Citation

DeLannoy P, Allan S, Bullock T, McClintock J, Moffatt G, Robbins D, Sayer R, Woodhams P, Richard P, MacDonald B. Transp. Res. Circular 2008; (E-C126): 58-70.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2008, U.S. National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper presents a very cost-effective approach for the preparation of thermal fingerprints and the forecasting of potential night icing situations. A Nova Scotia Transportation and Public Works (NS TPW), Canada, patrol vehicle equipped with an infrared (IR) sensor and an automatic vehicle location (AVL) service was used to perform IR data runs along a section of Highway 104 in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. The signal from the IR sensor was fed directly into the AVL unit, which relayed the positional, timing, and temperature information directly to the AVL provider, Grey Island. AMEC meteorologists coordinated the IR runs with NS TPW staff and extracted the Grey Island AVL data daily for analysis against the weather from the previous night. The data were mathematically filtered, aligned, and averaged. Thermal fingerprints for three weather types (extreme, intermediate, and damped) were produced in a geographic information system (GIS) format. The thermal fingerprints for Highway 104 were then associated with the two roadway weather information systems along the route. The route was divided into equal segments, and the coldest temperature deviation from the mean along each segment was assigned to the entire segment. Forecasts of pavement temperature and air dew point were used with the fingerprint corresponding to the coming nights prevailing forecast weather to determine the earliest time at which frost could form for each road segment. The resulting GIS map with color-coded road segments and time stamps of the potential onset of icing provides an effective new road maintenance operations planning tool. A GIS-based format for thermal fingerprints and forecast presentation will be presented. The logic and steps in the production of this innovative night icing potential chart product will be presented and its limitations described.