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| System Operations |
Road Weather Management
 | Road Weather Management Points-of-Contact |
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 | Road Weather Management Section of the FHWA Office of Operations Website |
| This site is the official website of the Road Weather Management Program. The website contains an overview of the program and a schedule of upcoming events, as well as information on weather impacts, weather mitigation technologies and strategies, training and equipment providers, road weather research and development efforts, and related links. The website also provides summaries of several ongoing projects and applications, a list of hundreds of road weather-related publications, and links to nearly 40 statewide road weather condition websites. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/Weather/index.asp. | |
| Clarus Initiative Website |
| This site is a compilation of resources related to the Clarus Initiative. The website contains a Clarus flier, frequently asked questions (with answers), briefings presented at past meetings of the Clarus Initiative Coordinating Committee (ICC), the Clarus Concept of Operations, project design documents, the status of state agency contributions to Clarus, information on the Clarus regional demonstrations, contacts, and related links. The website also links to the Clarus System software tool, which is currently available to the transportation community on an experimental basis. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.clarusinitiative.org. | |
| Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Website |
| This site is the official website of the Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) project. The MDSS is a decision support tool that integrates relevant road weather forecasts, coded maintenance rules of practice, and maintenance resource data to provide winter maintenance managers with recommended road treatment strategies. The site contains a overview of the prototype, technical documents and program review materials, information on the most recent MDSS stakeholder meetings, contact information, and a link to the latest MDSS prototype software release. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss. | |
| PIARC Technical Committee on Winter Maintenance (C3.4) Website |
| This site is the official website of the World Road Association (abbreviated "PIARC") Technical Committee on Winter Services (Technical Committee B.5 [TCB.5]). The website contains a synopsis of the committee's strategies and outputs, a calendar of upcoming events, and a section where PIARC members can log in to restricted areas of the website. Among the committee's goals is to improve winter maintenance and operation information systems. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.piarc.org/en/technical-committees/committee-B.5.htm. | |
| Standing International Road Weather Commission (SIRWEC) Website |
| This site is the official website of the Standing International Road Weather Commission (SIRWEC). The purpose of SIRWEC is to facilitate information exchange among meteorologists, weather forecasters, highway engineers, maintenance personnel, and others about improving the safety of travel in a variety of weather conditions. Users can join the commission using an online sign-up feature. The website contains an introduction, the group's constitution, levels of deployment of road weather information system (RWIS) infrastructure in 30 countries, a history of past SIRWEC conferences, information on the next biannual conference, a list of members, and related links. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.sirwec.org. | |
| National Highway Visibility Website |
| Sponsored by the FHWA Highway Community eXchange program, this website provides a forum for discussion on the topic of weather conditions that affect visibility, especially fog. To participate in the Web-enabled discussion, users must join the National Highway Visibility (NHV) Community of Practice (CoP) using "one click" access via the website. The website includes an archive of previous messages posted as part of the discussion, reference documents, and a directory of NHV CoP members. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/hcx.nsf/ home?openform&Group=National%20Highway%20Visibility. | |
 | Best Practices for Road Weather Management CD-ROM Version 2.0 |
| This CD-ROM is a compilation of resources available to help traffic, emergency, and maintenance managers improve roadway operations under inclement weather conditions. The CD-ROM includes a searchable database of 30 case studies of successful techniques used in response to various weather threats, including fog, high winds, rain, snow, ice, flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and avalanches. Other resources contained on the CD-ROM include a searchable database of more than 200 road weather publications, an environmental sensor overview, and 39 statewide road condition websites and other online resources. New features in the Version 2.0 CD-ROM include a Web-based interface and feedback form. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/mitigating_impacts/best_practices.htm. To order the CD-ROM, contact Lynette Goodwin, Noblis, (202) 488-3033, lynette.goodwin@noblis.org. | |
| Clarus System |
| The Clarus System is a software tool currently available for use by the transportation community on an experimental basis. The Clarus System compiles and distributes weather observations from environmental sensor stations (ESSs) in 11 U.S. states and three Canadian provinces. Users can search the system's total population of ESSs by contributing agency or by geospatial coordinates (latitude and longitude). Data may be downloaded in several formats compatible with many common database management software systems. Users may choose to receive weather observations at 20-minute intervals from selected ESSs on a subscription basis. (The Clarus System generates a subscription-specific link on the http://www.clarus-system.com website.) This prototype software has been made available to the transportation community for the purposes of demonstration, evaluation, and refinement of future versions of the software. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.clarus-system.com. | |
