Science and nowcasting Olympic weather for Vancouver 2010 (SNOW-V10)

The Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games will be held in British Columbia from 12-28 February 2010 and 12-21 March 2010. Many of the outdoor venues will be located in the Whistler area, with some also being located at Cypress Mountain closer to Vancouver. In association with these games, a World Meteorological Organization (WMO), World Weather Research Programme (WWRP), Research and Development Project (RDP) is proposed entitled the Science and Nowcasting Olympic Weather for Vancouver 2010 (SNOW-V10). The main goal of this project will be to improve short term forecasts (0-6 hours) of winter weather in complex terrain. In particular, variables to be considered include visibility, wind direction and speed, precipitation amount and type, cloud amount and ceiling, temperature, relative humidity, etc. The nowcasting techniques will use the extensive observational network put in place for the Olympics, and high resolution models especially designed for this experiment. Although this is a research project, it is intended to produce a variety of objective guidance products for Olympic venue forecasters, particularly concerning short term phenomena (visibility, wind) that can affect the scheduling and operations of sporting events. This talk will broadly discuss the plans for SNOW-V10, how it fits in with the normal and Olympic operational forecast and nowcast programs, and some of the research which has already been performed.