Weather Support for 2002 Olympic Games Dr. Tom Potter SLOC Weather Coordinator and U. of Utah Meteo...
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Transcript of Weather Support for 2002 Olympic Games Dr. Tom Potter SLOC Weather Coordinator and U. of Utah Meteo...
Weather Support for 2002 Olympic Games
Dr. Tom Potter
SLOC Weather Coordinatorand 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
Olympic region sites
MesoWest Olympic obs
Soldier Hollow: Cross Country, Biathlon, Nordic Combined
Snowbasin Downhill, Combined, Super-G
Utah Olympic ParkBobsled, Luge, Skeleton,
Ski Jumping, Nordic Combined
Park CityAlpine GS, Snowboard GS
Snowboard Half Pipe
Deer ValleyAlpine Slalom, Aerials, Moguls
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
D. JuddWestwide Avalanche Network
• 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
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