Lyndon State Meteorology Students Predict Weather for VTrans

If the Vermont transportation budget goes a little farther this year, and if the winter roads are a little clearer during storms, thank the Lyndon Institute of Applied Meteorology (LIAM) and the five students working with the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) to make that happen. Thank the road crews, too.
Since last fall, Kyle Blount (Peacedale, R.I.), Steve Breault (Wakefield, Mass.), Joshua Redinger (N. Scituate, R.I.), Tyler Southard (Rockland, Me.) and Matthew Clegg (Biddeford, Me.), all LSC meteorology majors, have been sending weather predictions to VTrans. The Agency, in turn, uses the information to help determine the best time at which to send out the plow, sand or salt trucks, often just before the storm hits. The weather information can help saves lives through improved road conditions, as well as save money in the long run.
It is always a challenge for state road crews to determine the precise time a storm will arrive. Accurate weather predictions help road crews plan just when to lay down salt to help improve driving conditions during a storms first few hours. Forecasts provided by Lyndon State students will help VTrans respond in a timely manner to severe winter weather conditions. The students’ predictions include the amount, type and time of precipitation to expect. This should result not only in safer roads, but also aid in making highway maintenance more efficient and cost effective.
The project is funded by Clarus and Connect Vermont, a federal Intelligent Transportation Systems initiative that U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy secured for the State of Vermont. Originally, the weather predictions were intended for a small, test-section of state highways, but the students’ work has been so appreciated that VTrans recently began asking for forecasting across the entire state.
“We use the student predictions daily,” said VTrans Operations Director Scott Rogers. “The partnership shows a lot of promise. As the relationship matures, I expect tremendous results through improved response time and safer roads.”
In addition to data collected at Lyndon State by the Meteorology Department’s technology, a new state system called RWIS, for Road Weather Information System, contributes to the accuracy of the predictions in some state locations. RWIS, purchased with another federal grant, gathers data from road sensing devices. The equipment provides information on the weather at a particular spot (wind speed and direction, visibility, dew point) as well as road-surface conditions such as temperature, wetness, amount of de-icing material on the highway, and freezing point.
LIAM was set up precisely to attract this kind of work, LSC Meteorology Dept. Chair Bruce Berryman says. “For several years, LIAM has performed research projects for outside interests as a means of better educating students through experience with the work world prior to graduation. But this is the first time we have been able to put our expertise and our students’ talents to work in a way that directly benefit the State of Vermont. It’s a good fit.”
The weather information will eventually be incorporated into travelers’ kiosks at rest areas and traveler web sites, such as 511.com and VermontVacation.com. It will also be available on the Clarus web site, VTrans’ website and the VTrans Condition Acquisition Reporting System, so Vermont drivers can make better decisions about winter travel on their own.