Narrative:

Normal flight planned today ZZZ1 to ZZZ2. WX at ZZZ2 was poor; 1/4 NM visibility but forecast to improve significantly prior to our arrival (WX improves by forecast at XA00 with arrival at XA30). Small fuel increase for irregularities possible at ZZZ1 by crew but no alternate was planned. Area WX around ZZZ2 was also very poor. Climbing out first officer checks the ZZZ2 forecast and noted that it had been revised with the poor visibility period extended significantly. This was significant to the crew as the arrival WX was now requiring an alternate by any standard. Dispatch query met with response that dispatcher had indeed noted new forecast but saw we had pushed back so he did not want to trouble us with the information as we might be in the take-off phase. We were not; actually we were six minutes from take-off when dispatch said he got the new forecast. This information would have been helpful prior to take-off since the dispatch point is the take-off power-up. If it had just been missed; fine; but it was vital safety information that was withheld from the crew. A short trip back to the gate would have been easier than the ensuing divert to ZZZ for more fuel; against the dispatcher's advice. When queried; the dispatcher suggested carrying on to ZZZ2 since the field had catii/III approach capability. The divert was executed by the crew because we believed an approach into minimum WX is a poor option when you have no fuel planned for a possible diversion. Obviously the safest option was to carry more fuel to increase the options if a missed approach was executed. I felt the dispatcher was not interested in the safest course of action; only the most expeditious. Once the divert was called by the crew; dispatcher was very helpful in minimizing the impact to the flight. The dismal quality of our out-sourced WX forecasting is probably costing more in added gas and diverts than the whole laid-off WX department combined.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 FLT CREW DISCOVERED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF THAT DEST ARPT WX FORECAST REQUIRED AN ALTERNATE. CLRED DISPATCH FUEL DID NOT INCLUDE AN ALTERNATE; SO FLT CREW DIVERTED.

Narrative: NORMAL FLT PLANNED TODAY ZZZ1 TO ZZZ2. WX AT ZZZ2 WAS POOR; 1/4 NM VIS BUT FORECAST TO IMPROVE SIGNIFICANTLY PRIOR TO OUR ARR (WX IMPROVES BY FORECAST AT XA00 WITH ARR AT XA30). SMALL FUEL INCREASE FOR IRREGULARITIES POSSIBLE AT ZZZ1 BY CREW BUT NO ALTERNATE WAS PLANNED. AREA WX AROUND ZZZ2 WAS ALSO VERY POOR. CLBING OUT FO CHECKS THE ZZZ2 FORECAST AND NOTED THAT IT HAD BEEN REVISED WITH THE POOR VISIBILITY PERIOD EXTENDED SIGNIFICANTLY. THIS WAS SIGNIFICANT TO THE CREW AS THE ARR WX WAS NOW REQUIRING AN ALTERNATE BY ANY STANDARD. DISPATCH QUERY MET WITH RESPONSE THAT DISPATCHER HAD INDEED NOTED NEW FORECAST BUT SAW WE HAD PUSHED BACK SO HE DID NOT WANT TO TROUBLE US WITH THE INFO AS WE MIGHT BE IN THE TAKE-OFF PHASE. WE WERE NOT; ACTUALLY WE WERE SIX MINUTES FROM TAKE-OFF WHEN DISPATCH SAID HE GOT THE NEW FORECAST. THIS INFORMATION WOULD HAVE BEEN HELPFUL PRIOR TO TAKE-OFF SINCE THE DISPATCH POINT IS THE TAKE-OFF POWER-UP. IF IT HAD JUST BEEN MISSED; FINE; BUT IT WAS VITAL SAFETY INFORMATION THAT WAS WITHHELD FROM THE CREW. A SHORT TRIP BACK TO THE GATE WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER THAN THE ENSUING DIVERT TO ZZZ FOR MORE FUEL; AGAINST THE DISPATCHER'S ADVICE. WHEN QUERIED; THE DISPATCHER SUGGESTED CARRYING ON TO ZZZ2 SINCE THE FIELD HAD CATII/III APCH CAPABILITY. THE DIVERT WAS EXECUTED BY THE CREW BECAUSE WE BELIEVED AN APCH INTO MINIMUM WX IS A POOR OPTION WHEN YOU HAVE NO FUEL PLANNED FOR A POSSIBLE DIVERSION. OBVIOUSLY THE SAFEST OPTION WAS TO CARRY MORE FUEL TO INCREASE THE OPTIONS IF A MISSED APCH WAS EXECUTED. I FELT THE DISPATCHER WAS NOT INTERESTED IN THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION; ONLY THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS. ONCE THE DIVERT WAS CALLED BY THE CREW; DISPATCHER WAS VERY HELPFUL IN MINIMIZING THE IMPACT TO THE FLIGHT. THE DISMAL QUALITY OF OUR OUT-SOURCED WX FORECASTING IS PROBABLY COSTING MORE IN ADDED GAS AND DIVERTS THAN THE WHOLE LAID-OFF WX DEPARTMENT COMBINED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.