MetraWeather US demonstrates hyperlocal forecasting during Coastal Trident 2015 exercise

June 8, 2015 - PRLog -- Coastal Trident 2015 (CT-15) Field Experiment and Demonstration Program, is a series of exercises and demonstrations taking place June 8–12, 2015 in California. The program is run by the Department of Homeland Security and will focus on the threat posed by vessel-borne improvised explosive devices to maritime commerce, port and maritime operations, and other critical maritime infrastructure.

The consequence of living on a wet, rotating planet is uncertain weather and marine conditions that can impact safety, logistics management and security at US ports. The localized nature of environmental threats, demand precise and accurate weather and marine solutions. MetraWeather US will be embedded in the exercise operations center, using its unique web-based marine forecasting platform—MetOceanView (MOV)—to demonstrate local sea state conditions. Wave height, currents and swells will be monitored, to aid defenders and first responders in thwarting terrorist threats in a challenging marine environment.

MOV is a high-resolution web-based marine weather forecasting solution. It provides a robust delivery platform to access, monitor and manipulate weather and marine information required for effective planning and marine operations management.

“MetOceanView uses the best ocean and atmosphere forecast model science, and is customised at the most appropriate scale for a customer’s operation,” said Don Berchoff, MetraWeather VP Americas and Transport. “We can run a high resolution wave model, configured and run exclusively for any specific location’s unique topography and features.”

The local National Weather Service (NWS) in Oxnard is the official weather provider for the Trident exercises. MetraWeather will be working closely with them during the exercises to demonstrate targeted marine forecasts. “This exercise is a great example of the importance of a strong public and private weather partnership under the National Weather Service’s Weather-Ready Nation program, to provide decision makers with the best overall intelligence and decision assistance to minimize their environmental-related risk,” added Berchoff.

The ocean is a complex energy flux, often exhibiting strong spatial gradients. Through the MOV platform, MetraWeather will assist Trident participants by forecasting complex conditions and communicating pinpoint intelligence, so decision makers can quickly gain insight, understand the impact and make planning and real-time decisions to achieve exercise objectives in a safe manner.