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Article
Evaluation of a frost accumulation model
Meteorological Applications
  • D. S. Knollhoff, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
  • Eugene Takle, Iowa State University
  • William A. Gallus, Jr., Iowa State University
  • D. Burkheimer, Iowa Department of Transportation
  • D. McCauley, Iowa Department of Transportation
Document Type
Article
Publication Version
Published Version
Publication Date
12-1-2003
DOI
10.1017/S1350482703001026
Abstract

Formation of frost on paved surfaces presents a potential hazard to the motoring public in cold climates. Temperatures of the paved surface are not measured routinely by the National Weather Service and are not part of public forecasts of winter conditions, yet highway maintenance personnel must make frost suppression and anti-icing decisions based on expectations of future paved-surface temperatures. The Road Weather Information System measures road surface, air and dew-point temperatures, road surface conditions, and wind data at numerous locations in the state of Iowa and reports the data in real-time to maintenance offices. A model based on simple concepts of moisture flux to the surface was developed that uses data from roadway weather stations or forecasts of dew-point temperature, air temperature, surface temperature and wind speed to calculate frost accumulation on bridge decks in Iowa. The analysis showed that the model has sufficient accuracy to be used as an operational tool for assessing frost accumulation on bridge decks. A logistical regression procedure was developed to determine the probability that a maintenance worker will observe frost for a given calculated frost depth.

Comments

This article is published as Knollhoff, D. S., E. S. Takle, W. A. Gallus, D. Burkheimer, and D. McCauley. "Evaluation of a frost accumulation model." Meteorological Applications 10, no. 4 (2003): 337-343. DOI:10.1017/S1350482703001026. Posted with permission.

Copyright Owner
Royal Meteorological Society
Language
en
File Format
application/pdf
Citation Information
D. S. Knollhoff, Eugene Takle, William A. Gallus, D. Burkheimer, et al.. "Evaluation of a frost accumulation model" Meteorological Applications Vol. 10 Iss. 4 (2003) p. 337 - 343
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/william_gallus/59/