Description

This course provides transportation professionals in highway maintenance and/or highway operations with training to develop tools and strategies for addressing road weather problems. The course begins with an overview of the types of road weather problems and their associated costs, as well as basic meteorology for non-meteorologists. Through this course, participants are exposed to various strategies for addressing road weather problems, including Road Weather Information Systems (RWIS) and the development of crosscutting decision support systems to respond effectively to weather situations. In addition, road weather solutions unique to maintenance management, traffic management, traveler information, and emergency management are discussed.

This course is part of the Specialized Learning Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) curriculum established by the ITS Professional Capacity Building (PCB) program. For more information, click here.

This course is also available as a classroom course through National Highway Institute (NHI).  For more information, click here.

Objectives

Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:

• Recognize the crosscutting impacts that weather has upon roadway operations
• Identify the technical and institutional challenges of implementing road weather management strategies
• Explain the range of effective and open solutions to the various types of weather for various management practices, i.e., maintenance, traffic, emergency, and safety management
• Discuss the variety of operational tools and techniques available to the transportation community to deal with the impacts

Audience

This course is designed for persons engaged in any aspect of highway maintenance, operations, traffic management, emergency management, and highway safety, specifically those engaged in the implementation of solutions for roadway problems; technical specialists engaged in the implementation of solutions for roadway problems that are caused by weather; State and local transportation/public works agencies, and mid-level managers who direct their agency's resources; and FHWA personnel.

Length

Approximately 6 hours.  

Course Outline

Course Introduction

1. Course Outcomes
2. Course Expectations
3. Course Gateway

Lesson 1. Road Weather Problems

1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Road Weather Impacts
4. Mobility Impacts
5. Safety Impacts
6. Productivity Impacts
7. Environmental Impacts
8. Lesson 1 Summary
9. Lesson 1 Quiz

Lesson 2.  Meteorology for Non-meteorologists

1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Meteorology
4. Important General Weather Topics
5. Air Masses
6. High and Low Pressure Systems
7. Knowledge Check
8. Jet Stream
9. Fronts
10.  Precipitation Types
11.  Precipitation
12.  Precipitation In Your Area
13.  Road Contaminant Layer
14.  Knowledge Check
15.  Important Weather and Road Surface Parameters
16.  Weather Parameters and Road Surface Conditions
17.  Solar Radiation
18.  Roadway Heat Balance
19.  Pavement Temperature
20.  Knowledge Check
21.  Effects of Precipitation and Fog
22.  Evaporation
23.  Atmospheric Moisture Capacity
24.  Knowledge Check
25.  Pavement and Bridge Frost Formation
26.  Pavement and Bridge Frost Maintenance
27.  Lesson 2 Summary
28.  Lesson 2 Quiz

Lesson 3. Road Weather Data

1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Weather Service Providers
4. Public Weather Services
5. Public Weather Services (cont’d)
6. Weather Services: Whom Do You Rely On?
7. Knowledge Check
8. Surface Transportation Weather Services
9. Surface Transportation Weather Services (cont’d)
10.  Knowledge Check
11.  Forecasts
12.  Length of Forecasts
13.  Tailored Forecasts
14.  Pavement Condition Forecasts
15.  Knowledge Check
16.  Length of Forecasts: What’s Your Experience?
17.  Weather Data Sources
18.  Common Weather Data Types
19.  Specialized Weather Data Types
20.  Common Weather Data Uses
21.  Weather Data Resources
22.  Knowledge Check
23.  Other Weather Data Resources
24.  Weather Satellites
25.  Weather Satellites Example
26.  Weather Radar
27.  Weather Radar Example    
28.  Weather Radar Information: What’s Your Experience? 
29.  ESS Sites and Site Data
30.  RWIS Network
31.  Knowledge Check: Crossword Puzzle
32.  Lesson 3 Summary
33.  Lesson 3 Quiz

Lesson 4. Technology Resources and Implementation

1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Benefits of Road Weather Management
4. Thinking about Road Weather Management Benefits
5. Road WeatherTechnologies
6. Road Weather Management Strategies
7. Road Weather Management Strategies (cont’d)
8. Road Weather Management Strategies: Examples
9. Knowledge Check
10. Road Weather Management Implementation Challenges
11. Technology Implementation Challenges
12. Knowledge Check
13. Additional Resources
14. Evolution of Road Weather Management
15. Current Road Weather Management Initiatives and Partnerships
16. Maintenance Decision Support Systems (MDSS)
17. Clarus Initiative
18. Available Road Weather Management Resources
19. Lesson 4 Summary
20. Lesson 4 Quiz

Lesson 5. Case Study

1. Introduction
2. Learning Outcomes
3. Distinguishing Reactive from Proactive Planning
4. Distinguishing Reactive from Proactive Planning (cont’d)
5. Negative Aspects of Reactive Planning
6. Benefits of Proactive Planning
7. Resources for Proactive Planning
8. Knowledge Check
9. Exercise: Scenarios
10. Exercise: Suggested Solutions
11. Lesson 5 Summary
12. Lesson 5 Quiz

Lesson 6. Course Wrap-up/Summary

1. Introduction
2. Lesson Recap
3. Some Important Notions
4. Conclusion
5. Conclusion (cont’d)
6. Final Exam