Observations of weather-related aviation hazards in Juneau, Alaska

Juneau, the capital of Alaska, is isolated from all other populated regions by water, glaciers, and precipitous terrain. The only practical access to Juneau for business and government purposes is by air. For this reason, aviation hazards, which include severe levels of terrain-induced turbulence, substantial vertical windshear, extreme visibility limitations, and violent updrafts/downdrafts, are particularly problematic. The feasibility of an automated turbulence/windshear warning system is currently being evaluated by NCAR's Research Application Program and the FAA. This assessment is based on comparisons of aircraft measurements of aviation hazards, with data collected by wind profilers, anemometers, and a mobile scanning Doppler radar. Results of this feasibility study are presented with a particular emphasis on the the deployment of a scanning Doppler radar in a mountainous maritime environment. Efforts to quantify turbulence on the basis of radar measurements are also discussed.