The Federal Highway Administration

(FHWA) formed a Weather Team in 1997 to

coordinate efforts across the various
programs addressing weather information
systems, including ITS and winter
maintenance.
The goal of the Weather Information for
Surface Transportation system is to achieve
better outcomes in surface transportation
systems. Weather Information is a resource
to decision making that can achieve this
goal.

“ITS can’t change the weather, but it can

change the way we think about the weather.
Weather information can also improve the
Forecasting at higher resolutions and
effectiveness of traffic managers, school
predicting road surface conditions means
administrators, transit and paratransit
that we can better understand how weather
operators, and commercial transportation.
will affect the roadways. On top of this,
improved decision support systems and
“We operate the St. Louis Light Rail System.
expanded information dissemination to the
This is our third year using weather forecasts
full range of surface transportation users
from a local provider. The forecasts are
and operators means that we can ultimately
invaluable. The forecasts allow us to
save lives, money, and time.”
implement in-place operating plans in order
— Paul Pisano, FHWA Weather Team
to minimize effects of the weather to our
operations, mainly caused by ice coating
overhead wires, high winds, lightning
damage, and severe thunderstorms with the
potential for flooding and tornadoes.”
— Terry Mulcahy, Director of MetroLink
Operations, St. Louis, Missouri

“We broadcast via satellite to our drivers

morning summaries of expected Interstate INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
conditions nationwide. We broadcast each
evening the ‘hot spots’ of interest. With the
combination of weather information and U.S. Department of Transportation
training, we've seen a 70 percent reduction ITS Joint Program Office
in weather-related accidents in the last three Room 3422, HVH-1
years.” 400 7th Street, SW
— Tim Hughes, Team Leader, High Value Washington, DC 20590
Products, Fleet Administration, North Phone: (202) 366-9536
American Van Lines, Fort Wayne, Indiana Facsimile: (202) 366-3302
Or visit our web site at www.its.dot.gov
FHWA-JPO-99-015
Accurate Weather Information Is a Many States Are Currently Implementing weather will start and stop. We can even
Critical Element in the Daily Lives of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) forecast the likelihood of summertime
pavement blow-ups. By being proactive we’ve
Most Americans Technologies To Improve Weather increased our level of service and reduced our
In many cases, weather information helps
Information for Surface Transportation costs, especially overtime in the winter.”
travelers determine when to take a trip, Several multi-state initiatives are bringing ITS — Norm Ashfeld, Maintenance Area
which route, or whether to go at all. When together with advanced weather prediction Superintendent, Minnesota Department of
weather turns severe, it can not only change systems to create operational highway Transportation, Minneapolis Metro Area
daily travel habits, it can also be deadly. management and traveler information
Over 17 percent of all fatal crashes occur systems throughout North America. The “Road Weather Information Systems have
during severe weather conditions. Of those, programs envision a widely accessible real- some definite benefits in reducing manpower
60 percent happen in rural areas (most on time road and weather information system and material cost.”
non-interstate roadways). Many people that will support seamless information — Jon Schierman, Maintenance Engineer,
experienced with weather information sharing for travelers and highway Idaho Transportation Department
systems believe more accurate and maintenance managers. The goals of these
accessible weather information is the information systems are to improve safety
solution to these issues. (save lives) and improve efficiency of the
transportation system.
“As part of Washington State’s mountain
pass conditions reporting, we put pass road “We receive satellite broadcast weather
weather information on the Internet to help information, weather radar data from a Next
travelers. After getting 10 million hits on the Generation Weather Radar (NEXRAD) data
web site during the 1997–1998 winter vendor, forecasts four times per day from a
season, we discovered the traveling public local forecast service, and data from road
has a voracious appetite for road and weather installations. We use the information
weather condition information. With that year-round to manage all of our weather-
knowledge, we joined a consortium of sensitive operations. We can call out our
agencies that need weather information and personnel more efficiently and curtail our
are implementing a plan to use high- operations quicker knowing when the
resolution modeled output, integrating ROAD WEATHER INFORMATION SYSTEM
observations from 400 sites we’ve identified
One of these initiatives is the Advanced
around the state, to create useful products
Transportation Weather Information System
for travelers, highway operations, and
(ATWIS) in North and South Dakota. The
surface transportation in general. We are
ATWIS is the first rural road condition
even installing automated weather stations
information and weather forecast in-vehicle
on our state ferries crossing Puget Sound!”
system in the U.S. Forecasts are made
— Guy Coss, Road and Weather Project
available to cellular phone users through a
Manager, Washington State Department of
computer telephone system that queries
Transportation, Seattle, Washington
users on their location and direction of travel.

“I use the ATWIS system all the time and love

the information.”
— Phillip, a motorist from North Dakota
 The Federal Highway Administration
(FHWA) formed a Weather Team in 1997 to
coordinate efforts across the various
programs addressing weather information
systems, including ITS and winter
maintenance.
The goal of the Weather Information for
Surface Transportation system is to achieve
better outcomes in surface transportation
systems. Weather Information is a resource
to decision making that can achieve this
goal.

“ITS can’t change the weather, but it can

change the way we think about the weather.
Weather information can also improve the
Forecasting at higher resolutions and
effectiveness of traffic managers, school
predicting road surface conditions means
administrators, transit and paratransit
that we can better understand how weather
operators, and commercial transportation.
will affect the roadways. On top of this,
improved decision support systems and
“We operate the St. Louis Light Rail System.
expanded information dissemination to the
This is our third year using weather forecasts
full range of surface transportation users
from a local provider. The forecasts are
and operators means that we can ultimately
invaluable. The forecasts allow us to
save lives, money, and time.”
implement in-place operating plans in order
— Paul Pisano, FHWA Weather Team
to minimize effects of the weather to our
operations, mainly caused by ice coating
overhead wires, high winds, lightning
damage, and severe thunderstorms with the
potential for flooding and tornadoes.”
— Terry Mulcahy, Director of MetroLink
Operations, St. Louis, Missouri

“We broadcast via satellite to our drivers

morning summaries of expected Interstate INTELLIGENT TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS
conditions nationwide. We broadcast each
evening the ‘hot spots’ of interest. With the
combination of weather information and U.S. Department of Transportation
training, we've seen a 70 percent reduction ITS Joint Program Office
in weather-related accidents in the last three Room 3401, HOIT-1
years.” 400 7th Street, SW
— Tim Hughes, Team Leader, High Value Washington, DC 20590
Products, Fleet Administration, North Phone: (202) 366-0722
American Van Lines, Fort Wayne, Indiana Facsimile: (202) 366-3302
Or visit our web site at www.its.dot.gov
FHWA-JPO-99-015