Symposium on Weather Information for Surface Transportation 4 Dec 00

1. Symposium on Weather Information for Surface Transportation 4 Dec 00 Lt Col Jerry Borger United States Transportation Command

2. 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.

3. DoD Surface Forecasting Capabilities • 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

4. 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/)

5. Joint METOC Viewer Software NOGAPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation

6. Joint METOC Viewer Software COAMPS Surface Temperature, Winds, 12-Hr Precipitation

7. WXMAPS NOGAPS Thickness, Surface Pressure, 12-Hr Precipitation

8. 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

9. DoD Surface Weather Capabilities • 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

10. AFWIN MM5 Surface Pressure, Winds, 3-Hr Precipitation

11. AFWIN MM5 Surface Temperature, Winds

12. AFWIN MM5 Surface Visibility

13. AFWIN MM5 Total Snow Accumulation

14. AFWIN Meteogram Rel Humidity Clouds Temp Wind Thickness Abs Humidity Surface Wind 3-Hr Precip Temp, Dew PT

15. AFWIN Interactive Meteogram

16. DoD Surface Weather Capabilities • Climatology (AF Combat Climatology Center) • Advanced Climate Modeling and Environmental Simulations (ACMES) • Operational Climatic Data Summary (OCDS) • Tailored Products

17. On The Horizon • 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

18. 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

19. Barriers to Progress • Technology • Personnel and Equipment Resources • $$$$$$$$$