Aviation Week

DTN Meteorlogix To Fund NCAR Effort

The National Center for Atmospheric Research is arguably the most prestigious R&D center for atmospheric science in the world. Now DTN Meteorlogix, the Minneapolis, Minn.-based provider of weather information services to business, has announced a new long-term relationship with NCAR that will provide funding to the latter in the interest of developing new products and services.

According to DTN Meteorlogix Vice President Ron Sznaider, what should emerge from the development effort are more accurate forecasts, more frequent updates, and more specialized weather services. “Uses of our products and services fall into three categories,” Sznaider said. “They enhance safety, they mitigate risks and they improve operating efficiencies.” The goal for the new products and services will be to amplify those three categories, he added.

In terms of safety, one goal will be improved timing of predicted storm arrivals and more accurate predictions of thunderstorm activity at a given location that would improve on the storm timing system that the company has already developed and patented. Another area ripe for improvement is forecasting in support of deicing operations on the ground as well as forecasts of icing conditions aloft.

Sznaider says the company has provided such specialized weather information for more than 25 years and has a staff of 55 full-time degreed meteorologists. “There are times when conditions require deicing of aircraft before they depart, and it’s a safety issue but it’s also expensive,” Sznaider says. “Our meteorologists consult directly with airport operators to provide timely updates. The NCAR technology is unique in that it has adaptive characteristics that learn the tendencies of individual airports to provide a more detailed, more accurate short-term forecast used by our aviation meteorologists to go back to the airport operator and give them a more accurate expectation of what conditions will prevail and when.”

Other enhancements are expected to include expansion of both domestic and international forecasts for convection and turbulence to ensure safety and improve ride quality. In addition, they expect to see improvements in locating and evaluating the jetstream and upper winds at higher altitudes.

Customers can expect a significant enhancement in winter operations with forecasts of runway surface conditions in real time. Airports base decisions about plowing and surface chemical treatments on forecasts and pavement temperature as measured by embedded sensors. “At a smaller airport that has no sensors, we’ll be able to deliver an estimate that should enable the operator to maintain a high degree of safety,” Sznaider said.

The company is keeping the amount of its investment under wraps. “We take a continuing engineering approach,” Sznaider said. “We provide software updates at least three times a year. We’re excited about how this effort can continue to improve these important services,” he added.