When experiencing snow and ice conditions, what runway condition is the standard that FAA requires?

• A. No worse than dry condition
• B. Icy condition
• C. No worse than wet condition
• D. Snow-covered condition

Answer: (C)

The FAA treats wet pavement as the baseline for runway surface condition in snow and ice scenarios. This means that, for planning and performance calculations, a runway should be no more slippery than a wet surface. Wet is used as the standard because it provides a predictable, known level of braking performance; snow or ice introduces more variability and can significantly reduce braking, so any condition worse than wet requires alternative planning or procedures. Therefore, when snow and ice are present, the condition should be considered no worse than wet to be acceptable; if the surface is worse (icy or heavily snow-covered), standard performance data may not apply and adjustments or restrictions are needed.