| Maintenance Decision Support System Version 5.0 |
| The Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) assists transportation maintenance personnel is making winter maintenance decisions with regard to the type, timing, rates and locations of road treatments, based on real-time weather observation data collected from a variety of sources. To aid in this decision support, MDSS generates diagnostic and prognostic maps of road conditions along road corridors, with emphasis on the 1- to 48-hour time horizon. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Order MDSS through the National Center for Atmospheric Research's (NCAR) Research Applied Laboratory (RAL) by registering at the website address http://www.rap.ucar.edu/projects/rdwx_mdss/products/register.php. | |
| Road Weather Resource Identification Tool, Version 2.0 |
| This software tool is a searchable database of hundreds of resources relating to road weather management, including research reports, articles, and other publications. Users can search the database by keyword, selecting from a list of topics, or using a "guided search" that interacts with the user through a series of questions. Version 2.0 was expanded to include more than 650 documents. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/rwri/registration.htm. Free registration is required to download the software. | |
 | 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium (3NSTWS) (2007) |
| This document provides a summary of the 3rd National Surface Transportation Weather Symposium (3NSTWS), held July 25-27, 2007, in Vienna, Virginia, and co-sponsored by the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM) and FHWA. The symposium provided a forum for representatives from three different aspects of surface transportation – operations, research and users – to work together to improve road weather products and services. The goal of this collaboration and these improved products and services is to reduce crashes and delays caused by inclement weather. This document summarizes each of the plenary speeches and breakout group sessions. The document concludes with action items to be accomplished as follow-up to the meeting. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ofcm.gov/wist/3NSTWSP-Summary-Report-Final.pdf. | |
| Clarus: A Clear Solution for Road Weather Information (2007) |
| This flier describes the Clarus system as the 21st century's answer to the need for timely, high-quality road weather information. The flier describes Clarus' benefits for transportation managers, weather information providers, and the traveling public. The flier also includes perspectives of state department of transportation personnel who will benefit from the system's ability to standardize road weather data across multiple jurisdictions and multiple regions. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: To order a hardcopy, contact Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Transportation Operations, (202) 366-1301, Paul.Pisano@dot.gov. For the online version, access the website address http://www.clarusinitiative.org/documents/Clarus_TRB_2007flyer_rev.pdf. | |
| Communicating with the Public Using ATIS During Disasters – A Guide for Practitioners (FHWA-HOP-07-068) (2007) |
| This report documents the findings of a study on the dissemination of traveler information during disasters, both natural (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes, avalanches and fires) and man-made (e.g., hazardous material spills and terrorist attacks). The report explores what information needs to be communicated to evacuees and other travelers during disaster conditions and how Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) can be used to deliver such information most effectively. The use of ATIS during actual disasters in California, Georgia, Nevada, Utah and Washington State is profiled in this report. The report presents a concept of operations that characterizes the flow of information among people, organizations, and technologies and recommends developing a local strategy for using ATIS during disasters. The report concludes with a toolkit for conducting a workshop among key stakeholders to develop such a strategy. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Empirical Studies on Traffic Flow in Inclement Weather (FHWA-HOP-07-073) (2007) |
| This report documents the findings of an evaluation of the impact of weather on traffic flow. That weather has an impact on traffic flow is obvious to both transportation professionals and laypeople. However, until this evaluation, there had been limited use of traffic analysis tools to better understand and quantify the relationship between the two. Archived data on both traffic and weather from three metropolitan areas – Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota; Baltimore, Maryland; and Seattle, Washington – were analyzed using macroscopic simulation models. The study found that varying weather conditions had no impact the density of traffic jams, but that rain and snow did impact free-flow speed, speed-at-capacity and road capacity and that the degree of impact was directly proportional to the intensity of precipitation. The report concludes with recommendations for future research. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Weather Applications and Products Enabled through Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII): Feasibility and Concept Development Study (FHWA-HOP-07-084) (2007) |
| Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) involves two-way wireless transmission of data from vehicles to other vehicles and from vehicles to the roadside. If implemented nationwide, VII has the potential to make enormous amounts of data available to many different types of ITS applications, including road weather applications. This report assesses the feasibility of using VII-enabled data to enhance road weather products and services. The report inventories what weather data elements are already available on board most vehicles, such as temperature, humidity, precipitation and light level. The report provides an analysis of existing road weather products and services that could be enhanced by vehicle-based weather data, as well as entirely new products and services that these data could make possible. The report presents the results of a case study from Detroit, Michigan that evaluated the accuracy of on-board data elements as compared with data from conventional weather monitoring equipment. The report concludes with recommendations for future research. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Integration of Emergency and Weather Elements into Transportation Management Centers (FHWA-HOP-06-090) (2006) |
| This report documents the findings of a study that examined how weather and emergency information is being integrated into operations at 38 transportation management centers (TMCs) across the country. The study was sponsored jointly by the FHWA Road Weather Management Program and the FHWA Emergency Transportation Operations Program. The report describes the state-of-the-practice in integration of weather and emergency information into TMC operations. The report also identifies best practices, discusses the benefits and challenges of integration, and offers recommendations on how to get started and how to enhance current weather/emergency integration at one's own TMC. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Prototype Weather Response System (WRS) for Transportation Operations (FHWA-HOP-06-106) (2006) |
| This flier provides an overview of an effort by the FHWA and the Missouri Department of Transportation to develop a prototype online software tool called Weather Response System (WRS). The WRS supports transportation systems management, operations, and maintenance prior to and during weather events. The flier presents the purposes, objectives, and features of the WRS. The flier concludes with a brief description of a three-month real-world test of the WRS and the planned enhancements that were identified during this test. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| The Maintenance Decision Support System (FHWA-HOP-05-061) (2005) |
| This flier provides an overview of an effort by the FHWA and its partners to develop a Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) prototype. The flier explains what an MDSS is, what is innovative about it, what the benefits are to maintenance supervisors at the state department of transportation level, where one can obtain MDSS documents and software, and what are the next steps in the development process. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Contact Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Transportation Operations, (202) 366-1301, Paul.Pisano@dot.gov. | |
| Road Weather Information System Environmental Sensor Station Siting Guidelines (FHWA-HOP-05-026) (2005) |
| This document provides guidelines for siting a Road Weather Information System (RWIS) Environmental Sensor Station (ESS) and its associated atmospheric and pavement sensors. The guidelines are intended to help establish uniformity in siting ESSs and to improve the usefulness of road weather information derived from ESS observations. The steps in the siting process include assessment of road weather information requirements, site selection, sensor location, scheduling periodic site review, and consideration of additional factors, such as power, communications, aesthetics, safety and security. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Road Weather Management Product Guide (FHWA-HOP-05-057) (2005) |
| This flier profiles several resources that are products of the FHWA Office of Operations' Road Weather Management Program (RWMP). The flier profiles available training, software tools, project fliers, reports, and other publications. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Contact Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Transportation Operations, (202) 366-1301, Paul.Pisano@dot.gov. | |
| Winter Highway Operations (NCHRP Synthesis# 344) (2005) |
| This report is an update to a 1994 NCHRP Synthesis report on managing roadway snow and ice control operations. This report presents the state-of-the-practice on winter highway operations, compiled through surveys sent to representatives of 71 transportation agencies in the U.S. and Canada. The report assesses the current state-of-the-practice, covering such issues as snow and ice control strategies, budgeting and performance measures, plow routes and material application decisions, storm clean-up, decision support, information management, operations, traditional technologies and Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS). The report also addresses agencies' environmental responsibilities, institutional and workforce issues, emerging technologies, and directions for future research. Cost: $17 for the hardcopy version; the online version is free. To Access This Resource: To order the hardcopy version, contact the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Bookstore at http://www.trb.org/bookstore and search for "SYH344," (202) 334-3213, fax: (202) 334-2519. For the online version, access the website address http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_syn_344.pdf. | |
| Collaborative Research on Road Weather Observations and Predictions by Universities, State Departments of Transportation, and National Weather Service Forecast Offices (2004) |
| From 2001 to 2003, the FHWA Road Weather Management program partnered with the National Weather Service to conduct five research projects through the Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education and Training (COMET). The purpose of these projects was to evaluate the use of weather observations and modeling to improve highway safety and support effective decisions made by the various jurisdictions that manage the highway system. These projects involved partnerships among the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Forecast Offices (WFOs), state departments of transportation, and universities. A report documents the findings of the research projects. A brochure summarizes the findings and presents lessons learned. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Weather and ITS (2004) |
