Haze--is it predictable?

jspilot

jspilot

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I went flying today and it was a terrific VFR day. Calm winds, clear skies, no trubulence. However, as I climbed up the Haze was just all over. At times it looked like I was flying into a pea soup!

Now I must confess my knowledge of weather is adequate and I know that haze forms largely in the summer time but beyond that I know almost nothing about it. I'm asking for some help here from people way more knowledgable than me about weather.

What is haze? What causes it? Can it be forecasted?

I'm curious because those of us who've flown in haze know that it can cause a nice VFR day to become extra challenging especially while flying into the setting sun.
 
Fantastic question. I would love to know this answer as well.
I notice flying in the haze toward the sun is way worse than flying away from the sun.

We get it bad here. I always assumed it was smog.
 
Lots of humidity. Hot, inversion layer holding the nasty stuff down.

The south in the summer, except immediately after a shower rolls through.
 
Haze occurs when the temp and dew point are close. Haze Is basically visible moisture in the air.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
mikeinbama said:
Haze occurs when the temp and dew point are close. Haze Is basically visible moisture in the air.
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This is an interesting article on haze: http://www.spc.noaa.gov/publications/corfidi/haze.html

From the article:
[SIZE=+2]During summer, the central and eastern United States often is blanketed by a murky veil of haze that may last for days. The haze shrouds the sky and dims the sun --- sometimes making it altogether disappear before the end of the day (Figure 1). To some, haze is so commonplace that it is assumed to be natural and is accepted as a fact of life. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]But haze is, in fact, not predominantly natural, and its presence warrants attention for several reasons. For example, haze affects human health. Researchers at New York University Medical Center have determined that the acid droplets found in haze are hazardous to exposed tissues of the lungs and breathing passages (Pendick 1993). They also concluded that when haze occurs in association with smog --- the brownish, photochemically-enhanced form of air pollution derived from automobile exhausts --- the destructive nature of that phenomenon significantly is increased. [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]Haze also affects aviation. While not posing an overwhelming risk to jet aircraft, haze shrouds visual cues important to pilots of small planes. When widespread, haze may significantly reduce visual range over thousands of square miles.[/SIZE]
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[SIZE=+2]

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]as previously noted, haze often is assumed to be natural, with evapotranspirative products from trees being the most oft-cited source. Others attribute haze to the minute particles of salt released during the breaking of ocean waves. Popular meteorological works (e.g., Ludlum 1991) perpetuate this view, using the term "haze" to refer strictly to natural obstructions to vision. [/SIZE][SIZE=+2]Certainly natural forms of haze do exist. But, as the following pages show, the type of haze commonly seen over the eastern half of the United States during summer is not predominantly natural. Haze is, in fact, primarily a vast blanket of man-made pollution. More specifically, haze is a form of "wet" air pollution --- a veil of tiny droplets (aerosols) of condensed pollutants.1 The adjective "wet" is used to distinguish this type of haze from the dry forms that consist of fine dust particles and more commonly are observed elsewhere in the world (e.g., the "Harmattan" of west Africa, or the shamal wind haze of the Persian Gulf). [/SIZE]
[SIZE=+2]Numerous studies since the mid-1970s (see, for example, Ferman et al. 1981, Wolff et al. 1982, Malm 1992, Husar and Wilson 1993, Chen et al. 2003) consistently have shown that warm-season haze over the eastern United States is composed largely of sulfate aerosols.[/SIZE]
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mikeinbama said:
Haze occurs when the temp and dew point are close. Haze Is basically visible moisture in the air.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

I think you're talking about fog.
This is the Long Island Sound from Bridgeport,CT heading south to Long Island. 2pm this afternoon. Local ATIS: Sky clear, vis 10sm, Temp_26C (79F), Dew point_12C (54F). That's a 14 degree Celsius spread. Not close at all.

From this position, I asked my non-pilot passenger if he could see land on the other side (about 10sm), he said no:D

 
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redtail said:
I think you're talking about fog.
This is the Long Island Sound from Bridgeport,CT heading south to Long Island. 2pm this afternoon. Local ATIS: Sky clear, vis 10sm, Temp_26C (79F), Dew point_12C (54F). That's a 14 degree Celsius spread. Not close at all.

From this position, I asked my non-pilot passenger if he could see land on the other side (about 10sm), he said no:D

Click to expand...


