Weather Services for the 2010 Vancouver Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

5.0 Weather Requirements for VANOC

5.1 Sport-Specific Forecasts

5.1.1 Forecast Summary for Main Operations Centre (MOC)

5.1.2 Ad Hoc Briefings to VANOC/IOC Executive Committee

5.2 Medical Forecasts

5.3 Snowmaking Forecasts

5.4 Torch Relay Forecasts

5.0 Weather Requirements for VANOC

Weather requirements for sport were developed in consultation with VANOC and the international sport federations. Seeking information and requirements from VANOC venue managers and federation officials is a good strategy, because, in our experience, each group separately did not, initially, fully specify the complete set of needs. Indeed, some requirements emerged in the week prior to the opening ceremonies.

5.1 Sport-Specific Forecasts

A variety of sport-specific forecasts were made available to VANOC, the most detailed of which was a tabular forecast with hourly forecasts of weather elements valid for 24 hours. These were produced twice per day at each outdoor venue and once, for each venue, overnight at the POD.

Concurrently, a sport text forecast was produced that provided a synopsis or narrative of the weather of the day for each venue plus detailed 2‑day and more general 2‑to‑5‑day forecasts. Generally the same information was provided to INFO 2010 in an Extensible Markup Language (XML) format where short‑term detailed and general 5-day weather forecasts were available for each venue.

5.1.1 Forecast Summary for Main Operations Centre (MOC) Operations

At least twice and sometimes three times per day, a forecast briefing was provided by the VANOC Chief Meteorologist during a VANOC MOC functional area debriefing/teleconference. These were normally scheduled as the first item during the debrief and were one or two minutes in duration, with an opportunity for questions afterwards.

5.1.2 Ad Hoc Briefings to VANOC/IOC Executive Committee

When forecast weather conditions posed a significant risk to sport operations during the Games, the Chief Meteorologist was required to attend a VANOC Executive Committee meeting, and provided the forecast to the committee together with an assessment of the uncertainty in the forecast. This happened on three occasions during the Olympics and twice during the Paralympics. On each occasion, significant alterations to the competition schedule were made for one or several venues, sometimes several days in advance of events and, in the case of the Paralympics, up to six days in advance.

5.2 Medical Forecasts

Medical forecast tables (the Battleboard) were generated three times per day for each venue, Whistler and Vancouver, and were produced automatically from forecaster input into general forecast templates. Medical criteria were developed several years prior to Games time in consultation with VANOCstaff physicians. This product helped medical staff rapidly assess at a glance (due to its colour-coded elements) the risk of weather-related injuries to athletes and spectators, and any possible upcoming difficulties with surface or medical evacuation (air) transportation. It was sent to a distribution list via email.

5.3 Snowmaking Forecasts

Early morning snowmaking at Cypress Mountain, December 8, 2009. Credit: Paul Skelton, Manager, Cypress Mountain Venue Operations, Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

Special daily forecasts for snowmaking operations were prepared by the MSC’s 2010 Weather Services program from October 30, 2009, to January 2, 2010. These forecasts were used by venue staff at Cypress Mountain, Whistler Olympic Park and the Whistler Creekside alpine skiing venues to plan snowmaking operations strategically, and to maximize snowmaking opportunities when optimal temperatures and humidity for snow production were forecast. Regular Olympic venue forecast operations commenced on January 2, 2010.

Feedback on this product indicated that snowmakers successfully incorporated the forecast information into their planning and operations. Indeed, by optimizing snowmaking based on this forecast product, VANOC’s Whistler Creekside alpine and Cypress Mountain’s sports operations were able to take advantage of almost every snowmaking window at each elevation of the Whistler area and Cypress Mountain Olympic venues. As a result, almost double the minimum snow base was produced in less time than originally planned.

The forecast took the form of a synopsis or narrative, and included a North American Ensemble Forecast System ensemble meteogram as a point of reference for venue operations staff.

5.4 Torch Relay Forecasts

The Torch Relay (TR) ran from October 30, 2009, until the opening ceremonies on February 12, 2010. Forecasts were provided on a daily basis to on-scene TR officials, almost always by teleconference followed by email. Given that the event covered Canada from coast to coast and into the high Arctic, an extensive amount of coordination with regional EC forecast centres was required. Regional centres provided TR briefings in their geographic area of responsibility, and passed on forecast responsibility to adjacent centres based on the movements of the TR. The main forecast agency, the CMC, provided a graphical, technical forecast product and weather briefing to TR-supporting regional centres on a daily basis as general forecast guidance, with an assessment of the probabilities of severe weather along the route.