| Published jointly by FHWA, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), this brochure examines both the present and future use of surface transportation weather information in traveler information, as well as transportation systems operations and maintenance. The brochure lists resource documents, websites and points-of-contact at FHWA, AMS, and ITS America. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.itsa.org/itsa/files/pdf/Weather_ITS_brochure.pdf. | |
| Where Weather Meets the Road: A Research Agenda for Improving Road Weather Services (2004) |
| This document outlines a research agenda for improving road weather services in the U.S., recommending that FHWA take the lead in creating a coordinated national road weather research program. The program's main objective would be to bring together the weather and transportation communities to maximize the use of available information and technologies, identify and support research priorities, and effectively implement new scientific and technological advances. Recommended next steps are to establish regional research centers and create national demonstration corridors to showcase the effectiveness of road weather improvements. Cost: $37 for the hardcopy version; $31.50 for the online version; $48 for both. To Access This Resource: Contact National Academies Press, (800) 624-6242, http://www.nap.edu. | |
| Environmental Sensor Stations (ESS) ITS Standards Advisory (2003) |
| This flier is one of a series of documents that provide state and local transportation agencies with background and guidance on development issues and other key activities related to ITS standards. This flier provides an update on recent developments concerning standards for environmental sensor stations within the National Transportation Communications for ITS Protocol (NTCIP) family of ITS standards. An initial version of the NTCIP standard for environmental sensor stations – NTCIP 1204 – was published in 1998. The flier contains case studies on the use of NTCIP 1204 in Minnesota, Washington, and Wisconsin; a list of contacts; and a bibliography. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Intelligent Transportation Systems and Winter Operations in Japan (FHWA-PL-03-016) (2003) |
| This report documents the findings of a 2003 scanning tour of Hokkaido, Japan, to investigate the use of advanced technologies for winter maintenance operations and implementation of those advances in Japan's ITS architecture. The report presents the scanning team's recommendations for application of Japan's techniques in the U.S. including testing several advanced winter maintenance vehicle systems, investigating integration of weather-related information into ITS corridors, developing performance-based standards for winter maintenance, and establishing a data-sharing project involving the National Weather Service and transportation agencies. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Proceedings of the Workshop on Strategy for Providing Atmospheric Information (2002) |
| This document is a compilation of presentations given at the Workshop on Strategy for Providing Atmospheric Information, held December 3-5, 2001, in Arlington, Virginia and sponsored by the Office of the Federal Coordinator of Meteorology's (OFCM) Joint Action Group for Weather Information for Surface Transportation (JAG/WIST). The goal of the workshop was to consider how best to take advantage of the considerable investments in weather observation technology that have already been made on a national scale. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ofcm.gov/sai/presentations/sai_linking_file.htm. | |
| Weather Information for Surface Transportation (WIST): National Needs Assessment Report (2002) |
| Published by the Office of the Federal Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research (OFCM), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), this report compiles and analyzes weather information needs for selected surface transportation sectors. The report draws conclusions that are common to roadway, railway, transit, and marine transportation, pipeline systems, and airport ground operations. In addition, the report suggests next steps for a broadly coordinated weather information for surface transportation (WIST) initiative. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ofcm.gov/wist_report/wist-report.htm. | |
| National Review of Hurricane Evacuation Plans and Policies (2001) |
| This report documents the findings of a review of state departments of transportation hurricane evacuation policies and strategies. This report includes information on the application of evacuation strategies and technologies, such as the use of lane reversal (contraflow) operations and ITS. The report also summarizes current evacuation management policies, methods of information exchange, and decision-making criteria. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.hurricane.lsu.edu/%26EvacuationReview.pdf. | |
| Proceedings of the Weather Information for Surface Transportation (WIST) Forum (2001) |
| This document provides a summary of the Weather Information for Surface Transportation (WIST) Forum, held December 4-6, 2000, in Rockville, Maryland, and sponsored by the Office of the Federal Coordinator of Meteorology's (OFCM) Joint Action Group for Weather Information for Surface Transportation (JAG/WIST). The goal of the forum was to improve the weather information that is available to decision-makers. The proceedings summarize each of the plenary speeches, breakout group sessions, and closing remarks, and link to the presentations given at the forum where available. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.ofcm.gov/wist2/proceedings2000/wist2startup.htm. To order a hardcopy, contact Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Transportation Operations, (202) 366-1301, Paul.Pisano@dot.gov. | |
