National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Multiple Days of Severe Weather from Thunderstorms and Wildfires

Active spring pattern across the center of the nation with several rounds of severe thunderstorms in the forecast through the weekend. The regions under the greatest threats are the southern Plains into the Mississippi Valley. Meanwhile, dry and breezy conditions with dry fuels are aiding in wildfires across the western High Plains and the Southeast. Wind and some snow for northern Rockies. Read More >

New Orleans/Baton Rouge

Weather Forecast Office

NWS Gulf Coast Aviation Weather Safety Conference

Weather.gov > New Orleans/Baton Rouge > NWS Gulf Coast Aviation Weather Safety Conference

 

Workshop Description
Schedule
Photos
Location Details

Greetings Aviation Enthusiasts!

**Thank you to all the presenters and attendees for joining us in New Orleans, LA (or virtually) and helping make the inaugural GCAWS a success! We hope you enjoyed the workshop and look forward to seeing you at the next GCAWS! - GCAWS Planning Team**

 

The National Weather Service would like to invite you to the Gulf Coast Aviation Weather Safety (GCAWS) Workshop in Westwego, LA (a suburb of New Orleans) on February 24-25, 2023. Workshop participation is encouraged for individuals within the Gulf Coast aviation and meteorology communities and is free-of-charge. Please note in-person workshop attendance will be limited to 100 people each day. Registration closes on January 31st, 2023

 

The purpose of the GCAWS Workshop is to promote aviation safety and productivity through improved weather awareness and forecasting services. GCAWS is designed to strengthen communication and best practices between the aviation and weather forecasting communities to support the National Airspace System (NAS).

 

Aviation Weather Forecasting Workshop (Friday, February 24, 2023) - The first day of the workshop will focus on meeting the needs of Aviation Weather Forecasters. It will feature best practices in aviation weather forecasting, infusing new technology into the forecast process, customer needs, and discussions on weather service innovation. Pilots are welcome on this day to the extent they would like to participate, and we will appreciate their insights in discussions.

 

Aviator and Controller Weather Workshop (Saturday, February 25, 2023) - The second day of the workshop will focus on meeting aviator and air traffic controller needs for weather safety information, including presentations on aviation weather hazard recognition, mitigation, and avoidance; as well as tips on how to effectively use and understand aviation weather data, products, and websites. We also anticipate FAA Safety Team participation.

 

The GCAWS Workshop is brought to you by the Houston, Jacksonville, and Miami Air Route Traffic Control Center Weather Service Units and the National Weather Service Forecast Offices in Tampa Bay, Mobile, New Orleans, and Lake Charles.

 

Should you have any questions, you can email GCAWS Points of Contact: Phil, John, Michael, or Austen at the contact information below:

 

Phil Grigsby

Lead Meteorologist
National Weather Service Forecast Office
New Orleans, LA
Phil.Grigsby@noaa.gov

John Helffrich

Meteorologist
National Weather Service Forecast Office
Mobile, AL
John.Helffrich@noaa.gov

Michael Mugrage

Meteorologist
National Weather Service Forecast Office
Mobile, AL
Michael.Mugrage@noaa.gov

Austen Flannery

Meteorologist
National Weather Service Forecast Office
Tampa, FL
Austen.Flannery@noaa.gov

2023 GCAWS AGENDA

Aviation Weather Forecasting Workshop Agenda
Friday, February 24, 2023

Follow the event as it unfolds on Twitter at #GCAWS


Presentations

9:00 - 10:15 AM -- First Morning Session
Opening Remarks
Jeff Cupo, Operational Services Division Chief, NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX
 
9 AM to 925 AM - Hot Topics in the NWS Aviation Program (Presentation)
Jeff Cupo, Operational Services Division Chief, NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX
 
930 AM to 950 AM - National Data Buoy Center Products and Services(Presentation)
Cameron Dauterive and Michael Vasquez, Meteorologists, National Data Buoy Center
 
955 AM to 1015 AM - Using ArcGIS Online Capabiliites to Improve TAF Situational Awareness (Presentation)
Tyler Stanfield, Meteorologist, NWS New Orleans
1015 AM - 1030 AM -- Morning Break
1030 AM - 12 PM -- Second Morning Session
1030 AM to 11 AM - Impact-Based Decision Support Services for the National Airspace System: Aviation Weather Center National Aviation Meteorologist Support to the FAA Command Center (Presentation)
Joe Carr, National Aviation Meteorologist, FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center
 
