Methow Valley State Airport to Reactivate Weather Reporting System

Following community feedback, the Washington State Department last year started the process of bringing back the deactivated, privately-owned weather reporting system for the Methow Valley State Airport facility in Winthrop.

Located near the airport, the Automated Weather Observation System (AWOS) will provide weather updates and flight planning access to local pilots via radio.

A small airport, operating mostly for private aircraft and national services, such as wildfire co-ordination, Methow Valley will benefit from the weather reporting system as the nearest current system is located around 30 miles away at Omak Municipal Airport, who experience different weather patterns.

Weather reporting systems are vital to flight operations, giving pilots access to up-to-date weather changes or adversities enhances safety.

Modern commercial aircraft cannot operate without reliable weather reporting and many modern systems provide radar overlays, graphical weather and wind speeds data information.