MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Road Weather Management Workshop

April 9, 2001

Robert G. Hallowell

MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Aviation Sensors and Products

for Hurricane Applications

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Outline

• Overview of Aviation Weather Products (MIT/LL)

• Hurricane Applications

– Advantages of Integrating Sensors

– Wind Estimations

– Automated Storm Tracking

• Summary

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Civil Aviation Weather Systems

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Integrated TerminalWeather System (ITWS)

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

ITWS Products Via Digital Data Feed

Graphics Products

Text ProductsWind Profile Configured Alerts Terminal Wx Text Hazard Text

AlertsMicroburstWind Shear Gust Front ETI Tornado Alerts Lightning AP Status

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Multi-Radar Integration

• Fundamental difference: FAA provides radar-derived products directly to non-meteorologist users without any meteorologist review

– Improved NEXRAD data quality (AP, test patterns, clutter)

– Mosaicked Radar Images (NEXRAD, TDWR, WSP)

– Automated Dual-doppler 3-D Winds Products

– Result:

More reliable estimates of rainfall

Better precipitation tracking

Improved overall coverage

• Some Challenges:

– TDWR focus on airport

– ASR-9 fan beam (not easily merged with TDWR/NEXRAD)

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

ITWS: Automated Radar Data Quality Editing

Tampa NEXRAD after AP editing

WARPmosaicalgorithm

Melbourne NEXRADafter AP editing

ITWSmosaicalgorithm

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

ITWS: Dual-Doppler Winds

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Terminal Forecast Algorithm Architecture

Radar data Scale separation

Track vectors Product display

Automated

Scoring

NEXRAD radar

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Terminal Convective Weather Forecast Product

-30-20

-10 CurrentWeather

+10+20

+30+40

+50+60 min Forecast

Key features:Automated scoring of past performanceUpdates every 5-6 minutesUses NEXRAD VIL dataSuccessful operational use at Dallas, Orlando, Memphis, and New York

Technology development funded by FAA Aviation Weather Research Program

(AWR)

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Hurricane Erin 8/2/1995

• Category I Hurricane

• Precipitation Intensity Based on NEXRAD

• Movie Loop

0500Z to 1100Z

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Hurricane Erin - 60 Min Forecast

• Verification of 60 minute forecast

– Weak Precip or Stronger

– Within 5 NM

– Overall CSI score

MIT Lincoln LaboratoryRGH 4/9/01

Hurricane Conf

Summary

• Multiple FAA weather radars and derived products coming on-line (ITWS 2002-2004, CIWS 2001, MIAWS 2001-2003)

• FAA/NWS radar integration has been extremely successful operationally for the FAA

• ITWS winds products (microbursts, 3-d winds) could be enhanced for hurricane applications

• Storm tracking technology (0-2 hours) could assist in early flood warnings