Use Winter Weather Operations

The Winter Weather Operations solution delivers a set of capabilities that help you develop winter weather response plans, centralize snowplow vehicle feeds, monitor winter weather operations in real-time, share near real-time road status updates, and track vehicle locations and materials used during winter weather events (and the entire winter season).

In this topic, you’ll learn how to use the solution by assuming the role of a user and performing the workflows below.

Note:

Use your organization's data or configured apps to follow these workflows.

Manage a vehicle inventory

Before the winter season begins, agencies responsible for keeping roads safe during the winter prepare and plan for winter weather operations by readying vehicles, material, and personnel for the upcoming season. Workforce reductions, changes in technology, and an increased use of contracted resources can make planning and response information difficult to manage and access. The result can lead to missed assignments, budget overruns, and a frustrated community. Completing a vehicle inventory can help agencies identify needs by documenting all vehicles supporting their winter weather operations, both fleet and contracted.

The Winter Operations Center app can be used by operations managers of public works and transportation agencies to manage an authoritative source of information for all vehicles supporting winter weather operations.

In these workflows, you will assume the role of an operations manager of a public works agency responsible for maintaining information on vehicles supporting winter weather operations.

Add a new vehicle

In this workflow, you will add a new contractor vehicle to the vehicle inventory.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution.
2. View the Winter Operations Center app.

   The Winter Operations Center Home page is open by default.

3. At the upper right, click Vehicles.
4. Click Add New Vehicle.

   The Add New Vehicle window appears.

5. Complete the form with vehicle inventory details.

   Note:

   Required fields are marked with a red asterisk.

6. Click Submit.

   The driver of this vehicle will use the Status Reporter QuickCapture project to report their vehicle location, service status, and material used during operations. The following tasks must be completed to finish adding the vehicle and driver to your winter weather operations:

   1. Add the driver to the Winter Operations Drivers group. See Provision users for more information.
   2. Add the contractor's vehicle ID to the Status Reporter QuickCapture project. See Update the Status Reporter project for more information.
   3. Add the driver to the ArcGIS Tracker track view ArcGIS Snow Plow Drivers created in the Create a track view topic.

Update vehicle information

Snow removal and ice control can take a toll on vehicles and equipment during winter weather operations. On occasion, equipment fails. In this workflow, you will update the status of a vehicle in your inventory.

1. Confirm that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution, if necessary.
2. View the Winter Operations Center app.

   The Winter Operations Center Home page is open by default.

3. At the upper right, click Vehicles.
4. On the left, click the Edit Vehicle Information button for a vehicle in the list.

   The Edit Vehicle Info window appears.

5. Update Vehicle Status to Out for repair.
6. Click Submit.

Create a winter event

The ability to record snow removal and ice control activity by each operational period is important for operation mangers who want to track key performance metrics, compare response activities over the course of the season, and justify budget needs for the next season. The Winter Operations Center app can be used to define winter weather events so you can track key performance metrics during operational periods.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of an operations manager in a public works or transportation agency responsible for defining the start of an operational period for a winter weather event.

1. Confirm that you are signed in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution, if necessary.
2. View the Winter Operations Center app.

   The Winter Operations Center Home page is open by default.

3. At the upper right, click Events.
4. At the upper left, click New Event.

   The Create a New Event window appears.

5. Complete all the required questions in the survey.
6. Click Submit.

   Note:

   When a new event is created and the Winter Weather Operations Notebook is configured to run on a schedule, at its next scheduled run time, the notebook will start all feeds and analytics associated with the solution. See Schedule the Winter Weather Operations Notebook for more information.

Report service status and material used during operations

Public works and transportation agencies can use ArcGIS to extend their ability to track and monitor winter weather operations by including vehicles with limited or no existing automated vehicle location (AVL) technology on board. Drivers equipped with ArcGIS location tracking technology and field operations apps can be tracked alongside vehicles supported by an AVL system, and yard supervisors and operations managers can help record material used for any vehicle during operations.

Use the Status Reporter QuickCapture project

The Status Reporter ArcGIS QuickCapture project can be used by drivers to record current vehicle location, service status, and material used during winter weather operations.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a snowplow driver for a public works agency who needs to report your in-service status during operations and material used when you return to the yard.

1. Download ArcGIS QuickCapture onto your mobile device.
2. Open QuickCapture and sign in to your ArcGIS organization.
3. Tap the button to add a project, and then tap Browse Projects.
4. Tap the Status Reporter project card to download it.
5. In the gallery, tap the Status Reporter project card to open it.
6. Tap the Continue button to start location tracking.
7. Tap the Vehicle ID that you will use for winter weather operations, and then tap Done.

   Before leaving the maintenance yard, you will update the vehicle's service status.

8. In the Service Status button group, tap the In-Transit button.

   When you begin to service your snow route, you will update the service status again.

9. In the Service Status button group, tap the Plowing & Deicing button.
10. When you return to the maintenance yard for more material, in the Report Material Used group, tap the button that most accurately describes how much material was used during your last round trip.

Use the Material Reporter form

Agencies have the flexibility to decide how material is reported and by whom. Some vehicles may have existing sensors that track this information as part of their AVL system, while other vehicles do not. The Material Reporter form can be used by operations managers and yard supervisors to help record material used for any vehicle during operations, giving operations managers another data point to validate other material-use reporting for their fleet.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a yard supervisor responsible for recording material used for each round trip a vehicle returns to the yard.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution.
2. Browse to the Material Reporter form.
3. Open the item page, and then click Open in Survey123 and choose Open in browser.

