A driving force in predicting road conditions

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This article was published 5/11/2017 (767 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Scott Kehler and Matt Desorcy are in the driving seat when it comes to helping Manitobans prepare for diverse weather conditions.

St. Vital residents Kehler, 24, and Desorcy, 23, are the co-owners of Weatherlogics, a full-service meteorological company that specializes in weather forecasting, research, and statistics, and provides accurate forecasts through services such as their Road Weatherlogics, and their agriculture weather forecast subscription.

These services are aimed at clients in the transportation, agriculture, and construction industries. Both professional meteorologists that studied at the University of Manitoba, Kehler is the company’s chief scientist, and Desorcy is the company’s chief meteorologist.

"Our goal is to provide customized weather information for our clients in the private sector, and our client base varies from individual farmers to larger corporate clients," Kehler said, noting the company’s Road Weatherlogics service is a new feature.

"We’ve taken the knowledge and data that is available today to develop our own model to apply to highways, which could be how sunlight hits the road or how the wind reduces visibility, especially if there’s blowing snow. What the road is made out of, whether it is concrete or asphalt, will also make a difference, and the age of the road is also a big factor."

In short, there are countless variables that go into each custom forecast, and each client receives information that helps them plan ahead.

"If we’re talking about a client in the trucking industry, for example, that regularly travels long distances, we can provide information that will allow them to redirect around a storm, and our information can also benefit (provincial governments’ planned snow-clearing operations), which could potentially save them money," Kehler said.

The idea for the Weatherlogics evolved naturally, Kehler said, as both men had been interested in creating weather services in the private sector for some time. Eventually, after graduating, they saw a gap in the market in Canada, and capitalized on it.

"There is a lack of customizable options in Canada, so we saw a great opportunity to jump into the private sector, which isn’t saturated in this country," Kehler said.

This pair is also grateful for the continued help and support of the local division of Futurpreneur Canada.

"They have helped by mentoring us, in general, and helped connect us with partnership and networking opportunities. They’ve always been there to help us to try and find solutions to challenges," he said.

Go online at www.weatherlogics.com for more information.

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com