Newark Liberty International Wind Gust
Richard Jaworski (SUNY Oneonta, Oneonta, NY 13820), Timothy Kress (SUNY Oswego, Oswego, NY
13126), Nicholas Vita (Penn State University, University Park, PA 16801),
Jefferey Tounge (NOAA National Weather Service, Upton, NY 11973)
Every year, millions of dollars are spent due to delays at Newark Liberty International Airport
(EWR) in Newark, NJ. Weather plays a large role but wind gusts that occur infrequently are among the
most common. Due to the location and proximity of EWR to John F. Kennedy (JFK) and LaGuardia (LGA)
airports in New York, inbound and outbound air traffic routes can be inhibited. Runway known as 11/29
which runs northwest to southeast is favored for use over the other runways at EWR due to this reason.
But when wind direction and gusts are not suitable for arrivals and departures on this runway, the other
two runways that run from south-southwest to north-northeast must be used. Using runway 11/29
decreases air traffic in the airspace that is already cluttered with aircraft traveling in and out of LGA and
JFK. However, wind gusts ranging 200° to 20° in direction pose a safety issue to aircraft both when
taking off and-or landing on runway 11/29. A tailwind when landing can cause the plane to descend
more rapidly and taking off can decrease the amount of lift the aircraft needs to gain a considerable
amount of altitude quickly. To study the frequency of random wind gust, 5 minute Automated Surface
Observing System (ASOS) data from EWR was downloaded during the time period of January 2000 - June
2010. When sustained winds are between 5 and 13 kts and contain gust up to 20 kts, this can cause the
greatest problem for pilots when trying to land or take off. Times where the threshold for wind direction
was recorded along with a wind gust, was binned according to the time of occurrence for each month.
This would allow for an accurate climatology of winds for EWR. Being able to view what gusts are
accompanied by a particular wind direction and sustained speed, can save EWR time, delays and cost
attributed by both. In addition, wind forecasts can be made more accurately and precise to better
prepare the airport for rapid wind changes.
-ADD an “accurate” results section.
-ADD more if necessary concerning the methods taken to conduct the analysis