   Note:

   The Material Reporter form can also be accessed from the Winter Operations Center. At the upper right, click Vehicles, and then scroll to the vehicle and click Report Material.

4. For Select a Vehicle, choose a vehicle from your inventory.
5. For Report material used for a single load or multiple loads, choose Single load.
6. For Select load size, choose Full Load.
7. Click Submit.

Monitor operations

Real-time information and transparency are critical during winter weather response activities. Maintaining a road network is complex, and quickly communicating progress to travelers is a challenge for government agencies. Understanding where snowplows have traveled and are currently located during a winter storm optimizes response activity and helps clearly communicate what roads have been serviced.

The Active Winter Event Dashboard and Winter Season Dashboard apps can be used by public works and transportation agency directors and operations managers to monitor winter weather operations in real time and track vehicle movement and material used during operational periods and throughout the entire winter season.

Track progress and vehicles during active operations

The Active Winter Event Dashboard app helps you monitor snow response activities during operational periods so you can ensure service agreements and key performance metrics are being met.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of a transportation director who is looking to monitor progress during an active operation. You will use the Active Winter Event Dashboard app to review key metrics and to monitor operations progress for servicing priority routes during an active winter weather event.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution.
2. View the Active Winter Event Dashboard app.

   Note:

   The Active Winter Event Dashboard app can also be accessed from the Winter Operations Center. At the upper right, click Monitor Operations and choose Active Event.

   The Active Winter Event Dashboard app allows directors and operations managers to monitor active operations including last known vehicle locations, open service requests, distance traveled, material used, and progress made toward servicing your road network.

3. In the map panel, click the legend.

   Snow routes are symbolized into four categories based on when they were last serviced: Within the last 10 minutes, Between 10 and 30 minutes, Over 30 minutes, and Service pending.

4. On the left of the app, click the arrow to display the filter panel.

   Tip:

   You can pin the filter panel to the dashboard by clicking the pin in the upper right corner.

   The filter panel allows you to filter the Roadway Serviced and Percent Serviced metrics by District, Route Priority, Snow Route, Road, and Last Serviced information. Use the Vehicles, Fleet or Contractor, and Service Status filters to filter the vehicles list and the Distance Traveled and Material Used metrics. Use the vehicles list to select, pan, and zoom the map to a vehicle in active operations.

5. From the Route Priority filter, select the highest-priority route.
6. From the Last Serviced filter, select Within the last hour.

   The Roadway Serviced and Percent Serviced metrics are updated to reflect how many of the highest-priority routes have been serviced within the last hour.

Review performance throughout the winter season

The Winter Season Dashboard app helps you review response activities for any winter weather event so that you can adapt future response plans and address performance challenges.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of an operations manager who needs to review vehicle location history to validate a community report of a damaged mailbox.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution.
2. View the Winter Season Dashboard app.

   Note:

   The Winter Season Dashboard app can also be accessed from the Winter Operations Center. At the upper right, click Monitor Operations and choose Current Season.

   The Winter Season Dashboard app allows directors and operations managers to review key performance metrics for any operational period throughout the winter season including vehicle history, distance traveled, material used, and service requests.

3. In the map panel, click the legend.

   Vehicle locations are summarized as hexagon bins with the number of records displayed as the label.

4. On the left of the app, click the arrow to display the filter panel.

   Tip:

   You can pin the filter panel to the dashboard by clicking the pin in the upper right corner.

   The filter panel allows you to select any winter event from the current season to see key performance metrics and vehicle locations associated with the operational period of the event.

5. The Requests and Request Type bar charts are linked to service request features on the map.

   In the Request Type bar chart, select Mailbox Damage.

6. Zoom and pan the map to the location of one of the service requests.

   The extent of the map filters vehicle location history.

7. Click the service request and note the date submitted.

   Use the Vehicle and Request Date filter to investigate vehicle activity in the area during the reported mailbox damage.

End a winter event

Measuring effectiveness and improving winter operations begins with proper tracking of response activities during operational periods. When a winter event ends and the operational period comes to a close, operations managers need to be able to summarize their response activity associated with the conditions observed during their operations. The Winter Operations Center app can be used to end an active operational period and summarize key performance metrics and weather observations.

In this workflow, you will assume the role of an operations manager in a transportation agency who is responsible for ending the active operational period and providing key performance metrics and observations associated with the past winter weather event.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organization, and then browse to the Winter Weather Operations solution.
2. View the Winter Operations Center app.

   The Winter Operations Center Home page is open by default.

3. At the upper right, click Events.
4. On the left, for the active event, click the Edit or End Event button .
5. Type the Snowfall Total (inches) value that was observed during the operational period.
6. Type the Total Material Used (tons) value that was tracked during the observational period.

   Note:

   To provide this value, refer to the Active Winter Event Dashboard app's Material Used indicator.

7. Type the Total Distance Traveled (miles) value that was tracked during the observation period.

   Note:

   To provide this value, refer to the Active Winter Event Dashboard app's Distance Traveled indicator.

8. Click to expand Event End Date.
9. Select a date and time for the Event End question.
10. Click Submit.

    Note:

    When the active event ends and the Winter Weather Operations Notebook is configured to run on a schedule, at its next scheduled run time, the notebook will stop all feeds and analytics associated with the solution. See Schedule the Winter Weather Operations Notebook for more information.