Department of Transportation

1
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
U.S. Coast Guard Great Lakes Waterway Operations

• Department of Transportation
• USCG/ District 9
• Waterways

2
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Overview

• Background
• Readiness Status
• Impacts
• Summary

3
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Background

• Weather influences depend on
• Cutter capabilities
• Type of missions
• Area of operations

4
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Background

• Sources of Weather Information
• National Weather Service
• National Ice Center
• Communications
• Telephone and teletype
• Internet
• NOAA Weather Radio

5
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Readiness Status

• Coast Guard cutters are assigned a "readiness"
  status
• Period of time a cutter must be ready to proceed
  to a tasked mission
• 2 hours
• 12 hours
• 24 hours
• Weather information with similar leadtime is
  needed

6
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Impacts - Precipitation

• Any precipitation has an impactreducing
  visibility and producing radar ground clutter
• Snowfall affects cutter stability and crew
  movement
• Ice is most criticalreducing cutter stability
• Flooding caused by ice jams may require ice
  breaking operations

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WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Impacts - Temperatures

• Freezing air and water temperatures affect Coast
  Guard operations
• Freezing spray / structural icing reduces cutter
  stability
• Sea-ice formation
• Suspend small boat operations
• Commence icebreaking operations
• Temperature extremes impact personnel

8
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Impacts - Visibility

• Commanding Officer's Standing Orders direct
  cutter's response to reduced visibility
• Normally precautions are directed when visibility
  is reduced to between 2-4 nautical miles

9
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Impacts - Winds

• Each class of Coast Guard cutter reacts
  differently to different wind speeds
• Higher wind speeds may reduce or restrict small
  boat operations
• High winds may dictate "search and rescue"
  operations

10
WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Impacts - Waves

• Wind-driven tides ("seiching") produces low water
  levels
• Restricts shallow water boat operations
• Wave effects on port operations differ depending
  on cutter mooring
• Extreme wave height may restrict operations and
  dictate "search and rescue" missions

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WEATHER INFORMATION NEEDS / REQUIREMENTS RESULTS
Summary

• Safety of public
• Readiness to respond
• Mission effectiveness