Center Weather Service Unit CWSU ZFW Support of

Center Weather Service Unit CWSU ZFW Support of Air Traffic Operations Douglas Reno

Fort Worth Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC)

Birth of the CWSU Program: Southern Airlines crash 04 April 1977 NTSB Recommendation to FAA: NTSB-AAR-78 -3 dated 26 January 1978 Weather Support to be provided from NWS with On-site Meteorologists

20 CWSU’s in the CONUS (1 in Alaska) 3 Meteorologists 1 Meteorologist-in-Charge Two shifts per day (Normally…one forecaster per shift) (ZFW: 5: 30 am – 9: 30 pm…overtime as needed) Two formal briefings per day: 7: 00 am / 3: 00 pm

ZFW High Altitude Sectors: FL 240 & Above

ZFW Low Altitude Sectors: Below FL 240

Fort Worth ARTC Center DFW TRACON Arrival and Departure operations.

ZHU Arrivals 7 am – 9 pm

Fort Worth ARTCC Terminal & En-Route Operations • 16 Radar Approach Control Facilities TUL END • 6 VFR Towers CSM CVS OKC FSM • 85 Airports With Instrument Approaches LTS FSI ADM SPS • Average annual total traffic for 2008: 1, 785, 885 LBB TXK HOB DFW ABI GGG MAF SJT (MAF) GVT ACT GRK SHV MLU POE

Tools / Products we use (Developed in-house) Plotter, PP Tools, Climate Program WARP – Weather and Radar Processor AWIPS – Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System N-AWIPS ITWS – Integrated Terminal Weather System METARs, TAFs, AFDs SPC / HPC / AWC / TPC products

Right click on metar to display list of observations

Display of Airmets

WARP Generated Radar Mosaic with Standard Instrument Departure Overlay

WARP Generated Echo Tops FL 300 and Above

Integrated Terminal Weather System ITWS

Products / Services Participate in CCFP Collaborative Convective Forecast Product Internet chat: every 2 hours Prepare CWSU / WFO FWD Coordination Discussion Prepare Center Weather Advisories – CWA Solicit / Disseminate PIREPS

DFW Weather & Airport Acceptance Rates CIGS VSBY >4000 >6 1000 -4000 3 -6 200 -900 1/2 -3 <200 <1/4 ARRIVALS/HR IMPACT (AAR) 120+ No ARTCC problems 112 -114 Limited or no visual approaches 96 In-trail spacing needed (MIT) 78 -84 Significant delays (MIT GDP) Other Weather Conditions TSRA FZRA/FZDZ/SN WINDSHIFTS CROSSWINDS 20 -24 KT >25 KT 0+ 114 -84 < 78 Variable delays (MIT GDP GS) Delays for de-icing (MIT GDP GS) Up to 30 minutes of ground/airborne delays to switch runways. Miles in Trail (MIT) MIT GDP

CWSU / WFO FWD Coordination Discussion ZCZC FTWWRKZFW TTAA 00 KFTW 182310 FORT WORTH CWSU AVIATION DISCUSSION. . . 182301 Z CONCERNS. . . WND TRENDS. EXP WNDS TO DECOUPLE NEXT HR. . . W/ GSTS DMSHG AND SUSTND SPDS CONTG NR 12 -15 KT. SPDS DMSHG TO AOB 10 KT AFT 06 Z. NW WNDS CONTG WED 8 -12 KT BCMG LGT NW NEAR END OF TAF AS SFC HI PRES BLDS ACRS CNTRL TX. OTRW. . . VFR/FEW-SCT MID CLDS BCMG SKC BY 03 Z. DFW AIRPORT ACCEPTANCE RATE. . 114. DFW WX DELAYS/ACFT. . . NONE. IMPORTANT NUMBERS FOR DFW (Timing of onset/ending very important) CIGS VSBY ARRIVALS/HR IMPACT >4000 >6 120+ No ARTCC/TRACON problems 1000 -4000 3 -6 112 -114 Limited or no visual approaches 200 -900 1/2 -3 96 In-trail spacing needed <200 <1/4 78 -84 Significant delays TSRA 0+ variable delays FZRA/FZDZ major delays for de-icing WINDSHIFTS--up to 20 minutes of ground/airborne delays to switch rwys. NNNN

CWA – Center Weather Advisory Valid up to 2 hours Convection (for ZFW…normally 1 hour) Turbulence Icing IFR / LIFR Low-Level Wind Shear Coverage by: Area, line, point

Solicit / Disseminate Pilot Reports

FAA Strategic Plan of Operations n Teleconference held every two hours… – Input from CCFP – Input from forecaster… especially routes affected by thunderstorms n Potential for LIFR (Ceilings < 005/Visibility < 1 SM) n Potential for significant crosswinds (>= 25 knots) n

FAA Delay Programs § GDP – Ground Delay Program (> 2 hours) § Implemented when airport demand exceeds airport capacity (acceptance rate) for a lengthy period of time (IFR/LIFR, TS, Crosswinds) § GS – Ground Stop (1 -2 hours) § Implemented when airport demand exceeds airport capacity (acceptance rate) for a short period. Prior to implementing a GDP When airport cannot accept aircraft

Playbook example: BNA

Playbook example: BYP 2

Playbook example: CQY

Fort Worth CWSU Homepage

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