Decision Support Systems

Info–Electronics Systems (IES) partners with Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT) to bring state-of-the-science weather detection, nowcasting, and forecasting systems and services to our partners and customers.

WDT are all veterans of world-leading weather research and development organizations with unmatched experience in applying the latest technologies to the critical problem of accurately detecting, nowcasting and forecasting significant weather events. WDT personnel have managed the development, integration, and setup of advanced meteorological hardware/software systems and services for many clients worldwide.

We provide 4 customized Weather Decision Support Systems™ to our Domestic and International Clients:

  • Nowcast Decision Support System – for producing user-specific short-term warnings and predictions of severe and hazardous weather phenomena.

  • HydroMet Decision Support System – for managing water resources and mitigating risk from heavy rain and flooding.

  • Aviation Weather Decision Support System - for producing predictions and forecasts of weather potentially hazardous to aircraft and personnel in air and ground operations.

  • Mesoscale Forecast Decision Support System – Numerical weather prediction system based on University of Oklahoma-developed ARPS or the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF), both initialized with the ARPS Data Analysis System (ADAS).


Nowcast Decision Support System (NDSS)

NDSS integrates Doppler weather radar data with other available meteorological data sources such as satellite, surface observations, lightning, rain gauge, sounding, and numerical model data to nowcast severe and hazardous weather phenomena. The NDSS utilizes state-of-the-science, field-proven data analysis, detection, and prediction algorithms to meet the specifi c operational needs of persons or organizations that need to be warned of severe and hazardous weather. These algorithms include the Severe Storm Analysis Package (SSAP) licensed from NSSL that provides Storm Identifi cation and Tracking, Tornado prediction, Damaging Downburst Prediction, Hailswath Prediction and more. In addition, nowcasts (0-4 hours) of precipitation amount and type are available. These include alerts providing Estimated Time of Arrival and Estimated Time of Departure information, warning users of impending hazards and when they will end. All NDSS data and products are viewed via a Web based display and a workstation with full three-dimensional capability. Alerts can be provided to mobile devices. The NDSS can be implemented at any location around the globe and fully customized to meet a user’s specific needs


HydoMet Decision Support System (HDSS)

HDSS was developed to support decision makers who need to operationally:

  • predict flash floods and warn the public
  • manage dams, canals, streams, rivers and rain run-off systems on a routine basis and during extreme events
  • manage hydro-electric facilities
  • forecast river flooding

The HDSS integrates all available meteorological and hydrological data, including radar, satellite, model, surface, and rain gauge data using a real-time system that includes a suite of state-of the science algorithms. HDSS consists of the following algorithms and functions:

  • Data quality control and building a 3D mosaic of the data
  • Quantitative Precipitation Estimation using the QPE-SUMS algorithm from NSSL.
  • Quantitative Precipitation Forecasting (QPF) using the McGill Algorithm for Precipitation Nowcasting Using Semi-Lagrangian Extrapolation (MAPLE)
  •  Flash Flood Prediction Algorithm
  • Hydrological Modeling Using V-Flo™ WDT will customize and tune the HDSS to meet your operational needs. A custom display is provided that shows all of the data in a 3D framework or in a Web based display.

 


Aviation Weather Decision Support System (AWDSS)

AWDSS is an all-inclusive system utilized for detecting and predicting weather hazards specific to the aviation industry. AWDSS integrates all available meteorological data sources such as radar, satellite, surface observations, lightning, and numerical model data and utilizes state-of-the-science, field-proven data analysis and aviation weather hazard detection technologies to meet the specific operational weather monitoring, nowcasting and warning needs of the aviation community. For site specific applications, like an airport, WDT can provide Terminal Doppler Weather Radar functionality, including the TDWR Microburst Detection and Gust Front Detection Algorithms. For regional applications, WDT will integrate our nowcast capabilities and mesoscale modeling capabilities to provide precise and accurate nowcasts and forecasts of weather phenomena that impact aviation interests.

 


Mesocale Forecast Decision Support System (MFDSS)

The Mesoscale Forecast Decision Support System ™ (MFDSS) is WDT’s proprietary forecasting system that includes the latest version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF). It is a complete system that includes a
real-time data analysis and assimilation system, the forward prediction model, and a post-analysis package. WRF is initialized using ADAS, developed at the University of Oklahoma’s Center for Analysis and Prediction of storms.

MFDSS has an easy-to-use web-based forecast confi guration and display system. Users may customize forecast domain, model resolution and forecast length using the Internet. Forecasts are displayed online, and data may also be transmitted in GRIB format to other analysis and display applications. In addition to standard Meteorological parameters, MDFSS also provides many specialized industry forecast products, including urbulence and icing for aviation, and precipitation and soil temperature for agriculture.

MFDSS is capable of running on stand-alone workstations, on Linux clusters, and on very large scalable high-performance computers. WDT can develop a custom version of MFDSS that will analyze all available local and regional data, including Doppler radar data, to produce forecasts out to 72 hours. WDT will install MFDSS, ensure that the model can ingest all local data, and train users how to use MFDSS to make the best possible forecasts.