Forecast challenges in preparation for the Vancouver-Whistler 2010 Olympic Winter Games

The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) will provide weather support for the 2010 Vancouver-Whistler Olympics. Forecasters have been posted at the various Olympic venues each winter since 2006 on a rotating basis in order to familiarize themselves with the meteorological characteristics of each site.

The 2007-2008 winter season featured several major competitions including an official Olympic test event in late February, which provided excellent training opportunities. We examine two weather events to highlight the unique challenges facing forecasters at these venues. These examples illustrate the orographic forcing on weather over the complex topography of southwestern British Columbia as well as the value of the dedicated mesoscale observing network and the GEM LAM 2.5 km model. Weather elements such as precipitation, temperature, wind and fog must be forecast for each venue. These often display significant local variations spatially and on short time scales, as expected in a mountainous environment. Indeed, the Alpine Venues feature several hundred metres of vertical drop over linear distances of one to two kilometers. The emphasis on various weather elements will vary not only as a function of the local meteorology of each venue but also the specific event criteria as laid out by officials from the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) and the Fédération internationale de ski (FIS). Forecaster interactions with local race organizers are presented to illustrate how we fulfilled their requirements for meteorological services and subsequently, the impact of our forecasts and advice on event management decisions.