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
•$$$$$$$$$