Regarding cloudbase and % low clouds, there are GFS-derived charts here=
At 72 hrs out, the GFS model starts to become reasonably accurate. I would value any comments regarding the accuracy of the GFS model for low cloud.
Hi Alan,
im a Fan of this forecast… it says no clouds on Sunday morning ;-) The Met People at the Airport in ZRH are optimistic, have fancy tools. The Met Office UK is not so optimistic, the Gramet is also optimistic… so deciding on majority ? ;-)
Anyway, other question…. for france i know the AZBA chart, so far clear. But how do i find out if other restricted areas are active? If I read the notams for our routing its so quite regarding them… Particularly interested in R 158 A
The current UK MO MSLP charts for Sunday 0000Z and 1200Z are
and they suggest that the earlier you depart from the UK, the better.
But this is 3 days out. 3 days is a long time in politics and even longer in weather 
For me, getting back from LOWZ on Sunday to the UK will be more fun
yes, but you are IFR ;-) have fun in the alps, should be nice weekend here weatherwise
FWIW I think it is a day for not going early. I think it will clag in earlier on and be unpleasant IF the forecast does not change. I also think that as the day progresses the base will lift as convection takes hold with the best window mid afternoon. My comments are based entirely from flying for many years along the coast and living and sailing on the coast. With the current forecast I have seen those conditions on so many occasions when you aseess the weather in the morning and look at the TAFs and based on the TAFs decide it is marginal or not possible to only find that they are conservative by mid afternoon.
In my VFR only days I have crossed a few times at 500 feet the whole way and again in the “right” conditions that is entirely possible BUT it becomes far more important where you are going at each end at what options you have for coastal diversions at each end.
Of course I am not saying take a chance etc etc .. .. make an informed assessment at the time.
