Xcite laboratory
What is xcite?
The ExTreme Collaboration, Innovation, and Technology, or xCITE, laboratory is a state-of-the-art software development and data/visual analytics innovation facility within the Atmospheric Sciences Research Center (ASRC). xCITE is a multi-disciplinary collaboration space open to the UAlbany public as well as public and private partners. With a unique combination of atmospheric scientists and computer engineers, the lab equips the scientific community with the tools and resources they need to take their research to the next level.
helping the transportation sector using NYS mesonet images to detect precipitation
Understanding and quantifying forecast uncertainty associated with winter weather across New York State has presented a great challenge within the Atmospheric Science modeling and forecasting community. Detection of precipitation and especially precipitation type is particularly valuable for those in the transportation sector.
We use surface meteorological data and images from the New York State Mesonet to label and train a machine-learning model to detect ongoing precipitation within an image. Continued development will further resolve precipitation to the detection of snow and rain, which both have varied impacts on transportation.
weather forecasting and outage prediction dashboard in partnership with utility companies
This weather forecasting tool will offer real-time predictions on storm outages, electrical load and renewable energy generation, which will better equip utility companies to make important decisions on how to prepare for weather-induced power outages and variations in renewable energy production.
The xCITE Lab is partnering on the dashboard with UAlbany’s Center of Excellence in Weather & Climate Analytics, Electrical Distribution Design, Orange and Rockland Utilities, and Central Hudson Gas & Electric. The tool will produce a customizable dashboard using a combination of New York State Mesonet data, Integrated System Models, and other publicly-available weather data sources, including sensors that are being installed now through the project at large New York solar farms.