The Meteorological Service of Canada of Environment Canada (EC), will be the official provider of weather information and forecasts for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.

An extensive network of surface and three dimensional real-time weather sensors have been deployed in the Olympic area and are operational at this time.

To prepare forecasters for the Games, a programme of forecaster on-the-job training began in Whistler in January 2006 and was completed this year. In addition, a mountain weather forecasting course was developed in cooperation with the Consortium on Meteorological Education and Training (COMET). Three courses were held in Boulder, Colorado, and a final course was presented at Whistler in August 2008.

Science and technology for the Games promise to be innovative. EC’s Numerical Weather Prediction Research Unit is producing applications, including the downscaling of some elements of high-resolution numerical weather prediction (NWP), particularly precipitation and wind, and the routine production of NWP at high temporal and spatial resolution. New forecast ensembles will be included in routine operational forecasting.

In the interests of short term and nowcasting, a WMO World Weather Research Programme Research Demonstration Project will include the production of operational short-term nowcasting guidance for Olympic venue forecasters.