Response Time of Pavement Temperatures during Liquid to Frozen Precipitation Events (219)

Derrick Snyder, National Weather Service, Paducah, Kentucky

Ashley Ravenscraft, National Weather Service

Patrick Spoden, National Weather Service

 

Abstract:

As the National Weather Service (NWS) expands its role as an impact-based decision support (IDSS) service organization, NWS forecasters are trying to expand their field of knowledge of how weather impacts IDSS core partners to provide more useful forecasts and briefing information. A common type of winter event in the Lower Ohio and Mid-Mississippi River Valley is transition winter weather events, where liquid precipitation falls during the onset and then transitions to frozen precipitation. Understanding how pavement temperatures respond during these types of winter weather scenarios will help NWS forecasters provide better service.

Using archived meteorological data and observations, taken from road weather information sensors maintained by the Indiana Department of Transportation and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, several case studies of transition winter precipitation were analyzed to determine the response of pavement temperatures. As an example, during one transition winter weather event, pavement temperatures remained above freezing as the air temperature fell below freezing, resulting in minimal snow/ice accumulation on the road surface with icing on elevated surfaces. This presentation will discuss the case study evaluation process, and outline findings and recommendations for forecasters.