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

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)

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

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

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)

Don't expect to be able to stand by your weather station watching competition events

2004-05-11T10:50:48