Winter road maintenance

Winter weather conditions such as snow, ice and heavy rain can pose serious challenges for those managing the road network. Ensuring safety, minimising delays and having confidence in gritting decisions are crucial elements for the road operator.

How we can help

For more than 20 years we have been delivering key weather information via OpenRoad to road transport and infrastructure decision-makers. Our experience and knowledge of the industry has helped us to become a trusted partner for many county councils who choose us to help them get through the winter season.

We are pioneers in road forecasting and are continually investing in our science and technology to improve the accuracy of our forecasts. All our forecasts are quality controlled by experienced road forecasters. We provide 24/7 monitoring and support across all our operations, giving customers confidence in the information we provide and the decision they make.

Working together

Our customers are spread across the country and operate in vastly different terrains, so we are continuously working in closely with them to understand the unique challenges they face. This collaborative approach ensures our solutions are tailored to their needs and encourages two-way thinking about how our road forecasts might develop in the future.

OpenRoad

The service includes:

• Information delivered via a password-protected web site, fax and email, or a modem link to your ice-prediction system or road weather information service (RWIS).
• 24-hour text forecasts by single area, climatic domain, or by route to identify relevant factors.
• Direct access to forecasters
• Two- to five-day forecasts
• Evening updates
• Site-specific ice-prediction graphs
• Rainfall and flood warnings
• Year-on-year comparisons
• Legal consultancy
• Training courses for key staff

For more information about how we can help, please email us: openroad@metoffice.gov.uk.