New weather display system aids airports

17 Jun 2002

Two of the nation's busiest and snowiest airports, New York's LaGuardia and Chicago's O'Hare, will be test sites this winter for a new data-gathering and display system to aid airlines in making deicing decisions. Beginning early January, the system will provide snowfall "nowcasts" up to 30 minutes in advance for participating airlines to help reduce takeoff delays, increase safety, and save money on deicing procedures.

The new system's half-hour forecasts could mean big savings for airlines through more effective deicing practices and fewer cancellations. Funded by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the Weather Support to Deicing Decision Making (WSDDM) was developed by the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder.