S. Bélair, J.Mailhot

Meteorological Research Division, Environment Canada

The High-Resolution Numerical Weather The High-Resolution Numerical Weather Prediction Systems for the Prediction Systems for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics2010 Vancouver Olympics

WWRP VRWG and MWFRWG joint meeting, Berlin, Germany, 10 Sept. 2011

VANCOUVER-2010: EC’s EXPERIMENTAL MESOSCALE SYSTEMS

(Thanks to Juan Sebastian Fontecilla)

15-kmGEM-LAM

2.5-kmGEM-LAM

IC + LBC 1-kmGEM-LAM

33-kmGEM-LAM

IC + LBC

REGIONAL EPS

HIGH-RESOLUTION DETERMINISTICATMOSPHERIC SYSTEM

2D-external landsurface System(100 m)

Single-Point

EXTERNAL LAND SURFACE SYSTEM

Adaptor

1 2

3

33-kmGEM-LAM

33-kmGEM-LAM

33-kmGEM-LAM

20 members

Mailhot et al., 2010: BAMS., 91, 1073-1085.

GEM-LAM integrations, twice daily, starting from 0000 and 1200 UTC GEM-Regional forecasts:

LAM-15 km → 2.5 km → 1 km

1 km

2.5 km

WhistlerWhistler

VancouverVancouver

15 km

Comes with:

Improved dynamics

Improved physics

New diagnostic outputs

NESTING STRATEGY FOR LAM-V10 MESOSCALE NWP SYSTEM

CUSTOMIZED OUTPUT PACKAGE

TemperatureTemperature

Dewpoint, RHDewpoint, RH

Surface windsSurface winds

Cloud cover:Cloud cover:Low, mid, highLow, mid, highLow level windsLow level winds

Wind gustsWind gusts

WindchillWindchillCloud baseCloud base

QPF: QPF: /1h, /3h,/1h, /3h, /6h, /6h, cumulativecumulative

QPF QPF by type:by type:cumul. , instant.cumul. , instant.

2-D maps2-D maps(1 km)(1 km)

Visibility: Visibility: fog, rain, snow, fog, rain, snow, resultantresultant

CUSTOMIZED OUTPUT PACKAGE

MeteogramsMeteograms(1 km)(1 km)

General WxGeneral Wx

T, TT, Tdd etc. etc.Wind and GustsWind and Gusts

PrecipitationPrecipitationPCP RatesPCP Rates

Clouds and visibilityClouds and visibility

SnowSnow

EC’s EXTERNAL LAND SURFACE MODELING for VO2010

(Thanks to Juan Sebastian Fontecilla)

100-m snow analyses

Great decrease of T2m errors (bias shown here)

Bernier et al., 2011, J. Hydromet., 12, 508-530.

OBJECTIVE EVALUATION...

Surface variables: snow depth, snow density, snow albedo, surface temperature, soil moisture (if applicable).

Traditional near-surface variables: temperature, humidity, winds (speed and direction)

New near-surface variables: wind gusts, visibility (fog, rain, snow, total)

Clouds and precipitation: Cloud base height, cloud coverage (low, mid, and high levels), QPF (total and by type, instantaneous and cumulative), density of falling snow

Visibility, Whistler, 13 March 2010

Snow density (falling), 23 Feb. 2010