| Surface Transportation Weather Decision Support Requirements (1999-2000) |
| This series of documents presents the findings of the Surface Transportation Weather Decision Support Requirements (STWDSR) project. STWDSR Draft Version 1.0 documents the weather information requirements of all road operators, maintainers, and users. STWDSR Draft Version 2.0 focuses on the decision support requirements of a particular stakeholder group – winter road maintenance engineers. It also presents an operational concept for a Weather Information for Surface Transportation Decision Support System (WIST-DSS). Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the following website addresses:
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| Saving Lives, Improving Transportation Efficiency – Weather Information for Surface Transportation (FHWA-JPO-99-015) (1999) |
| This brochure, one in a series designed to encourage decision-makers to invest their own budget resources in ITS, examines the safety and travel efficiency benefits of weather information for surface transportation (WIST) systems. The brochure quotes from road maintenance departments, transit agencies, and everyday motorists about the benefits they have experienced from using these systems. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.itsdocs.fhwa.dot.gov/jpodocs/brochure/6863.pdf. | |
 | Road Risk (FHWA-HOP-05-024) (2005) |
| This 21-minute video explores the effects of weather on highway operations and the existing and emerging solutions being implemented to improve mobility, safety, and productivity. The video discusses ongoing efforts to improve operations, focusing on operations under severe weather conditions and the role of ITS. The video highlights several technology solutions, including low visibility warning systems, maintenance decision support systems, and 511. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: To order a copy of the video, contact Paul Pisano, FHWA Office of Transportation Operations, (202) 366-1301, Paul.Pisano@dot.gov. | |
 | Principles and Tools for Road Weather Management (NHI Course# 137030) |
| This course helps those involved in highway maintenance and operations develop techniques and strategies for tackling road weather problems. This course provides basic knowledge of meteorology and addresses the technological resources available to support highway personnel in making effective road weather management decisions. Key topics covered in the course include the impacts of weather on highway operations, fundamentals of meteorology including how it pertains to Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS), technical and institutional resources available for implementing RWIS and a range of effective and open solutions to various types of road weather conditions and for various management practices. The course focuses heavily on resources and solutions, and how those solutions can reduce the impact of adverse weather on the traveling public and the highway agency. Target Audience: Transportation engineers, planners, managers, public works personnel, safety engineers, systems engineers, operators, maintenance personnel and emergency personnel. Course Length: One Day Cost: $200 per participant To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/brows_catalog.aspx and search for course number "137030." | |
| Anti-Icing/RWIS Computer-Based Training |
| This course is a self-paced, interactive, multi-media computer-based training (CBT) course that instructs students on the use of Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) and anti-icing techniques. After completing the introductory lessons, students put their knowledge into practice in the Scenario Room in which students battle winter events with tools available in a simulated winter maintenance facility. Cost: $400 for members of the American Public Works Association (APWA); $500 for non-members. To Access This Resource: Contact the APWA Bookstore, http://www.apwa.net/bookstore/detail.asp?PC=PB.X407, (800) 848-2792, fax: (816) 472-1610. | |
| Fundamentals of Road Weather Management CD-ROM: Professional Development Module |
| This professional development module was developed by FHWA in partnership with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) to provide transportation practitioners with a quick, concise, and easy way to learn the basics of road weather management. The CD-ROM provides general information about the scope of the road weather problem, the types of management strategies that can be used, the technologies available to support road weather management, and actions that can be taken to address road weather incidents. The CD-ROM also presents best practices in road weather management. The module includes a PowerPoint presentation that takes about an hour to complete, as well as a supplemental guide. Cost: $75 for ITE members; $100 for non-members. To Access This Resource: Contact the ITE Bookstore, http://www.ite.org/bookstore/index.asp, (202) 289-0222 x130, fax: (202) 289-7722, publications@ite.org. | |
| Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Roadshow |
| The Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS) Roadshow presents an overview of MDSS – a system that advises winter maintenance managers on where to deploy what resources (such as snow plows) based on current weather conditions. A 30-minute Executive Briefing describes what MDSS is, how it works, and the benefits (in terms of cost savings and more effective maintenance) that MDSS can achieve. A three-hour Shop Session covers all the material in the Executive Briefing, but also goes into more detail about MDSS functionality. In addition, a case study from Iowa, the MDSS Pooled Fund Study Program, and a list of MDSS vendors are presented in the Shop Session. Cost: Free To Access This Resource: Access the website address http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/seminars/mdss_roadshow or contact Ray Murphy of the FHWA Resource Center, (708) 283-3517, Ray.Murphy@dot.gov. | |