Sacramento, CA…Caltrans announced today that a new aviation portal is now available to provide crucial information for pilots, airport operators, first responders and others who need real-time weather conditions throughout California. The Aviation Weather Information (AWI) portal links dozens of commonly used aviation weather websites into one easy location. Current wind speed, temperature, visibility, air pressure and weather conditions at dozens of locations are only a mouse click away. This is the most recent traveler advisory service offered by Caltrans.

The importance of the site became evident during beta testing, beginning with the South Napa Earthquake of 2014, when the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services used the prototype site to gather weather data for situation status reports. It also was used during the 2017 Oroville Dam incident and the 2018 Santa Barbara County mudslides.

Caltrans developed the portal with the help of the Western Transportation Institute at Montana State University. The website is easy to navigate using drop drown menus, and includes a tutorial on how to use the site and a “feedback” button to send comments to Caltrans’ Division of Aeronautics. There are even links to Caltrans’ network of traffic cameras and to alerts from the National Weather Service.

The Division of Aeronautics fosters and promotes the development of a safe, efficient, dependable, and environmentally compatible air transportation system. The Division issues permits for and annually inspects hospital heliports and public-use airports, and provides grants and loans at airports for safety, maintenance and capital improvement projects.

The following two screenshot images from the portal show the following: The first screenshot displays the surface wind speed – from current conditions to an 18-hour forecast. The second screenshot displays the temperatures aloft, which are important information when planning for potential icing conditions. This portal was developed through a contract with Montana State University.