Narrative:

Dispatch had placed us on a ground hold due to current and forecast weather for our destination. We did not receive this information and departed. My first officer and I discussed the destination and alternate weather as well as fuel planning and considerations in great detail while on the ground. However; we may have departed without the required weather minimums at destination. The flight time was under 60 minutes thus we needed both the forecast and metar to be above minimums. I now do not recall what weather information we had. We contacted dispatch after we were airborne and while in holding due to [destination] weather having dropped below minimums to begin the approach. That was when they informed us we were expected to hold on the ground. The weather did come above minimums so we began the approach only to discontinue the approach well prior to the FAF because the visibility again fell below minimums. We then flew to our alternate.knowledge and information the dispatcher had did not make it to the pilots. They had sent a message to the [departure airport]; but the agents there must have missed seeing it and did not hold us at the gate as expected by dispatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 flight crew reported departing for a destination airport that was below minimums. Entering holding Dispatch was contacted and the crew learned that they should not have departed. After one approach attempt the crew diverted to their alternate.

Narrative: Dispatch had placed us on a ground hold due to current and forecast weather for our destination. We did not receive this information and departed. My First Officer and I discussed the destination and alternate weather as well as fuel planning and considerations in great detail while on the ground. However; we may have departed without the required weather minimums at destination. The flight time was under 60 minutes thus we needed both the forecast and metar to be above minimums. I now do not recall what weather information we had. We contacted Dispatch after we were airborne and while in holding due to [destination] weather having dropped below minimums to begin the approach. That was when they informed us we were expected to hold on the ground. The weather did come above minimums so we began the approach only to discontinue the approach well prior to the FAF because the visibility again fell below minimums. We then flew to our alternate.Knowledge and information the dispatcher had did not make it to the pilots. They had sent a message to the [departure airport]; but the agents there must have missed seeing it and did not hold us at the gate as expected by dispatch.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.