Environment Canada (EC) Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC)

Meteorologists Training
Monthly Newsletter
April- 2002

Upcoming Training
Mountain Weather Spring Seminar
RCNC Aviation Workshop
25th Conference on Hurricanes & Tropical Meteorology
Change of Season Workshop
6th Annual Northern Plains Workshop
URP 2.0 Radar Training
Western Canada Weather Workshop
13th Conference on Applied Climatology
10th Conference on Aviation, Range and Aerospace Meteorology
12th Joint Conf. on Air Pollution Met. & Waste Management
The Northern Environment - 36th CMOS Congress

April 18
April 23 &25
April 29 - May 3
May 1, 7, 9
May 8-10
Week of May 13
May 13
May 13-16
May 13-16
May 20-24
May 22-25

Kelowna, BC
Ottawa, ON
San Diego, California
Montreal, Quebec, Rimouski
Bismarck, North Dakota
Toronto, ON
Vancouver, BC
Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Norfolk, VA
Rimouski, Quebec

Smog Workshop

May 28 &30

Fredericton, NB

11th Conference on Cloud Physics

10th Conference on Mountain Meteorology
NRP Radar Seminar
31st Conference on Broadcast Meteorology
Canadian Society Of Agrometeorology (CSAM), Agricultural
Institute of Canada (AIC)
21st Conference on Severe Local Storms
19th Conference on Weather Analysis & Forecasting
15th Conference on Numerical Weather Prediction
Mid-Atlantic States Winter Storms Regional Conference
7th International Workshop on Wave Hindcasting and Forecasting
NWA 2002 Annual Meeting
15th Conference of Biometeorology and Aerobiology

June 3-7
June 17-21
June 20-21 & 25-26
June 24-28
July 16-17

Ogden, Utah
Park City, Utah
Kelowna, BC
Williamsburg, VA
Saskatoon, SK

August 12-16

San Antonio, Texas

October 4-5
October 21-25
October 19-25
October 28 - November 1

Washington, DC
Banff, AB
Fort Worth, Texas
Kansas City, Missouri

Inside This Issue

2 National
Update on Ab Initio Training (MOIP) and
Meteorologist Recruitment
The Northern Environment - 36th CMOS
Conference
3 Congress of Biometeorology - Call for Papers
4 How Good Data Can Lead To A Poor Model
Analysis
Report on the Ninth Conference on Mesoscale
Processes
5 Completion of MSC Career Video

5 Pacific Region
Report on the 26th Annual Meeting of the National
Weather Association
7 Prairie and Northern Region
Battle Creek Stream Hydrology and Ecology Workshop:
A Field and Classroom Experience
8 Services, Clients and Partners Directorate
Aviation Defence Services Workshop in Esquimalt and
Comox
8 Training Services Unit Winnipeg Provides Doppler Radar
Workshops to WSC's Greenwood and Halifax
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National
Update on Ab Initio Training (MOIP) and Meteorologist Recruitment
Training Course News...
The training course portion of the Meteorologist Operational Internship Program (MOIP) concluded on
March 28 at all three training locationsMontreal, Dartmouth and Edmontonwith all successful
interns receiving a course certificate. Details on the last phase of the training course will be available in a
separate article in next month's issue of the newsletter. Interns are now beginning their last phase of
MOIP, On-the-Job Training, which takes place at the locations of their first postings.
On-the-Job Training News...
In March, in preparation for on-the-job training, Wendy Benjamin, MOIP Coordinator, visited each
weather centre receiving one or more interns to deliver a short tutorial explaining the program,
responsibilities related to on-the-job training, supporting documentation and forms, evaluation
procedures, recent changes, feedback from past interns, and how to deal with weak performance. The
tour first took her to weather centres in Vancouver, Kelowna, Edmonton and Winnipeg. In mid-March,
she visited the Newfoundland Weather Centre in Gander, an important office for her to meet with since
it is receiving six new interns! Wendy wrapped up her tour at the weather centres in Toronto, Trenton
and Ottawa (where she delivered the tutorial twice).
To better support the offices in their training, Wendy revised and organized the MOIP documentation
and had it made up into printed manuals. She also developed a laminated daily reference card for onthe-job trainers to use and keep with them at the operational desk.
Everyone seemed pleased with the excellent organization of the material, and following the tutorial they
felt more confident about doing this year's on-the-job training. It should be emphasized that the on-thejob training phase makes up approximately 1/3 of the ab initio training (or MOIP) and is a very
important element in the training program.
Recruitment news...
The 2001-02 recruitment campaign came to a close with offers being made to 24 applicants. There is a
good mix of recruits from the employee equity diversity groups. Some acceptances have already come
back!
Contact: Wendy Benjamin (613) 995-4992

