Weather Information Modernization and Transitioning (WIMAT)

The future of the National Airspace System (NAS) will create a continued need for the collection, storage, and dissemination of raw and translated weather information to be used in aviation decision making. However, current aviation weather information is produced and disseminated across a variety of formats, NAS airspace regions, resolutions, temporal scales, and target audiences. This lack of consistency often leaves NAS decision-makers with deficient, redundant, or outdated weather products. While the future of NAS data systems will improve the access and processing of weather Information, much of the current means of producing and disseminating aviation weather information is not suitable for the envisioned Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) weather system use. As such, a comprehensive audit of existing weather products and information is needed to identify the best available information, and ensure compatibility with NextGen principles, systems, and operations. WIMAT is a Federal Aviation Administration, National Weather Service and Aviation Weather User Community effort to analyze aviation weather forecast and observation products provided by the government to determine their effectiveness in supporting weather services in the NAS and meeting NextGen goals. This presentation will provide an overview of the WIMAT effort, highlight WIMAT guiding principles and the near-term implementation plan published in June 2019.