Albuquerque Aerostat Ascension Association Meeting

May 22, 2012

1978 – Southern Airways flight 242 crashed near Atlanta, GA due to a thunderstorm killing 70

NTSB recommended meteorologists be placed in FAA en-route facilities

By early 1980s – CWSU in each of 21 ARTCCs across country, including AK and HI

ZAB OVERFLIGHT TRAFFIC

ZAB Major Traffic Flows

178,550 square miles of real estate Complex terrain - turbulence / LLWS common Special use airspace

Approximately 51% of ZAB area is military airspace International border with Mexico

Radar coverage ranks within worst 5 ARTCCs

Thunderstorms Spring - High Plains Summer – monsoonal flow Ranks 4th busiest among ARTCCs for convective

activity Extreme wind events Icing and mountain obscuration Winter inversions/dense fog/heavy snow Occasional tropical cyclone activity Extreme precipitation variability (8”-80”)

41 Restricted areas 51 Military Operations areas 1 Prohibited area 21 Aerial refueling routes 41 Military instrument routes (very low level) 5 Orbit areas 2 Civilian SUA’s

FUZZY/RUBY587 sq nm

GLADDEN 1,853 sq nm

TOMBSTONE / GUNSLINGER3,017 sq nm

SELLS3,665 sq nm

CIM

PEQ

FST

ELP

EWM

CNX

ACH ABQ

CIE SSO TUS

PXR BXK

INW

GUP

ZUN PNH

BGD

TCC

TXO

ONM

TCS CME

DRK

SJN

GBN

FLG FTI

PECOS 2,566 sq nm

R2301E/W2,699 sq nm

R2306, 2307, 23081,932 sq nm

OUTLAW

1,986 sq nm

JACKAL 3,563 sq nm

MORENCI1,757 sq nm

RESERVE2,531 sq nm

BAGDAD 1,066 sq nm

Libby Areas 729 sq nm

BRONCO 1,3,4

CATO

2,659 sq nm

WHITE SANDSMISSILE RANGER5107, 5109, 5111

8,875 sq nm

PYOTE B-1 Areas 11,101 sq nm

TALON 1,828 sq nm

MT. DORA4,032 sq nm

Albuquerque ARTCC SUA Analysis178,550 Sq NM of available airspace 121,375 Sq NM of usable airspace

SUAs51- MOA/ATCAAs41 - Restricted Areas21 - AR Routes41 - IR Routes5 - Orbit Areas1 - Prohibited Area2 - Civilian SUAs

57,175 Sq NM of unusable airspace on an average weekday- 32%

SUNNY

BEAK

R5103

• 2/3 ZAB ≥ 40 TS days• ≥ 50 TS days Mogollon Rim & Sangre de Cristo• ≥ 70 TS days NE ZAB

Provide up-to-the-minute weather information and briefings to relevant ARTCC staff Traffic Management Unit Operational Manager Specialty Supervisors

Informational products: Center Weather Advisory Meteorological Impact Statement

Center Weather Advisory (0 to 2 hours) Severe turbulence Thunderstorms IFR conditions Mountain obscuration Low level wind shear Winds aloft /mountain wave activity Surface winds Volcanic ash High density altitude

Meteorological Impact Statement (2 to 48 hours) General hazards that may affect flow of aircraft across

the ARTCC’s airspace

Staffing: 1 Meteorologist-in-Charge 3 General Forecasters Open 0615 to 2200 every day of the year

Facilities: Located near Traffic Management Unit of the ARTCC

Weather and Radar Processor workstation (WARP - FAA)

Briefing Terminals/Situational Awareness Display

Automated Weather Interactive Processing System (AWIPS - NWS)

Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS –FAA) for KPHX

Traffic Situation Display

Provided daily at 0730 and 1530 3 to 5 minute synopsis of national /local

weather

Picture of group

National radar mosaic Regional radar mosaic Satellite imagery Icing / freezing level graphic Turbulence graphic Jet stream (FL340)

KPHX TRACON cross-section winds Collaborative Convective Forecast Product

(CCFP) March through October

KPHX convective gate forecast National hubs (TAFboard) PIREP solicitation graphic

Outreach Forecaster exchange program at Weather

Forecast Office Newsletter Web services

Las Vegas Santa Fe Roswell Belen Socorro Fort Sumner Portales Clovis Carrizozo Sierra Blanca Alamogordo Taos

Raton Clayton Farmington (ZDV) Aztec (ZDV) Tucumcari Santa Rosa Truth or Consequences Silver City Gallup Grants Angel fire Los Alamos

www.srh.noaa.gov/zab

Thank you for the invitation to speak today!

The End