The Northern Environment - 36th CMOS Conference

While not yet complete, a draft schedule of social events for the upcoming CMOS (Canadian
Meteorological and Oceanographic Society) Congress that will be held in Rimouski, Quebec, from May
20 to 25 is provided below. Information on the many sessions and speakers currently being planned for
the Congress is too lengthy to include here but is available on the Congress web site (URL is provided
below).
Monday, May 20:
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Workshop on Extreme Weather

Workshop on Improving Quantitative Precipitation Forecast of Extreme Weather (both presented
by Isztar Zawadzki and Peter Yau)
Tuesday, May 21 - Meetings of the:
School and Public Education Committee (led by Gilles Simard)
Private Sector Committee (led by Susan K. Woodbury)
CMOS Publications Committee (led by Richard Asselin)
University and Professional Education Committee (led by Peter Bartello)
CMOS Council (led by Ronald Steward)
CMOS Centre Chairs (led by Ian Rutherford)
Canadian National Committee meeting of SCOR (Scientific Committee on Oceanographic
Research) (led by Ken Lee)
Membership Committee (led by Ron Bianchi)
Scientific Committee (led by Charles Lin).
Other events on Tuesday, May 21:
Day-2 of workshops on Extreme Weather and Short Term Precipitation Forecasting of Extreme
Weather (Isztar Zawadzki and Peter Yau)
Ice Breaker Cocktail in the evening.
Events scheduled for Wednesday, May 22:
Awards Luncheon
Women in Science and Technology (Rebecca Wagner and Anne Marie Cabana)
CMOS General Meeting.
The CMOS Banquet will be held on Thursday, May 23. On Friday, May 24, Dr. Gordon McBean will give
a special presentation on CFCAS developments, and a CFCAS meeting will be held. A Teachers Day led
by Anne Rossignol and Anne-Marie Cabana and an Open House Day at the Maurice Lamontagne
Institute, Department of Fisheries and Oceans are scheduled for Saturday, May 25.
For more information on locations and times, please consult the Congress web site at: http://scmo-cmos-

2002.osl.gc.ca.
Call For Papers: International Congress of Biometeorology and
Aerobiology
The call for papers is now open for the 16th International Congress of Biometeorology, hosted by the
International Society of Biometeorology, and the 15th Conference of Biometeorology and Aerobiology,
hosted by the American Meteorological Society. The conferences will take place on October 28 to
November 1, 2002 in Kansas City, Missouri. The closing date is May 7, 2002, and abstracts can be
submitted on-line.
The proposed structure of the Congress and companion conference is:
Day 1: Global climate change and its impact on biological response;
Day 2: Genome characteristics and properties to initiate adaptation to changing environmental stresses;
Day 3: Aerobiology impacts on spread of odours, spores, insects, and human and animal diseases;
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Day 4:
Day 5:

Drought with emphasis on food supply, water availability and human health;
Emerging technology in biometeorological and aerobiological research and applications.

Tours of local medical, pharmaceutical, and agricultural laboratories will also be held during the
Congress for interested scientists.
Further information is available at: http://www.mcc.missouri.edu/icb2002.

How Good Data Can Lead To A Poor Model Analysis

There is a very intriguing web site that can give clues to one of the conundrums facing operational
meteorologists: how good data can sometimes lead to a poor model analysis.
The web site contains a case study by Stephen Jascourt, of UCAR/COMET (University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research), in which an operational 22-km Eta model analysis differs considerably from
radiosonde 700 hPa temperature reports over a large area of Oklahoma and northeast Texas on August
13, 2001. The case study includes a series of interactive-type questions to help a forecaster search out
what happened and the implications for detecting and analyzing mesoscale atmospheric features.
Although this example is from a National Weather Service model, the example applies equally well to
objective analysis in general. In addition, the diagrams, questions, and teaching expertise evident in this
case study are worth the look. One can go through this case study in about twenty minutes or so.
.
The web site can be accessed from: http://meted.ucar.edu

Report on the Ninth Conference on Mesoscale Processes

Sponsored by the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and organized by the AMS Committee on
Mesoscale Processes, the Ninth Conference on Mesoscale Processes took place on July 30 to August 2,
2001 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The conference included sessions on:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Mesoscale data assimilation for numerical weather prediction and research applications;
Development of mesoscale prediction models;
Improving physical parameterizations in mesoscale models;
Mesoscale predictability and ensembles; and
New insights regarding mesoscale structure based on recent field experiments and new observing
platforms.

Andr Methot of CMC attended the conference and wrote an exhaustive report. Below are highlights
from his report.

Comparisons between the ETA model (22 km grid length, 50 levels) and the MRF (Medium
Range Forecast model) shows that the ETA model is competitive with the MRF model up to 84
hours.
The National Centre for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) has plans to use hourly winds
obtained from Doppler radar as well as clouds deduced from GOES satellites.
A new model of ETA will have three changes:
1. Changes to the 3D-VAR (3-D variational analysis scheme);
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2. Introduction of a system of nudging for forecast precipitation; and

3. Changes to the scheme for the surface for snow.
THREATS is an experiment quite analogous to HiMAP (High Resolution Model Application
Project). It will be run daily on different domains covering all of the United States.
The Kain and Fritsch Scheme in the ETA model was discussed, and compared to the scheme of
Betts-Miller-Janjic. The Kain and Fritsch scheme did a fair job within the ETA model. Both
schemes showed results that were very close, but showed very different (complementary)
systematic errors. This will be valuable information for future field meteorologists since the next
CMC regional model will likely use the Kain and Fritsch scheme.
A new system of short-term ensemble forecasting will be tried at NCEP beginning this autumn.
The case of the December 29-30 snow storm (where the snow accumulations at Washington DC
were not forecast in the short term) was the motivation for this project.
Model MM5 (fifth generation National Center for Atmospheric Research Mesoscale Model)
presentations were discussed. The ETA model has a large problem in the west due to the
presence of uneven topography. The MMT model is used for modeling in such uneven terrain.
The 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City will make use of forecasts based on the MM5
model.
The WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) and the ARPS (Advanced Regional Prediction
System) models were presented and discussed. There are two prototypes of the WRF model at
the present time. A U.S. company called Weather Decision Technology is selling weather services
based on their operations of the ARPS model.
The Air Force Weather Agency as well as the U.S. Navy are making large use of the MM5 model
in their forecasts.

For more information, please contact Andr Methot at: (514) 421-4671, or e-mail Andre.Methot@ec.gc.ca.

Completion of MSC Career Video

Wendy Benjamin recently completed a project to have a MSC career video made. The video targets high
school and university students and provides those doing outreach with a new tool for promoting MSC.
The video will also be distributed to the math, physics and meteorology departments of Canadian
universities.
To make the video as economically and quickly as possible, Wendy teamed up with Denis Bourque from
Policy and Corporate Affairs Directorate, who was in the process of revising the MSC video entitled
Forecasting for Your Safety and Security. Wendy added a two-minute segment called Predicting Your
Future to the end of the revised video. The first segment of the career video (Denis' segment) gives an
excellent overview of MSC's programs, services and roles and the second segment advertises careers -emphasizing meteorology -- in a short catchy commercial. The total length is approximately 15 minutes
(in either official language).
Anyone interested in obtaining a copy of the video for his/her office should contact Wendy Benjamin at
(613) 995-4992, or at Wendy.Benjamin@ec.gc.ca

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Pacific and Yukon Region

Report on the 26th Annual Meeting of the National Weather Association
The annual meeting of the National Weather Association (NWA) was held in Spokane, Washington from
October 13 to 19, 2001. The operational segment of the annual meeting was attended by five members of
Environment Canadas Pacific and Yukon Region: Gregg Walters, Mitch Meredith, Tony Ng, Terri Lang,
and Allan Coldwells. Gregg and Mitch prepared a report of this conference, with contributions from
Tony, Terri and Allan. Below is a brief summary of their report:
1.

At the annual awards banquet, Colonel Timothy H. Miner of the USAFR was presented with an
award for his efforts in developing NWAs Thunderstorms and Flying Internet course. Afterwards, a
slide show of the Mount St. Helens eruption was given by C. D. Miller, who showed that, yes,
boulders can fly through the air at 500 miles an hour.

2.

The presentations were organized into 13 sessions, one of which focused on Pacific Northwest
Weather. Another concentrated on a Downburst Symposium as a special focus. Other sessions
included Women in Meteorology, Seven Words You Cant Say on TV, When is a Record a
Record.

