The Pathfinder Project: Road Weather Collaboration Across the Country

Pathfinder formalizes collaboration among the National Weather Service, state departments of transportation (DOTs), and their private weather provider (if applicable). The goal of the project is to provide clear and consistent road weather messaging to the public, making for safer roadways and prepared travelers when high-impact weather strikes. Several states have initiated the Pathfinder Project since it became a pilot project in 2014 under the direction of The Federal Highway Administration. The Pathfinder Implementation Plan lays out a multi-step process on setting up the project in any state, with guidance on how and when collaboration should occur.

This presentation will provide a summary of how Pathfinder has become an important Impact-Based Decision Support (IDSS) tool for several states across the country, and highlight real success stories from states that have implemented Pathfinder.