weather support for 2002 olympic games dr. tom potter sloc weather coordinator and u. of utah meteo...
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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