January 31, 2012 -- Slidell
, LA--
WorldWinds Inc. announced today it has been competitively selected to develop new weather data sets for broadcast television derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration products (NOAA). NOAA awarded WorldWinds a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) competitive contract as a follow-on to research performed on a Phase I
contract.
"We are excited to work with NOAA to enhance TV weather broadcasting," said WorldWinds President, Elizabeth Valenti. "Weather information affects every aspect of our lives from recreation to agriculture to public safety."
WorldWinds' core area of expertise is advanced weather modeling and automated weather data delivery. WorldWinds is a leader in extensive storm surge modeling of hurricanes impacting the Atlantic seaboard and Gulf Coast regions. WorldWinds also provides automatically generated weather data feeds used for fishing, ocean navigation, and other maritime applications.
WorldWinds is working with long-time partner Baron Services to push its NOAA-derived weather products out to television stations around the country. Pilot news stations include WAAY-TV, FOX 54 in Huntsville, AL; WVUE-TV, FOX 8 in New Orleans, LA; and KIFI-TV in Idaho Falls, ID. During the first round of research, WorldWinds was able to demonstrate new precipitation products to several news stations and received feedback from TV weather forecasters on their research results. Those interviews will guide the next round of research performed under this Phase II contract, which includes snow and ice coverage, forecasted rainfall, drought forecast, ocean currents, and emergency
response imagery.
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WorldWinds, Inc. develops cutting edge technology from NASA, the US Navy, NOAA, and other government partners into state-of-the-art products and services that benefit the public. WorldWinds is an active member of the EIGS geospatial technology cluster of the Magnolia Business Alliance (MBA). MBA’s goal is to impact economic development by serving as an advocate for small and medium sized businesses. For more information about WorldWinds, Inc., visit www.worldwindsinc.com.