Soaring Weather
Situational awareness only. Data is sourced as-is from NOAA / NWS / Open-Meteo, not a substitute for an FAA preflight briefing. Full disclaimer ↓
Forecast
Homestead General Airport (X51), 25.49° N, 80.56° WHRRR (High-Resolution Rapid Refresh) NOAA · hourly
Loading HRRR forecast…
Fetching latest HRRR run…
Source: NOAA HRRR via Open-Meteo. Hourly cycles forecast 18 hours out; the 00, 06, 12, and 18 UTC cycles extend to 48 hours.
Live thermal-energy forecast, South Florida
Map color key: CAPE in J/kg
0 to 500
Stable, no thermals
Stable, no thermals
500 to 1,000
Weak thermals
Weak thermals
1,000 to 1,500
Light lift
Light lift
1,500 to 2,500
Good soaring
Good soaring
2,500 to 3,500
Strong, watch storms
Strong, watch storms
3,500 to 5,000
Severe convection
Severe convection
5,000+
Extreme
Extreme
X51 NOTAMs Homestead General · KX51 · checking
Checking FAA NOTAM API…
About CAPE
What it is. CAPE (Convective Available Potential Energy) is the atmosphere’s “fuel gauge” for rising air. The higher the number, the more energy stored to lift warm parcels upward.
What it means for soaring. Higher CAPE means bigger, punchier thermals, which means longer climbs and faster cross-country runs.
The sweet spot. We’re not chasing the maximum (that’s thunderstorm territory). The goal is the band that keeps the day both soarable and safe: roughly 1,000 to 2,500 J/kg for South Florida.
Advanced tools used by soaring pilots: