Looking to the skies for safety on the slopes

Legacy of Beijing 2022

Most members of the team participated in meteorological support for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games and the 14th National Winter Games held in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region last year, drawing heavily on the lessons learned from the top-tier winter competitions.

Meanwhile, the meteorological team in Harbin is navigating the unique challenges posed by the Yabuli resort's complex terrain, and introducing innovative technologies to ensure the safety and fairness of the Games.

Though Yabuli and Chongli in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province — where most snow events of the Beijing Games were held — are both mountainous regions, differences remain in altitude and vegetation, said Tang, the chief forecaster who took part in both events.

While the mountains in Chongli are characterized by less vegetation and relatively predictable wind patterns, Yabuli's dense forests and higher tree line create a more chaotic and unpredictable wind environment.

"The wind patterns in Yabuli are more erratic due to the terrain and vegetation, which make forecasting for wind gusts particularly challenging," Tang said.

The elevation of Yabuli, at around 1,400 meters, is also lower than Chongli's peaks, which reach up to 2,000 meters. The difference in altitude and topography has required the meteorological team to adapt their forecasting models, which were developed for the Beijing Games, he added.

The meteorological support system for the Beijing Games was the result of years of meticulous preparation. The team began its work in 2017, with extensive data collection and model refinement over several winters.

In contrast, the Yabuli station has only experienced one winter since it was established, leaving limited time for data accumulation and team cooperation.

Despite this, the team has managed to achieve a high level of coordination in a short period, thanks to the experience gained from Beijing, Tang said. "During the Beijing Winter Olympics, we developed a deep understanding of how to work together, both among forecasters and with the weather conditions. We've brought that tacit understanding to Yabuli," he said.

One technological innovation that is being used at these Games is mobile cabin meteorological stations parked up near competition zones, providing vertical atmospheric profiles and offering insights into conditions at higher altitudes, Tang said.

The ground-based remote sensing vertical observation system can provide real-time data on atmospheric temperature, humidity, wind speed and cloud conditions from the ground up to 10 kilometers high.

The evolution of meteorological support for winter sports in China reflects a shift from basic weather forecasting to a more precise approach that considers the specific needs of athletes and organizers, Tang said.