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 ( Joint METOC Viewer WXMAPS Air Force AF Weather Information Network – ( Climatology – (
Joint METOC Viewer Software NOGAPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation
Joint METOC Viewer Software COAMPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation
WXMAPS NOGAPS 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
AFWIN MM5 Surface Pressure, Winds, 3-Hr Precipitation
AFWIN MM5 Surface Temperature, Winds
AFWIN MM5 Surface Visibility
AFWIN MM5 Total Snow Accumulation
Temp, Dew PT 3-Hr Precip Surface Wind Abs Humidity Thickness Rel Humidity Clouds Temp Wind AFWIN Meteogram
AFWIN Interactive 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 i mprove 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 $$$$$$$$$