From Research to Operations: Advancing Canada's Meteorological Forecasting Systems in 2024

In 2024, Canada’s Meteorological Service underwent a significant upgrade of its forecasting systems, reflecting a comprehensive research-to-operations (R2O) strategy. This approach involves updating every model in the forecasting chain within a single technological transfer cycle, from global ensemble model assimilation to specialized hydrological forecasting systems. Although resource-intensive in terms of coordination, this strategy enables rigorous scientific validation of innovations across the entire system, from upstream to downstream components.

The Canadian Meteorological Centre (CMC) plays a pivotal role in the R2O process, serving as a crucial link between model users and developers. Positioned at the intersection of research and operations, the CMC is ideally situated to collect, synthesize, and communicate user feedback, ensuring that model advancements meet operational needs.

This presentation will explore Canada’s weather and environmental forecasting R2O process, with a particular focus on the mechanisms for incorporating feedback from operational services. Several strategies for effective feedback integration will also be discussed.