Pathfinder Peer Exchange

WebinarJanuary 16, 2019

This webinar will be recorded.

Agenda

• Pathfinder: National Experience– Roemer Alfelor, FHWA

– Shawn DeVinny, NWS

• NWP States Experiences, Outcomes and Impacts of Pathfinder– Minnesota DOT – Joe Huneke

– Wyoming DOT – Gabe Gutierrez and Mark Heuer

• Other NWP Related Experiences

• Questions and Answers

• Closing

3North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar

Pathfinder Overview

Roemer Alfelor (FHWA)

Shawn DeVinny (NWS)

January 16, 2019

Name of Event 4North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 4

FHWA Every Day Counts (EDC) Program

State-based model to identify and rapidly deploy

proven but underutilized innovations to:

✓shorten the project delivery process

✓enhance roadway safety

✓reduce congestion

✓improve environmental sustainability

▪ EDC Rounds: 2-year cycles

▪ Currently 5th Round (2019-2020) - 10 innovations

▪ To date: 4 Rounds, 46 innovations

Name of Event 5North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 5

EDC-4 Initiative (2017-2018)

Weather Savvy Roads - Promotes adoption of

two distinct road weather management solutions:

(1) Pathfinder - brings together DOTs and the

National Weather Service to provide consistent

messaging on adverse weather and road

conditions

(2) Integrating Mobile Observations (IMO) -

advanced vehicle-based technologies for road

weather data collection and applications

Name of Event 6North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 6

Video overview Pathfinder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bc_Vza30NfA

Name of Event 7North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 7

Pathfinder in a Nutshell

• Collaboration between the National

Weather Service (NWS), State DOTs,

and support contractors to share and

translate forecasts into consistent

public transportation impact

messages

• Disseminates road weather

information that is:– clear, – concise, – consistent, and – impact-based.

Name of Event 8North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 8

Pathfinder Guidelines

• Describes 8 basic steps and associated requirements

• Provides examples from State DOT implementations

• Companion workbook walks team through the

implementation process

Identify Partners

Determine Qualifying

Collaboration Events

Select Communication Mediums and Set

Procedures

Establish Point Person at Each Participating

Entity

Synchronize Forecast

Schedules

Establish Definitions and Create Shared

Resources

Create Shared Impact Message for the Public

Conduct Post Event Review

and Data Archiving

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8

Name of Event 9North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar

Pathfinder Deployment States

.

District of Columbia

Georgia

Ohio

Michigan

Maine

IndianaIllinois

MissouriKansas

Nebraska

Montana

Wyoming

Utah

Arizona

California

Iowa

Minnesota

Wisconsin

IdahoOregon

Washington

Colorado

South

Carolina

WestVirginia

New YorkMass.

Conn.Rhode. I.

Vermont

N.H.

Virginia

Pennsylvania

North Carolina

North Dakota

South Dakota

New

Mexico

Florida

Alabama

Tennessee

Kentucky

Mississippi

Louisiana

ArkansasOklahoma

Texas

Maryland

Delaware

N.JNevada

Alaska

Hawaii

Puerto Rico

Virgin Is.

Pathfinder

Adoption (21)

Active but not

adopting Under

EDC-4Not Implementing

Name of Event 10North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 10

Utah DOT Pathfinder

Implementation Outcomes

• Well forecasted, unified messages

• Reduction in VMT during snow events

• Public is more apt to modify their travel plans

▪ Changed schedule

▪ Changed route

▪ Did not travel

▪ Used transit

• Trust is built among the public if all sources state the same

road impacts

• DOT Maintenance is more effective, with less congestion on

the roads

• Improved safety and mobility overall

Name of Event 11North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 11

NWS-Utah DOT Collaboration Website

Name of Event 12North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 12

WSR (PF and IMO) Toolkit

Access the toolkit from FHWA’s Road Weather Management Exchange

Website!

https://go.usa.gov/xnSqy

Name of Event 13North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 13

NWS-FHWA Partnership

Name of Event 14North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 14

The NWS Role

WILL

• Help understand the evolution, timing and impacts of

hazardous weather events

WILL NOT

• Forecast road/pavement conditions nor provide decision

assistance for road treatment options

• Provide roadway specific forecasts (e.g. amount of snow

accumulation on roadways, road surface temperatures).

• Run specialized road weather modelling for public

dissemination.

