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The Canadian Airport Nowcasting Project (CAN-Now): Vision for future and preliminary results

The Canadian Airport Nowcasting Project (CAN-Now): Vision for future and preliminary results. George A. Isaac 1 and Faisal S. Boudala 1 Monika Bailey 1 , Brian Clark 1 , Stewart Cober 1 ,, Norman Donaldson 1 , Norbert Driedger 1 , Sylvie Gravel 1 , Ismail Gultepe 1 ,

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The Canadian Airport Nowcasting Project (CAN-Now): Vision for future and preliminary results

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  1. The Canadian Airport Nowcasting Project (CAN-Now): Vision for future and preliminary results George A. Isaac1 and Faisal S. Boudala1 Monika Bailey1, Brian Clark1, Stewart Cober1,, Norman Donaldson1, Norbert Driedger1, Sylvie Gravel1, Ismail Gultepe1, David Hudak1, Paul Joe1, Stephen Kerr2, Alister Ling3, Janti Reid1, Gilles Simard2and Zlatko Vukovic1 1Science and Technology Branch, Environment Canada, Toronto, Ontario, M3H 5T4, Canada 2 Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre East, Montreal, Quebec, Canada 3 Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre West, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

  2. Acknowledgements Funds from • Transport Canada • Search and Rescue New Initiatives Fund • NAV CANADA • Environment Canada Also operations and research colleagues in Montreal

  3. The main idea behind Nowcasting is that extrapolation of observations, by simple or sophisticated means, shows better skill than numerical forecast models in the short term. For precipitation, Nowcasting techniques are usually better for 6 hours or more. Nowcasting NWP Models Theoretical Limit From Golding (1998) Meteorol. Appl., 5, 1-16

  4. Nowcasting/Forecasting High Impact Weather at a HUB Airport Canadian Airport Nowcasting (CAN-Now) • To improve short term forecasts (0-6 hour) or Nowcasts of airport severe weather. • Develop a forecast system which will include routinely gathered information (radar, satellite, surface based data, pilot reports), numerical weather prediction model outputs, and a limited suite of specialized sensors placed at the airport. • Forecast/Nowcast products will be issued with 1-15 min resolution for most variables. • Test this system, and its associated information delivery system, within an operational airport environment (e.g. Toronto International Airport - Pearson).

  5. Variables for Airport System • Snow and rain events • Freezing precipitation and ice pellets • Frost • Blowing snow • Icing aloft • High winds/gusts • Wind shifts/shear • Turbulence • Lightning • Low ceilings • Low visibility and fog • Convective cells

  6. Main equipment at Pearson at the old Test and Evaluation site near the existing Met compound

  7. Meteorological Observation Building GTAA anemometer 6 5 14 4 13 # NAV Canada anemometer 12 3 21 11 2 20 10 1 19 9 18 8 17 7 16 15 Main Site: Instruments • 21 instrument bases with power and data feeds. • 10m apart; rows 15m apart • FD12P Viz meter • Stevenson screen (humidity, dew point, temperature) • Old Viz meter • # Power distribution box • Old Viz meter • Spinning arm, liquid/total water content probe • Radiometer • POSS • Rosemount icing detector • Belfort precip gauge, ultrasonic snow depth • Hotplate (Yankee) • 11-13 Empty • 14. Tower, 2D wind sensor • Ceilometer • Empty • Hotplate (Yankee) • Geonor precip gauge • 19, 20 Empty • Tower, wind speed/ • direction, temp, humidity, • pressure

  8. Web Site • A Web site has been created at: http://www.canadian-airport-nowcasting.org/ • The data on this site is accessible only with a user name and password. The site is currently active.

  9. Click on airport to get products, including TAFS and current weather, as well as specialized products.

  10. Interaction with Users • Terminal Weather Forecast Working Group (includes NAV CANADA, EC, airline dispatch, GTAA, etc) • GTAA, Vancouver Airport Authority • CMAC Workshops • NAV CANADA • Transport Canada

  11. Indicators of category level, airport capacity, airport arrival rates, etc Prototype Display for CAN-Now Click for larger map

  12. Prototype Display Contains Bar chart at 15 min resolution for first two hours, then one hour resolution for next 4-5 h. Bar changes colour to attention (yellow) to red (alert) status. Remains green if everything OK. Bars main contain some text (e.g. T, RH, Visibility, Ceiling, Precipitation Type, etc). If chart changes colour, you can click and obtain more information as to why. Either graphs or text from forecaster. Display will have configurable radar, satellite or map type display depending on weather situation. It will contain recent METARS and TAFS. A text message from the forecaster outlining significant features will be included and updated as required. Besides significant weather variables, the ability to include AAR, Runway Friction, etc, will be considered. An area chart showing all the YYZ alternates will be prepared. The airports will be colour coded to indicate all OK (green), possible problems (yellow) and red (below limits).

  13. Algorithm Development • Visibility/Fog (Gultepe and others) • Ceiling • Blowing Snow (PIEKTUKD, Li & Pomeroy 1997) • Turbulence (TKE,EDR, momentum flux, CAT) • Winds/Gusts/Shear (Goyette et al. and Brassur ) • Icing • Precipitation Type (BOURGOUIN (1992) ) • Precipitation Intensity • Lightning/Convective Storm • Real Time Verification

  14. YYZ Feb 6, 2008 VISIBILITY and CEILING

  15. YYZ Oct 07-2007 FOG and RAIN

  16. Questions? YVR Fog Event: Nov. 18-24, 2005

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