Flying to AirVenture? What You Can Expect of the Oshkosh Weather

Wildfire smoke, along with precipitation, is expected to be a possibility throughout EAA AirVenture 2024. [Courtesy: Meg Godlewski]

If you are heading to EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, to be part of the annual migration to the world's largest fly-in, be sure to carry a rain poncho and perhaps a face mask.

That's because both precipitation and smoke are a possibility during the airshow (July 22-28), according to Scott Dennstaedt, author of the EZWxBrief and a FLYING contributor.

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For starters, the wildfires in Canada and to the west may result in some smoky skies, Dennstaedt said. This was a factor last year, resulting in thick haze, poor visibility, and blood-red sunrises and sunsets. Photographs taken in the early morning hours had a sepia-tone look to them—a bonus if you are taking pictures of vintage aircraft.

In a forecast released Thursday, Dennstaedt predicted AirVenture attendees may smell the smoke earlier in the day but by later afternoon could expect some convective activity that should clear away the smoke due to the unstable atmosphere and ground heating up.

Dennstaedt presents an entertaining and educational look at the factors impacting aviators who are trying to get to the event as well as what to expect when they get there. The data is derived from atmospheric tools used by the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

EZWxBrief AirVenture Weather Roundup

Aviation Weather EAA AirVenture EZWxBrief web app Oshkosh OSHLIVE2024

Meg GodlewskiAuthor

Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 24 years and a CFI for more than 20 years. If she is not flying or teaching aviation, she is writing about it. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. Follow Meg on Twitter @2Lewski.