Observing requirements for,  and design of,  a mesoscale monitoring network for Vancouver 2010
2002 Winter Olympics Background:
John Horel
Department of Meteorology
University of Utah

1. Organizational issues

• Public vs. private sector

Outcome- joint forecast team (NWS- public safety; Private- venues) + others (U/U role for planning and som infrastructure)

Outcome- funding diffuse and somewhat disorganized (NWS- no direct funding at outset; Private- complicated funding through NBC affiliate; U/U pork barrel)

• Olympic Committee expected federal government to cover costs- paid for very little in the way of met support- wants sponsor for everything.

• Lots of other groups providing weather support (military, security, aviation, backcountry avalanche, roads)

• Lots of other groups expect Olympics to be source of R&D $$ (did motivate shoestring funded IPEX field program)

• Disconnect between info provided to media/competitors (defined specifically) and the public (At the last moment public web services switched; access to forecast info changed)

2. Public safety nowcasting & forecasting needs

• Spurred development of MesoWest- need observations througout region for monitoring conditions and serving as input to numerical models

• Relied upon resources of opportunity- working with any group that collects weather data and will make it available at no charge

• Limited deployment of weather stations (half dozen) mainly in the vicinity of Great Salt Lake and at a couple of venues (some of the equipment left over from Atlanta Games)

• Forecasting for opening/closing ceremony became a big deal at the (relatively) last moment

• Transportation and security forecasting became big issues

2. Venue planning and forecasting needs

• Different venues are more weather sensitive and staff are more willing to work with met support

• Can be very conservative/nitpicky requirements for venue weather support

• In order of level of interest wrt weather data (all interested in wx forecasts):

  • cross country and biathlon- really into wx for waxing. We deployed 1 station years in advance and added 3 others couple years in advance

  • downhill- mountain was covered with stations: combo of ski area and leftover NWS equipment

  • ski jump- Oly Committee purchases equipment years in advance for monitoring

  • bob sled- have wind during race limitations

  • rest don't care that much as long as a weather station is in the vicinity of all outdoor events (aerials; moguls; slallom, etc.)

  • Committee requires basic climo information for planning and PR; in most cases, we cobbled data together

  • important to get equipment at venues and other weather sensitive locations out early for MOS development

4. Recommendations:

• Try to nail down the basics as soon as possible

  • What's the budget for wx support?

  • Who's in charge?

  • Who're all the players?

• Get equipment at the venues as soon as possible

  • need data for climatologies/MOS

  • plan on moving equipment around venues as construction takes place

  • plan on equipment/comms at venues getting messed up at very last minute and during the games (television, national security concerns)

• Coordinate collection of existing data

• overcoming turf issues

• don't worry as much about standards of reporting, formats, sensor height, etc.

• Identify holes in existing distribution of stations for forecasting needs

• Be creative in requesting resources.

• We asked for a lot but didn't get much (portable dopplers, rawinsondes, profilers)

• Have fun attempting new things

• deploying buoy on GSL (failure)

• snow temperature at cross country venue (limited success)