In 2014 NASA is planning to launch their Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) satellite.

The aim of the satellite will be to measure snowfall – while falling – from space, a notoriously hard job. To support the future functioning of this satellite, NASA will this week launch a specially equipped DC-8 plane to gather data. On the basis of this data, the models for the satellite data will be built.

For both the automated and the climate resilient road, accurate information on weather conditions is essential. This can be relevant to adapted travel advice and specific targets for road maintenance. For more information, see http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/01/12/sci-nasa-snow-canada.html.