WeathervieW - What type of RWIS weather information is available?

What type of RWIS weather information is available?

Iowa's winter weather brings an average of 34 inches of snow annually. The Iowa Department of Transportation's Maintenance Division is responsible for snow and ice control on 10,500 miles of Interstate and primary highways. When you consider all the lanes of multiple-lane highways, that is the equivalent of 25,800 miles of single-lane highway. The RWIS network of weather sensors provides the decision makers responsible for snow and ice control and other maintenance activities at the Iowa Department of Transportation with weather information specifically related to the roadway.

	The first RWIS site was installed in the Des Moines area in 1989. The value of weather information specifically targeted for surface transportation was quickly discovered, and the system has grown to a network of 58 sites throughout the state. There are three types of information the RWIS sites provide.
	Surface Temperature is a measurement of the actual temperature of the roadway or bridge surface. The surface temperature governs what will happen to a highway or bridge when precipitation occurs in the winter more than air temperature These sensors literally provide the temperature "where the rubber meets the road."
	Subsurface Temperature is the temperature approximately 18 inches below the roadway surface.
	Atmospheric Weather Data is the information normally thought of as weather information. Weather instruments collect air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed, wind direction, and precipitation information.