Environment Canada’s Experimental Numerical Weather Prediction Systems for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games

O n 2 July 2003, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Canada with the rights to host the 2010 Winter Games. The XXI Olympic and X Paralympic Winter Games took place from 12 to 28 February and from 12 to 21 March 2010, respectively, in the Vancouver, British Columbia, and Whistler, British Columbia, areas. The 2010 Winter Games showcased the highest-level competition at five indoor and four outdoor venues. Indoor venues include ice hockey, short-track and speed skating, figure skating, and curling, and were concentrated in the metropolitan Vancouver area. Outdoor venues were north of Vancouver (see Table 1 and Figs. 1 and 2 for locations) and included Whistler Mountain (alpine skiing), Blackcomb Sliding Centre (bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton), Callaghan Valley Olympic Park (cross-country skiing, ski jumping, biathlon, and nordic combined), and Cypress Bowl Mountain (freestyle skiing and snowboard events). Over 80 countries participated, bringing 5,500 athletes and officials to the 2010 Games. Two weeks later,  Photograph taken from Whistler Mountain