Symposium on Weather Information

for Surface Transportation

4 Dec 00

Lt Col Jerry Borger

United States Transportation Command

Overview

•DoD Current Capabilities (as pertains

to surface transportation)

•Future Initiatives

•Barriers to Achieving Capabilities

The weather itself is not nearly as important as its impacts on human activities.

• Resource Protection

– Precise forecasts of threatening weather conditions that endanger people, resources, or operations

– Reduced Visibility

– Lightning

– Heavy Snow/”Blizzard”

– Excessive Temperatures

– Hail

– High Winds– Floods– Freezing Precip

DoD Surface Forecasting Capabilities

DoD Surface Weather Capabilities

Navy (http://www.fnmoc.navy.mil)

•Joint METOC Viewer

•WXMAPS

•Air Force

•AF Weather Information Network– (http://www.afwin.afwa.af.mil/)

•Climatology– (http://www.afccc.af.mil/)

Joint METOC Viewer SoftwareNOGAPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation

Joint METOC Viewer SoftwareCOAMPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation

WXMAPSNOGAPS Thickness, Surface Pressure, 12-Hr Precipitation

DoD Surface Weather Capabilities

AFWIN CONUS THEATER PRODUCTS

•Text Products - Surface OBS/TAFS, NWS forecasts,

model output, bulletins, warnings/advisories, etc. •Surface Charts - Fronts, radar composites, weather

depictions, etc.•Satellite Images - Full GOES images, regional images,

and MPG animations•Radar/Lightning Images - National and single-site radar

and lightning images

AFWIN CONUS THEATER PRODUCTS (Cont.) •Model Charts - Advect Clouds, NGM, MRF, AVN, ETA

and MM5 products•Forecaster Products - Hazards, Quantitative Precip

Forecasts, Snow Depth, etc. •Tropical Storms - Map with current storms, tracking

products, and links to major storm centers •Climatology - Link to AF Combat Climatology Center •Space - Solar products/images

DoD Surface Weather Capabilities

AFWINMM5 Surface Pressure, Winds, 3-Hr Precipitation

AFWINMM5 Surface Temperature, Winds

AFWIN

MM5 Surface Visibility

AFWIN

MM5 Total Snow Accumulation

Temp, Dew PT

3-Hr Precip

Surface Wind

Abs Humidity

Thickness

Rel HumidityCloudsTempWind

AFWIN

Meteogram

AFWINInteractive Meteogram

DoD Surface Weather Capabilities

•Climatology (AF Combat Climatology Center)

– Advanced Climate Modeling and Environmental Simulations (ACMES)

– Operational Climatic Data Summary (OCDS)

– Tailored Products

Coming soon to the Air Force Weather Agency:

•Implementation of Land-Surface Model

(estimated Mar01)– Will improve MM5 boundary physics over land

•Implementation of Wx Research & Forecasting Model (WRF) (next couple of years)

– Fully couples Air and Surface layers

On The Horizon

Coming soon to the Air Force Weather Agency:

•DMSP Launch (Jan 01)

– Will improve characterization of snow, ice, soil moisture, etc.

•Final Operating Capability of Operational Weather Squadrons (estimated Jul 02)

– Will improve regional forecast products

On The Horizon

Barriers to Progress

•Technology

•Personnel and Equipment

Resources

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