CWSU Support to ZAN ARTCC

1
Center Weather Service Unit (CWSU) (Anchorage)
ARTCC

• Kristine Nelson
• Meteorologist In Charge, CWSU Anchorage

2
CWSU Description

• Joint FAA/NWS weather support units generally
  staffed 16 hours per day by NWS meteorologists,
  and 24 hours a day by FAA TMU personnel, to
  provide meteorological support to the 21 ARTCCs.

3
CWSU Background

• The CWSUs were established by the FAA in 1978
• as a result of a recommendation by the NTSB,
  which
• determined that one of the major contributing
  factors in a Southern Airways DC-9 crash in New
  Hope, Ga., on April 4, 1977 was that the FAA
  lacked the ability to disseminate hazardous
  weather information to flight crews in real time.
• The FAA contracted with the NWS to provide
• meteorologists to staff a newly established
  weather unit at each center.

4
CWSU Purpose

• Provide meteorological consultation, forecasts,
  and advice to managers and staff within the ARTCC
  and other FAA supported facilities.
• There are 21 ARTCCs and 21 co-located CWSUs.

5
(No Transcript)
6
Area of Responsibility
Anchorage FIR
2.4 million sq. mi.
7
2.3 Million Square miles!
8
(No Transcript)
9
Products and Services

• Center Weather Advisory (0-2 hr)
• Meteorological Impact Statement (MIS)
• (2-12 hr)
• PIREPs (UA, UUA)
• SIGMET/VAA dissemination (AAWU, Tokyo, Russia,
  and Canada)
• Briefings (oral, graphical)
• Provide meteorological advise to ARTCC

10
Daily Weather Briefings

• 2 Briefings daily
• 730am and 430pm
• Focus on weather
• that could impact air traffic.
• - Cig/visby/wx obstructions
• - Icing
• - Turbulence
• - LLWS
• - Cold Air aloft
• - High Altimeter
• - Volcanic eruptions

11
Meteorological Advice

• Traffic Managers may need more details for
  particular locations or areas so they can make
  important planning decisions.
• Aircraft in trouble
• Technicians want to take a critical system down
  for maintenance.
• Advice regarding weather in military airspace,
  especially during large force exercises (Northern
  Edge, Red Flag, etc). Military weather recalls
  can have a tremendous impact on the Anchorage
  Center, FAI Approach, and ANC Approach.

12
Alaska Aviation HazardsVolcanoes

• Alaska41 active volcanoes
• 21 seismically monitored
• Kamchatka29 active volcanoes
• 9 seismically monitored.
• Northern Kuriles40 active volcanoes
• 0 seismically monitored.

13
Composite Ash from Puff Model 89 eruptions and
114 events in 30 years in the North Pacific with
ash over 20,000 feet
14
Air Routes
15
Jet Tracks Across theNorth Pacific
16
Volcanic ash support to ARTCC and aviation
community

• Special TMU and SUP briefings following a
  volcanic eruption using Puff model, satellite,
  camera data, and Graphical Volcanic Ash MIS as
  briefing tools.
• Graphical Volcanic MIS created on VACT and faxed
  to over 86 customers.
• Continuous volcanic watch and evaluation
  following notification of an eruption.

17
Sheveluch Eruption May 9th, 2004
18
(No Transcript)
19
Online WebPuff

• http//puff.images.alaska.edu/index.shtml
• Created by AVO in FAI
• Auto update every hour

20
FAI AVO 4-D Puff model
21
Augustine 2006
22
Composite of Augustine ash clouds in AVHRR
(split-window)
January- February 2006
13 January 2006
23
Augustine Jan 13, 2006 eruption VACT HRPT
Satellite images depict ash in blue.
24
Augustine Ash moving SE Jan 13-14, 2006
25
VACT- Analysis of Ash
PUFF Fcst ash at Homer at 2300z Jan 13th, 2006.
Ash actually reached Homer At 1700z (6 hours
earlier) as shown in this 4-5 HRPT Sat image.
26
Kamchatka Split Window
27
3 Channel IR from Washington VAAC Website
28
22,695 lightning strikes occurred last August in
the state of Alaska
29
VACT created Graphical Volcanic Ash MIS
30
10,000 lightning strikes in 24 hours July 6-7,
2007
31
Alaskan Severe Weather
Tornado near Bethel, AK Summer 2004.
Funnel cloud that turned into a Tornado near
Sand Point, AK July 27th, 2005.
32
Alaskas biggest thunderstorm related aviation
hazard.
Smoke from lightning caused fires.
33
Notice big breaks in coverage. A strong
thunderstorm can exist in these gaps.
34
Other Data sources
Web Cameras (Webcams)
Lake Clark Pass on a clear day
Lake Clark Pass at 4pm, August 23rd 2006
35
Other Data Sources
Lake Clark Pass Northeast camera and sectional map
36
Other Data Sources
NOAA NWS Terminal Areodrome Forecasts (TAFs)
TAF PANC 232331Z 240024 VRB05KT P6SM SCT040
BKN070 FM2100 03007KT P6SM SCT050 BKN090
37
Other Data Sources
AFSS clickable map to photographs and runway
drawings
38
Other Data Sources
Example of photos found on AFSS webpage
39
Questions?
Kristine Nelson CWSU MIC Anchorage,
AK 907-269-1245 Kristine.A.Nelson_at_noaa.gov