • ACorrect. FAA weather guidance says a thunderstorm needs enough water vapor, conditionally unstable air and an initial upward push. That push can come from surface heating, converging winds, sloping terrain or a frontal surface.
    • BIncorrect. When moist, stable air is lifted, it tends to form stratiform clouds and steady precipitation, not thunderstorms. Thunderstorms need unstable air.
    • CIncorrect. An inversion is a stable layer that caps rising air, so it holds back convection. This set also leaves out moisture, which a thunderstorm requires.
    • DIncorrect. Strong winds aloft can help organize a storm once it exists, but they are not one of the three basic requirements. This set leaves out the lifting action needed to start the air rising.

  7. Question 7

    In a winds aloft forecast, '9900' means:

    • AMissing data
    • B99 knots
    • CCalm surface wind
    • DLight, variable
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) Light, variable

    • AIncorrect. It's light and variable.
    • BIncorrect. It's light and variable.
    • CIncorrect. It's aloft.
    • DCorrect. Less than 5 knots.

  8. Question 8

    What is the standard temperature lapse rate?

    • ATemperature doesn't change with altitude
    • BAbout 5°C per 1,000 feet
    • CAbout 0.5°C per 1,000 feet
    • DAbout 2°C per 1,000 feet
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: D) About 2°C per 1,000 feet

    • AIncorrect. It usually decreases.
    • BIncorrect. That's too fast.
    • CIncorrect. That's too slow.
    • DCorrect. Actual lapse rates vary.

  9. Question 9

    Clouds and precipitation form when moist air:

    • ARises and cools
    • BSinks and warms
    • CStays still
    • DDries out
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Rises and cools

    • ACorrect. Through convection, fronts or terrain.
    • BIncorrect. That clears skies.
    • CIncorrect. Lifting is needed.
    • DIncorrect. Moisture is needed.

  10. Question 10

    Which characteristics are typical of unstable air?

    • ACumulus clouds, showers and bumpy air
    • BStratiform clouds, steady rain and smooth air
    • CFog and poor visibility with calm wind
    • DClear skies with no clouds or turbulence
    Show answer and explanation

    Answer: A) Cumulus clouds, showers and bumpy air

    • ACorrect. Rising air builds vertical clouds.
    • BIncorrect. That's stable air.
    • CIncorrect. That's typical of stable air.
    • DIncorrect. Unstable moist air forms clouds.

Weather Information: FAQs

How much of the FIA exam is Weather Information?

Weather Information is 8% of the FIA exam by the official exam guide's weighting, which on a 100-question form works out to roughly 8 questions. The real exam's exact split varies by form.

What does the Weather Information domain cover?

Reading and applying aviation weather information, and understanding the weather that drives it.

How should I study Weather Information for FIA?

Decode real METARs and TAFs every day for a week until each code group reads at a glance; decoding questions are quick marks once it is automatic.

Where can I practise more Weather Information questions?

This page has 10 free Weather Information questions with answers. The ExamWize FIA question bank has 48 questions in this domain. Every practice exam result breaks your score down by domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

Other FIA topics

Also: 15 free questions across all topics, the FIA cheat sheet and the study guide.

Get Weather Information exam-ready

The full FIA bank has 48 Weather Information questions. Timed practice exams match the real exam's length and domain weights, every result shows your score per domain, and Review Mode re-drills the questions you missed.

See the full FIA practice examsTake the free diagnostic

Not affiliated with FAA; questions are original, written from the official exam outline, and never copied from the real exam.