1105 AM to 1130 AM - Aviation Weather Center Presentation (Presentation)
Stephanie Avey, Meteorologist, NWS Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO
 
1135 AM to 12 PM - CWSU Operations, Products, and Services (Presentation)
Brian Schroeder, Meteorologist in Charge, NWS CWSU Jacksonville
 
12 PM - 1 PM -- Lunch Break
1 PM - 215 PM -- First Afternoon Session
1 PM to 120 PM - NWS WFO Products and Services (Presentation)
John Helffrich and Michael Mugrage, Meteorologists/Aviation Weather Program Team, NWS Mobile
 
125 PM to 145 PM - A Study of the Unusually High Number of IFR events on the Central Gulf Coast in July and August 2022 (Presentation)
Phil Grigsby, Lead Meteorologist/Aviation Weather Program Lead, NWS New Orleans
 
150 PM to 215 PM - Fog in the Gulf Coast & A Case Study of the December 2022 Long Duration Sea Fog Event (Presentation)
Chanelle Stigger, Meteorologist/Aviation Weather Program Lead, NWS Lake Charles
 
215 PM - 230 PM -- Afternoon Break
230 PM - 5:00 PM -- Second Afternoon Session
230 PM to 255 PM - Challenges of Forecasting for Key West International Airport (Presentation)
Nancy Barnhardt, Meteorologist/Aviation Weather Program Lead, NWS Key West
 
3 PM to 345 PM - An Exercise in Forecasting Convection Along the Florida West Coast (Presentation)
Austen Flannery, Meteorologist/Aviation Weather Program Lead, NWS Tampa Bay
 
350 PM to 455 PM - Understanding Important Aviation Partner Thresholds to Improve Forecaster Decision Support Services for Aviation (Presentation)
Jonathan Howell, Science Operations Officer, NWS Mobile
 
Closing Remarks
Jonathan Howell, Science Operations Officer, NWS Mobile

Aviator and Controller Weather Workshop Agenda
Saturday, February 25, 2023

 

9 AM - 1015 AM -- First Morning Session
Opening Remarks
Jeff Cupo, Operational Services Division Chief, NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX
 
9 AM to 925 AM - NWS Aviation Weather Observation Program (Presentation)
Victor Murphy, Climate Service Program Manager, NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX
 
930 AM to 950 AM - FAA Gulf Sustainment Team and the Offshore AWOS Network (Presentation)
Collen Ahlers and William Majeau, Implementation Leads, FAA Gulf of America Sustainment Team
 
955 AM to 1015 AM - Louisiana Air National Guard Presentation (Presentation)
Gabriel Ruiz, Instructor Pilot, Louisiana Air National Guard
1015 AM - 1030 AM -- Morning Break
1030 AM - 12 PM -- Second Morning Session
1030 AM to 1110 AM - Weather Impacts to Aviation Operations, The Day-to-Day Perspective (Presentation)
Noelle Cudzilo, Airport Operations Supervisor, Tampa International Airport
 
1115 AM to 12 PM - Weather's Impact on Aviation: The Airport Perspective and the Future (Presentation)
Adam Bouchard, VP of Operations, Tampa International Airport
12 PM - 1 PM -- Lunch Break
1 PM - 215 PM -- First Afternoon Session
1 PM to 135 PM - Delta Air Lines Meteorology and Forecast Impacts on Delta's Operations(Presentation)
Sam Sangster, Meteorologist, Delta Air Lines
 
140 PM to 215 PM - Southwest Airlines Meteorology use of National Weather Service Products and Services(Presentation)
Barbara Becker, Meteorologist, Southwest Airlines
215 PM - 230 PM -- Afternoon Break
230 PM - 5 PM -- Second Afternoon Session
230 PM to 255 PM - Night Operations at New Orleans Lakefront Airport(Presentation)
Laennec Ratard & Michael Hall, Principal Operations Instructor & FAA Safety Team Manager, FAA Baton Rouge Flight Standards District Office
 
