Why flights get delayed and what weather has to do with it

Weather impacts aviation in different ways and can cause safety concerns.Some hazards like thunderstorms, icing, and turbulence can make flying unpredictable. 

Aviation meteorologists observe the weather to ensure flights are safe and to notify people in advance if severe weather could be an issue. 

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Department of Climate, Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences professor Jeff Frame and Aviation Meteorologists for Southwest Airlines Rebecca Miller joins us now to talk about how aviation meteorologists keep an eye on the weather before pilots take flight. 

Rebecca Miller has been an aviation meteorologist for Southwest Airlines for 12 years.  Before then, she was a broadcast meteorologist in Dallas/Fort Worth and Atlanta. 

Funding for Weather Realness is partially provided by the Backlund Charitable Trust.  If you have a question for a local scientist on this program, please leave a voicemail at 217.333.2141 or email weatherrealness@illinois.edu.