High School Race Teams Use Lightning Decision Support System and iMap®  Interactive Map to Track Weather Changes

Norman, OK - July 18, 2009-  World weather leader Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT), is providing weather support to high school students building and racing their own road-worthy solar cars at the Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge, 2010. This unique Texas-to-Colorado cross-country event takes place this week, commencing at the Texas Motor Speedway, north of Fort Worth, Texas.

The 15th Hunt-Winston School Solar Car Challenge is an exciting event that provides high school students a hands-on project-based learning experience. Attendees, race teams and race followers will be able to track possible lightning threats using WDT’s Lightning Decision Support System and prevailing weather conditions on a special Google-Maps based iMap interactive radar map.

The 2010 Solar Car Challenge is an educational program designed to help motivate students in Science, Engineering & Technology.

The Solar Challenge is a cross-country event leaving from the world famous Texas Motor Speedway in Dallas/Fort Worth on Sunday, July 18^th and arriving in Boulder, Colorado on Sunday, July 25^th.  More than twenty teams from around the country will be driving their high school solar cars in an educational experience of a lifetime.  A map of the route may be found at: http://www.winstonsolar.org/challenge/route2010.shtml

The Winston Solar Education Program was established in 1993.  Since its inception, 18,000 students have taken part in this national event.  There are presently 54 on-going high school solar car projects in the United States.  The Hunt Oil Company is the title sponsor for this year’s competition.

Recognized by Technology Learning as one of the top ten education programs in the country, the Solar Challenge's goal is to motivate students in science, engineering, and technology. The program teaches the importance of developing alternative sources of energy, and helps focus community attention on our environmental responsibility.

About the Winston Solar Education Program

The Winston Solar Education Program works to meet this objective by providing curriculum materials, on-site visits, and workshop opportunities for high schools across the country. This effort was designed to motivate students in the sciences, and to stress the value of science, engineering, and alternative energy. The Winston Solar Challenge now hosts annual events based on the support of the world famous Texas Motor Speedway. Even-numbered year events are closed track races at the Speedway; odd-numbered year events will continue to be cross-country races. For more information about the Winston Solar Challenge: http://www.winstonsolar.org/challenge

About Weather Decision Technologies, Inc. (WDT)
Founded in 2000, Weather Decision Technologies has become a global leader in providing state-of-the-science weather detection, nowcasting, and forecasting systems and services to our partners and customers. WDT's iMap services provide dynamic, web-based and mobile interactive mapping solutions for the world's leading local media companies. WDT maintains operational and international offices in Washington, D.C.; Norman, Oklahoma, Atlanta, Georgia, and Austin, Texas. http://www.wdtinc.com