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Weather Support for 2002 Olympic Games Dr. Tom Potter SLOC Weather Coordinator and U. of Utah Meteo Dep’t 2002 Winter Games • • • • • • • 2500 Athletes 78 Events at 10 Venues 1.5 Million Spectators 9000 Accredited Media + 4 K more 26,000 Volunteers + 5000 Staff Budget $ 1.3 Billion Games Labeled “Outstanding” by Athletes,Spectators,TV Audience, and even the Media. Effects on Olympic activities • • • • • • • Sport Competition Delays Transportation (Ground and Air) Spectator Safety & Comfort Medical Emergency Response Security Snowmaking & Snow Removal Engineering & Construction: Seats,tents,flags,displays,… • Environmental Quality & Air Pollution • Ceremonies with weather-critical shows before 50,000+ people in stadium What the WSP Provided • Forecasts & Warnings : For 5 Outdoor Venues,the Salt Lake Area, and Roads • Official Weather Conditions at Venues • Historical Climate Data: Venues & Cities plus Climate Forecasts from CPC • Consultant advice on applications: snowmaking,engineering & construction, transportation, security, ceremonies,... Who Did the Job Unique Weather Team from public, private, academic and military sectors - NWS: Area-wide & road corridor fcsts, plus led twice-daily conference calls - KSL : Detailed fcsts for sports venues - U: Sensors, MesoWest, Research, Fcst Tools, Hi-Res Analyses & Fcsts, Wx Aides - Hill AFB: Helicopter Support and TMOS - NCEP, SLOC IS/Comm/Others, USFS Avalanche Center, FSL (FX-Net), UOPSC Real-time Operations • Weather Operations Center at NWS Office near SLC Airport (24/7) • Weather Forecasters at Outdoor Venues ( 0400 to 1800 on event days) • Volunteer Weather Aides at Outdoor Venues: Official Obs (0600 to 1800) • High-res MM5 and ADAS Runs, MesoWest DataBase at U of U (24/7) • Aviation Weather from Hill AFB (24/7) • Coordinator/Aides at SLOC/MOC(04-1900) Tool Kit * Modern Hardware and Software with Hi-Res Analyses and Forecasts * Superb MesoWest Database * New Understanding of Local Mountain Snow Processes from IPEX * Forecasters Knew Local Mtn Weather * Each Component of Weather Team brought unique strengths * Twice Daily Conference Calls Aided in Accurate & Well-Coordinated Forecasts MesoWest surface network • 2600 stations & 70 networks in western US • 250+ stations in northern Utah www.met.utah.edu/mesowest MesoWest Olympic obs Park City Alpine GS, Snowboard GS Snowboard Half Pipe Snowbasin Downhill, Combined, Super-G Olympic region sites Utah Olympic Park Bobsled, Luge, Skeleton, Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined Deer Valley Alpine Slalom, Aerials, Moguls Soldier Hollow: Cross Country, Biathlon, Nordic Combined Location of MM5 MOS sites Mesoscale modeling/(MOS) FX NET • PC-based weather display system from NOAA/FSL • Provides access to NWS/AWIPS information at outdoor venues and Hill AFB • Insures all forecasters on Olympic team have access to the same weather information Potential Wx Concerns • Forecasts of Precipitation in the Mountains • Forecasts for tiny sports venues at precise fixed times • Heavy Snow • Strong Winds • Too Warm for Snowmaking • Rain on Snow • Low Visibility: Fog or Snow • Lightning • Avalanches • Air Pollution Westwide Avalanche Network D. Judd Actual Weather • Nearly Perfect for Winter Games : Colder & Drier than Normal, with no big snowstorms, strong wind gusts, or low visibilities • Few Weather Delays/Postponements - Mostly from Winds - Only one postponement from snow - Potential Wind/Lightning effects at all 4 Opening/Closing Ceremonies Forecast Results • Overall, forecasts were excellent, according to customers. • Superb data sets and wide range of models available to experienced forecasters who coordinated well. • Had high resolution analyses/forecasts. • MM5/MOS forecasts for venues were quite accurate. • Detailed,precise forecasts for Opening/Closing Ceremonies were exceptionally good. LEGACIES • More Obs, Better D.B., New forecast tools • Better Understanding of Winter Weather in Complex Terrain thru Research & Experience • Will result in better forecasts in mountain regions well after the Olympics • Model of Multi-Sector Cooperation Ongoing scientific issues • QPF!!! – When, where, how much • Highway surface modeling/guidance • Snow-surface temperature/structure • AQ during cold pools/inversions