• Provide public facing road hazard mapping

Name of Event 15North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 15

NWS Products/Services

NWS WEATHER UPDATES

– Watches/Warnings/Advisories

• Winter Storm

• Ice Storm

• High Wind

– Forecasts and evolution

– Expected Impacts

NWS CHATS

– Chatrooms dedicated to Pathfinder Collaboration

Name of Event 16North West Passage Peer Exchange Webinar 16

Contacts

Federal Highway Administration

• Paul Pisano Paul.Pisano@dot.gov

• Roemer Alfelor Roemer.Alfelor@dot.gov

• Gabe Guevara Gabriel.Guevara@dot.gov

• Ray Murphy Ray.Murphy@dot.gov

National Weather Service

• Roham Abtahi Roham.Abtahi@noaa.gov

• Shawn DeVinny Shawn.DeVinny@noaa.gov

Minnesota Pathfinder

Joe Huneke| Road Weather Technology Section Supervisor

January 16, 2019

Minnesota Pathfinder

• MnDOT signed up as part of Every Day Counts (EDC-4) Weather Savvy Roads Initiative

• Pathfinder workshop was held September 2017

• Workshop consisted of reviewing current practices and possible Pathfinder situations

• A plan was developed to implement Pathfinder practices for the winter of (2017/2018)

• Identified stakeholders

1/23/2019 18

Stakeholders

• MnDOT Maintenance Operations

• Regional Transportation Management Center (RTMC)

• National Weather Service (6 NWS offices)

• Iteris (private weather forecaster)

• MnDOT Office of Communications (Central, and District offices)

1/23/2019 19

Getting Started

• With the guidance of NWS office a Minnesota Pathfinder chatroom and training was created

• MnDOT Pathfinder Implementation Team promoted participation in chatroom within MnDOT Maintenance operations

• Worked with RTMC to provide direction on Changeable Message Signs (CMS’s)

• Criteria was established as to when a Pathfinder Weather Briefing was to be held

1/23/2019 20

Pathfinder Weather Briefings

• MnDOT Pathfinder Coordinator collaborates with NWS and Iteris

• Follow suggested criteria for winter storm warnings/blizzards that will have a high travel impact

• Time of day:

• 11:00 AM

• 3:00 PM

• Other times determined by need and or special situations

1/23/2019 21

Weather Briefing Agenda

• Agenda for the call:

• Pathfinder Coordinator will moderate the call

• NWS will brief on the forecast

• Iteris will brief on the Road Weather impacts

• Questions should be asked to NWS & Iteris at this point

• Traffic Operations will brief on the CMS deployment

• Districts/Maintenance affected by warning will brief on their deployment plan

• Communications will share there plan of public outreach strategies

• Any others will be given time to discuss anything else pertinent to the call

1/23/2019 22

MnDOT Pathfinder Benefits

• Developed a great working relationship with NWS offices

• Collaboration between MnDOT, Iteris, and NWS in Pathfinder Chatroom

• Maintenance Operations personnel have become accustomed to using Pathfinder Chatroom

• Forecasters value feedback from Maintenance Operations personnel in the field

• Positive conversation has enhanced the Pathfinder Program

1/23/2019 23

Thank you again!

For more information on Minnesota Pathfinder

Kathleen Schmidt kitty.Schmidt@state.mn.us

Joe Huneke joseph.Huneke@state.mn.us

1/23/2019 24

Gabe Gutierrez: TMC Quality Control AnalystMark Heuer: DayWeather Meteorlogist

To create site specific, pre-event DMS messages for weather events that will impact the traveling public.

Dense Fog Winter Weather Events (Heavy impacts, but

not at Warning Levels) Winter Storm Warnings Blizzard Warnings Snow Squal Warnings High Wind Events

DayWeather Meteorologist submits a form to the TMC with current times and locations of the event

TMC Operators update the DMS.

When a TMC operator posts ANY conditions on the DMS that warrants the use of flashing beacons

▪ If conditions are that bad, we should avoid distracting drivers with extra information that will be no use to them during the storm event.

When there is high confidence from the Day Weather Meteorologist, or reports from NWS of wind events that will carry WIND GUSTS of 60+ MPH in “Light/High Profile Vehicle Closure” zones.

Continuity of information

▪ If the time or impacts of the storm is adjusted by the NWS or the TMC meteorologist, the operators must update their DMS to reflect.

▪ The forecasted weather did not live up to expectations.

▪ We try to make sure the Pathfinder messages are only activated for weather events that will have “high” impacts to travel.

Gabriel.Gutierrez@wyo.gov

Discussion

• Meteorologists (On-Staff, Contract)

• Sources uses for weather information (e.g. NWS, WeatherNet)

• Interaction/Coordination with NWS– Conference calls, e-mailed briefings, NWS Chat?– How do you use NWS information (maintenance decisions and

staffing, messages to the public)?

• Pathfinder– Has your state conducted a workshop?– What are the triggers to have a Pathfinder call?– What agencies attend Pathfinder calls?– Experiences with coordinated messaging?

Closing

• Contacts for more information– Roemer Alfelor

• Roemer.Alfelor@dot.gov

– Shawn DeVinny• shawn.devinny@noaa.gov

– Joe Huneke, Minnesota DOT• joseph.huneke@state.mn.us

– Gabe Gutierrez, Wyoming DOT• gabriel.gutierrez@wyo.gov

– Brandon Beise, North Dakota DOT• bbeise@nd.gov

www.nwpassage.info