Red, this is exactly what I saw yesterday too- and I flew from Montauk to Brookhaven and the temp/dew points were 12 or more of a spread too. Thanks to those who did some research to get answers but it truely appears that even the experts don't agree!

So here's my next thought, clearly based on Redtail's pic above, the visibility yesterday was not 10 miles even though every reporting station said 10 miles vis yesterday. While it was safe to fly yesterday, it was not an easy day to fly. I'd also argue that a visible horizon is hard to determine( It was at times for me yesterday.) The haze is a real potential hidden hazard to VFR pilots. I actually think it has already contributed to one crash this summer around here when I guy took off from Republic airport and was trying to land at Islip because he reported to ATC, the Liveatc tapes were linked here in that thread discussing the crash, that visibility was very bad and he could not see much. Why do people in the know not make a bigger deal about haze? I've never once read an article about it--besides the ones generously posted above, AOPA or EAA never mention anything about the safety issues of haze or attempt to educate people about it, the weather portion of becoming a private pilot does not adress it at all, and given how much miss information seems to be out there, why do pilots not know more about this very real threat? Seems like we all can continue to benefit from a longer discussion on this mysterious threat.
 
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kgruber said:
What you see as haze is probably smoke at this time of year.
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What is burning this time of year? Wild fires in California or Washington state is the only large fires being reported. :dunno:

The haze layer is caused by a high humidity and high temps. The higher you get the dryer you get.
 
redtail said:
I think you're talking about fog.
This is the Long Island Sound from Bridgeport,CT heading south to Long Island. 2pm this afternoon. Local ATIS: Sky clear, vis 10sm, Temp_26C (79F), Dew point_12C (54F). That's a 14 degree Celsius spread. Not close at all.

From this position, I asked my non-pilot passenger if he could see land on the other side (about 10sm), he said no:D

Click to expand...

I think you are right. I'm still learning.
 
jspilot said:
Red, this is exactly what I saw yesterday too- and I flew from Montauk to Brookhaven and the temp/dew points were 12 or more of a spread too. Thanks to those who did some research to get answers but it truely appears that even the experts don't agree!

So here's my next thought, clearly based on Redtail's pic above, the visibility yesterday was not 10 miles even though every reporting station said 10 miles vis yesterday. While it was safe to fly yesterday, it was not an easy day to fly. I'd also argue that a visible horizon is hard to determine( It was at times for me yesterday.) The haze is a real potential hidden hazard to VFR pilots. I actually think it has already contributed to one crash this summer around here when I guy took off from Republic airport and was trying to land at Islip because he reported to ATC, the Liveatc tapes were linked here in that thread discussing the crash, that visibility was very bad and he could not see much. Why do people in the know not make a bigger deal about haze? I've never once read an article about it--besides the ones generously posted above, AOPA or EAA never mention anything about the safety issues of haze or attempt to educate people about it, the weather portion of becoming a private pilot does not adress it at all, and given how much miss information seems to be out there, why do pilots not know more about this very real threat? Seems like we all can continue to benefit from a longer discussion on this mysterious threat.
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I think it's a matter of experience and comfort level the more you fly in these conditions. We were at 4500 MSL. I never felt uneasy yesterday and I was able to make out a horizon. I COULD actually see land on the other side and ground contact was never a problem, so 10 miles was about right.

But trust me, I remember a time when this was way below my comfort zone, and I've taken off, turned around and came back in to land.

mikeinbama said:
I think you are right. I'm still learning.
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So am I:yes:
 
Around here, when it's hot and humid you will have haze. You can almost tell by the way the sun looks in the morning how the day will be. To me stable air mass is what helps the haze by not moving it out. Just a though.
 
That's long island flying in the summer. Don't know how to predict it, but know this time of year when they call ten miles visibility they are joking. On days like that if you climbed through about seven thousand feet you'd see the top smog line and be in clear blue skies. It is pretty gross. Coming down you can smell it and feel it. Makes a Utah blue sky seem laser bright.
 
Yesterday's haze and visibility conditions were practically the same on the night JFK Jr. crashed. That day is forever etched in my memory because it was a few months before my checkride.

That afternoon, I took off from Teterboro (TEB.) with my CFI and we were going over to Morristown to brush up on my normal and high performance takeoffs and landings. I made a comment to him about the haze and lack a visibility and how uncomfortable I would have been without him in the left right seat.

In these conditions at night, you better trust your instruments!
 
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redtail said:
Yesterday's haze and visibility conditions were practically the same on the night JFK Jr. crashed. That day is forever etched in my memory because it was a few months before my checkride.

That afternoon, I took off from Teterboro (TEB.) with my CFI and we were going over to Morristown to brush up on my normal and high performance takeoffs and landings. I made a comment to him about the haze and lack a visibility and how uncomfortable I would have been without him in the left seat.

In these conditions at night, you better trust your instruments!
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And it is so deceiving. I was at Robert Moses beach enjoying the perfect weather. Looking up it never seemed hazy. Even looking at the traffic for JFK it seemed they were severe clear.

Around Long Island, it's only when you get up there you can tell. It can be dangerous. But it reminds of a time years back, a renter was going from Islip to Martha vineyard. I asked her the routing. She was going to pick up MVY vor off of orient point. I suggested make the hop from orient point to groton and follow the coastline up just to have visual reference and of course a place to land. That was a year before JFK jr.
 
jspilot said:
I went flying today and it was a terrific VFR day. Calm winds, clear skies, no trubulence. However, as I climbed up the Haze was just all over. At times it looked like I was flying into a pea soup!

Now I must confess my knowledge of weather is adequate and I know that haze forms largely in the summer time but beyond that I know almost nothing about it. I'm asking for some help here from people way more knowledgable than me about weather.

What is haze? What causes it? Can it be forecasted?

I'm curious because those of us who've flown in haze know that it can cause a nice VFR day to become extra challenging especially while flying into the setting sun.
Click to expand...

Haze is present when you have no winds and a small inversion or cap over a valley. When you have calm wind, high pressure days look for it.
 
redtail said:
That's what my passenger noticed after we landed.
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I was flying into Detroit, Grosse Ille, I think, not long after JFK Jr. crashed. My sister was in the right seat as we turned out over the water on approach, it was hazy, very hazy. I asked her what she saw and she replied, "nothing". I said, imagine that at night, that's what happened the JFK Jr.!
Haze is pretty easy to predict in Atlanta, May through September from noon until 8:00 PM, you have a 90% chance of hazy skies, unless it rains or a cold front comes through. :dunno: Flights under 7000 ft in the Summer are MVFR more times than not. :eek:
 
Flew from Colorado mountains into the Oklahoma yesterday and was welcomed by the Damn hot temps + high humidity = significant haze. Visibility was 6-7 miles prob at 6500'.

Oh and heat index something like 104 today. Can't wait to fly back Monday morning!
 
Geico266 said:
What is burning this time of year? Wild fires in California or Washington state is the only large fires being reported. :dunno:

The haze layer is caused by a high humidity and high temps. The higher you get the dryer you get.
Click to expand...



You should use that "dunno" icon more often, maybe make it your avatar. Then fly around in the west and gain experience.
 
mikeinbama said:
Haze occurs when the temp and dew point are close. Haze Is basically visible moisture in the air.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Haze is particles (physical) in the air such as dust, pollution, smoke.

Fog is temp/dewpoint related.

OP, Haze is only as predictable as the man-made causal factors. aka rush hour/pollution times in a big city.
 
I was a flight instructor in West Virginia. On really hazy days, I would take my students up and let them see what it is like to not have a visible horizon. A real eye opener for most of them.

Just landed in northwest New Mexico an hour ago. Visibility is down due to haze. Must be only 45 to 50 miles visibility right now.....:lol::lol:
 
Growing up in the Atlanta area, haze has always been a part of my flying, I remember an early solo when I took off to just mess around and realized I could see anything! I was about 6-8 miles from the airport when I decided to return and land, when I turned back to the west towards the airport I could see straight down and what seemed like a mile laterally, it was probably 3-4 miles, but I was scared!:hairraise:
The first time I flew out west, we saw a thunderstorm ahead that wasn't showing on radar, I thought the radar was acting up. Nope, it was just that far away!! :rolleyes:

Zeldman said:
I was a flight instructor in West Virginia. On really hazy days, I would take my students up and let them see what it is like to not have a visible horizon. A real eye opener for most of them.

Just landed in northwest New Mexico an hour ago. Visibility is down due to haze. Must be only 45 to 50 miles visibility right now.....:lol::lol:
Click to expand...
 
What is reported as "haze" could be a number of things including light mist, smoke, smog, or whatever might cause some deterioration in visibility not fog or cloud related.
 
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