Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere

Cold-Weather Challenges for Water Infrastructure in the United States

It is well understood that weather affects the design and performance of civil infrastructure. Not so well understood, though, are the cold-weather systems that challenge the design and performance of water-related, civil infrastructure in the United States. This talk describes several cold-weather challenges faced by water-related infrastructure; in the context of water-resource management, inland navigation, flood control, bridges and ports. Weather systems influence the ways whereby ice forms, behaves and breaks up. Challenges to infrastructure occur when ice-related processes disrupt infrastructure performance and at times lead to infrastructure failure.

This talk also describes, somewhat tentatively, certain characteristics of the cold-weather systems that challenge water infrastructure in the U.S. More work is needed to define the characteristics and to develop methods for forecasting and tracking them so as to enhance water-infrastructure performance.