Background:

This site is part of a research project sponsored by the California Department of Transportation, and developed by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University, with assistance and input provided by the Mineta Transportation Institute at San Jose State University. This project focuses on providing airport managers, pilots, and related operators of air ambulance services with meteorological data by integrating publicly available weather data with that of systems used by related agencies. Small, rural and under-served facilities are the primary focus. The site consists of a laboratory prototype system that has been developed based on the analysis of current practice and preliminary user requirements. The project team will gather and analyze feedback regarding this prototype demonstration from prospective users. A full system may be developed thereafter. This system is based in large part on the WeatherShare System, another Caltrans sponsored research project developed by the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University.

Contact Information:

Current Data Layers:

1.      Surface weather data layers from MADIS, MesoWest and Caltrans.

2.      National Digital Forecast Database from the National Weather Service.

3.      AWOS/ASOS Data, in both decoded and METAR format, from the National Weather Service.

4.      National Weather Service Watches, Warnings, and Advisories layer from the National Weather Service.

5.      CCTV images from Caltrans.

6.      Pilot Report (PIREPS) from the NWS Aviation Weather Center.  (These reports currently only show encoded data. This data may be decoded, if requested by users, in subsequent development).

7.      Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF) data layer from the National Weather Service (These forecasts currently only show encoded data. This data may be decoded, if requested by users, in subsequent development).

8.      CONUS Merged Reflectivity Composite Radar image from the National Weather Service. (Note: Only composite reflectivity radar is shown here for demonstration and evaluation purposes. Further investigation is necessary for usability and possible inclusion of other types of Radar images.)  Please see the following link from NOAA for the details of different types of Radar images and their legends. Radar Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

9.      Wind/temperature aloft forecast data based on data from the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)  (The forecast data is available up to 84 hours. We currently only provide 1 hour forecast data for this prototype. The timeframe may be expanded in subsequent development.)

10.  NWS Satellite Image(IR Temperature, Water Vapor, Visible) from NWS The Warning Decision Support System- Integrated Information(WDSS-II).