3 PM to 345 PM - Recent NTSB Weather Related Accidents Across the Southeastern United States(Presentation)
Paul Suffren, Meteorologist Investigator, National Transportation and Safety Board Office of Aviation Safety (AS-30)
 
350 PM to 450 PM - Pilot's Perspective: The Need for a Deeper Understanding of Weather(Presentation)
Lt. Justin Moore, Pilot, United States Coast Guard Mobile, Mobile, AL
 
Closing Remarks
Jeff Cupo, Operational Services Division Chief, NWS Southern Region, Fort Worth, TX

 

GCAWS Workshop Photos

Friday Forecasting Workshop

 

Saturday Aviator & Controller Workshop

 

Workshop Location Details

 

The workshop will take place at the Alario Center which is located in the New Orleans suburb of Westwego, LA. The Alario Center is located at 2000 Bayou Segnette Blvd and is directly off of the Westbank Expressway (US Highway 90) in metro New Orleans.

For those coming from out of the area, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) will be the airport to book flights to and from. The airport is located approximately 15 minutes from the workshop location.

 

Directions to the Alario Center from the MSY Airport Rental Car Center

 
  • Exit the rental car center and turn left onto Rental Blvd Take Rental Blvd to Jerome S. Glazer Airport Access Rd.
  • Turn right onto Jerome S. Glazer Airport Access Rd.
  • Take Jerome S. Glazer Airport Access Rd. to Airline Dr.
  • Use the 2 left lanes to turn left onto Airline Dr.
  • Take Airline Dr. to Dickory Ave.
  • Turn right onto Dickory Ave.
  • Take Dickory Ave. to Earhart Expy.
  • Turn left onto Earhart Expy.
  • Take Earhart Expy. to the LA 3152/Clearview Pkwy/Huey P Long Br exit. Stay right at the fork on the exit ramp and follow the ramp as indicated to US 90/Clearview Pkwy./Huey P Long Br
  • Take S. Clearview Pkwy. across the Huey P Long Bridge to the US 90 Business East/Westbank Expy. exit. (A sign reading Bayou Segnette State Park/Alario Center is also at this exit)
  • Take Westbank Expy to Segnette Blvd.
  • Turn right onto Segnette Blvd. and continue to the Alario Center parking lot on the left.
 

Directions to the Alario Center for those driving in from east of New Orleans

  • From I-10, use the left lane to take exit 234C for US-90 BUS W toward Westbank/Claiborne Ave
  • Keep left and merge onto US-90 BUS W (Westbank Expressway)
  • Turn left onto Segnette Blvd

Directions to the Alario Center for those driving in from west of New Orleans

  • From I-10, take exit 226 for Clearview Pkwy S toward Huey Long Brg
  • Take S. Clearview Pkwy. across the Huey P Long Bridge to the US 90 Business East/Westbank Expy. exit. (A sign reading Bayou Segnette State Park/Alario Center is also at this exit)
  • Take Westbank Expy to Segnette Blvd.
  • Turn right onto Segnette Blvd. and continue to the Alario Center parking lot on the left.

Map of the Alario Center Location

Alario Center Map

 

Alario Center Layout

 

Alario Center Layout

 

 

 

Follow us on X  Follow us on X
Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Facebook
Follow us on YouTube  Follow us on YouTube
LIX RSS Feed  LIX RSS Feed

Current Hazards
Extended Outlooks
Outlooks
Fire Manager Quick Brief
Briefing Page
Storm Prediction Center

Current Conditions
Hammond Radar
Satellite
Mobile Radar

Forecasts
Marine Forecast
Activity Planner
River Forecasts
Tropical Forecast
Forecast Discussion
Aviation Weather Forecast
Graphical Forecast
Weather Models and Maps
Fire Weather Forecast
Hourly Weather Graph
Air Quality Forecasts

Climate and Past Weather
Hydrologic Information
Significant Weather Events
Climate Prediction Center
Drought Information Statement
Drought Information
National Climate Information
Local Climate Information
Tropical Cyclone Reports

Weather Safety
Hurricane Prep Information
Local Watch, Warning, Advisory Criteria

Local Programs
Office History
Weather Radio Information
StormReady Program
Education Program
Online Weather School