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first quarter but improving to between 1 and 3 in afternoon hours and to between 6 and 3 other sections. Visibility between 5 and 10 westward of mountains. Winds aloft 250 to 270 degrees 20 to 30 mph."
The trip forecast issued to the captain by the company's meteorologist was as follows:
"Washington to Pittsburgh - cruising altitude 6000 feet, wind 260°, 10 mph, temp. 66.
"Pittsburgh to Cleveland - cruising altitude 2500 feet, wind 280°, 10 mph, temp. 76.
"Cleveland to Detroit - cruising altitude 4000 feet, wind 220°, 30 mph, temp. 72.
"Overcast to broken, Washington to Pittsburgh, base 1500, Washington area top 5500 over ridges stop broken to scattered, Pittsburgh to Detroit, base 5000 lowering to 3000 in scattered mild to moderate thunderstorms stop.
"All terminals scattered to broken at 5000 lowering to 2000 in thunderstorms, visibility unlimited, lowering to 3 in storms signed Coons Pittsburgh 12:30 p.m."The sequence weather reports and forecasts available to Captain Scroggins at the time of scheduled departure, 1:50 P.M. (EST) and which appeared on the clearance, were as follows:
