| Salt Lake City |
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| GER |
12 |
16 |
7 |
35 |
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| USA |
10 |
13 |
11 |
34 |
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| NOR |
11 |
7 |
6 |
24 |
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| CAN |
6 |
3 |
8 |
17 |
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| RUS |
6 |
6 |
4 |
16 |
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| AUT |
2 |
4 |
10 |
16 |
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| ITA |
4 |
4 |
4 |
12 |
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| FRA |
4 |
5 |
2 |
11 |
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| SUI |
3 |
2 |
6 |
11 |
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| NED |
3 |
5 |
0 |
8 |
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Weather center a whirlwind of activity
By Joe Bauman
Deseret News staff writer
It looks like a conference room not much larger than a garage. But actually, it's the eye of an electronic hurricane.
Gales of data blow silently through the computers of the Olympic Winter Games Weather Operations Center, probably more weather information than ever before collected about a single region. Four meteorologists study their display screens: rotating cloud patterns, wind direction arrows and numbers, and satellite photographs of Earth.
This is headquarters of the Weather Support Group, a consortium of the National Weather Service, KSL-TV and the University of Utah meteorology department. They are based in what was once a conference room and training site in the Weather Service's William J. Alder Building, 2242 W. North Temple.
"These folks are making sure that the products (predictions and other information) that we put out and the very venue-specific forecasts that the KSL forecasters are putting out are coordinated and consistent," said Larry Dunn, meteorologist in charge of the NWS forecast office, referring to those working in the center.
"It's a team effort, it's 24 hours a day."
Accurate weather forecasts are vital to the Winter Games.
Not only can bad weather delay or force cancellation of Olympic sporting events, it also can freeze locks of cars at park-and-ride lots, blow over warming tents, cover spectators with snow or turn highways leading to mountain venues into ice rinks. With the right forecasts, planners can take swift action to head off misery.
"It's essential that there be good forecasts and good observation of the weather that takes place," added Tom Potter, weather coordinator for the Salt Lake Organizing Committee.
To provide that, KSL is making pinpoint predictions for the five outdoor venues and the opening and closing ceremonies, the U. provides instruments, infrastructure, specialized computer models and student helpers.
As part of the $3 million project (the cost includes indirect expenses like facilities), Hill Air Force Base is contributing its expertise.
At the venues, equipment sends in myriad weather data every five or 15 minutes.
The predictions really are a group effort — weather forecasting by committee.
About 5 a.m. and 3 p.m. daily, experts scattered around the region hold a conference briefing, using speaker phones.
"We'll go through a roll call with the various agencies and groups and then begin a synopsis or an overview of what we expect the large-scale weather pattern to be the next week," said Tom Nizioli of the NWS.
"We are getting a tremendous amount of data, down to a very, very fine scale," he added. This detail can be crucial, as the area mountains play a major role in weather changes.
Cara Conrad, 26, a U. law school student from Calgary, Canada, is one of the 25 students and professors from the university who are helping. (Altogether, counting them and the 13 from KSL, about 50 are working on weather predictions.)
Working with Potter at SLOC offices at 299 S. Main, she is among those in charge of supervising weather aides at the venues. "We have volunteers out there every day taking temperatures of the snow, observing sky conditions," she said.
Mark Eubank, the KSL weather chief who is also the head meteorologist for the Salt Lake Winter Games, said the many people working together are extremely dedicated and skilled.
"This is a marvelous combination of people," he added. "I just can't believe the number of hours they're willing to put in to make this work well."
E-MAIL: bau@desnews.com
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February 11, 2002
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