On Thu, 08 Jan 2004 08:44:38 -0600, "O. Sami Saydjari"
wrote:

This is somewhat related to the optimal altitudes question, but I
thought I would start a new thread here...

What are the typical cloud tops at for winter flying--if there is any
such thing as typical. I would venture to guess that tops are below
10,000 ft 80% of the time. I am talking here about mid-west and east
coast. I am particularlly interested in the Wisconsin-to-D.C. flight
path, if folks have direct experience with that particular one.

I've seen the tops listed as high as 10,000 on occasion, but in my
experience they rarely get near that high. I've flown over blizzard
conditions where the tops were less than 5000.

OTOH, Last Winter I ran into heavy snow (strictly lake effect) coming
south from St Ignace (right down 27) and gave up trying to get over it
just north of Gaylord. I went back about 20 miles north, then East
about 20 miles and had sunshine all the way to Midland (3BS)

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com.

It sure would be nice if there was a historical weather data
(particularly on tops) that pilots could go research.

-Sami