3. Clifford Mass of the University of Washington gave an excellent summary of the MM5 model.
4. Eric Grimit of the University of Washington presented efforts to implement and evaluate a mesoscale
short-range ensemble forecasting system over the Pacific Northwest.

5. AccuWeather displayed its new three-dimensional media graphics: a virtual 3-D flight from city to
city and through clouds and rain which help the viewers experience the actual weather forecast for
the region.

6. Severe weather climatology has shown that the number of tornadoes reported by the public between
the Rockies and the Appalachians have increased over the last 50 years, possibly due to improved
public education.

7. Commercial forecasting companies seem to want the NWS to concentrate on technology

development and weather warnings, leaving the issuance of public forecasts to the public sector.

8. The development of NWAs Thunderstorms and Flying Internet course was reviewed. Over 2,200
students from 18 countries have taken the course.

9. There was a strong focus on tornadoes, severe weather, and downbursts. The importance of radar
interpretations was discussed, along with case studies of tornadoes, flash floods, and bow echoes.
Allan Coldwells and Terri Lang of the Mtn Wx Centre gave an excellent presentation on the series of
severe thunderstorms that hit the Okanagan region on July 22, 2000.

10. Dr. Wakimoto of the University of California gave an overview of downburst mechanics. He
suggested that although a dry microburst is twice as strong as a wet microburst, they both produce
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identical outflow wind speeds. The reason the outflow wind speeds are identical may be that midlevel downdrafts seldom line up with low level downdrafts.

11. The downburst symposium included the topic of the number of accidents and fatalities in the
aviation community resulting from undetected downbursts. Short range techniques, which
primarily involve the very effective utilization of radar, were discussed. Fire weather forecasting was
also discussed. It has been learned that dry thunderstorms, combined with winds, especially from a
dry cold front, were prime lightning and forest fire producers.

12. NWS partnerships with local universities in the education and training of prospective meteorologists
were presented, with explanations of the practical training experiences at NWS offices in the
summer, and joint operational based research initiatives.
Gregg and Mitch present three conclusions in their paper:

1. One of the themes most stressed at the conference was the invaluable contribution that weather
radar plays in all areas where severe convective activity poses a threat to property and lives. The
presentation by Terri and Allan highlighted the need for the new radar facility being constructed
northeast of Vernon.

2. High-resolution models were shown to have some utility in forecasting winds and associated cold
temperature advection during cold outbreaks in Washington State, and probably would be of some
help in forecasting such events in the complex terrain of coastal B.C.

3. Outreach programs, such as the Volunteer Severe Weather Watchers, greatly enhance the forecast
program at PWC.
For further information, please contact Gregg Walters or Mitch Meredith at (604) 664-9385.

Prairie and Northern Region

Battle Creek Stream Hydrology and Ecology Workshop: A Field and
Classroom Experience
The Water Survey Division is hosting the 9th Battle Creek Stream Hydrology and Ecology Workshop on
June 17-21, 2002. This workshop is designed for those with an interest in stream hydrology, fluvial
geomorphology, aquatic biology, riparian vegetation, water chemistry and the interrelationships of these
topics. The presenters will provide instruction on the processes that form streams and the resulting
implications for stream ecology. They will also demonstrate techniques to assess the relative state
(health) of a stream reach. The workshop employs a unique blend of classroom and field study
activities. This year, a section has been added on water chemistry to better describe the link between the
physical and biological environments of a stream.

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The presenters will be:

Robert Newbury, Newbury Hydraulics

Dave Sauchyn, Prairie Adaptation Research Collaborative, University of Regina
Nancy Glozier, National Water Research Institute, Environment Canada
Mary Vetter, Luther College, University of Regina
Lynne Quinnett-Abbott, Business Development Unit, Environment Canada

A schedule and information on registration can be obtained from Mike Renouf at (306) 780-5347; fax
(306) 780-5350, or mike.renouf@ec.gc.ca.
The deadline for registration is May 31, 2002. Space is limited.

Services, Clients and Partners Directorate

Aviation Defence Services Workshop in Esquimalt and Comox
John Ogletree, Operations Coordinator for the Weather Services Centre (WSC) Greenwood, visited the
West Coast on March 8 and March 11 to conduct a one-day workshop at WSC Comox.
The topics included:

GRIB (Gridded Binary Meteorological Data) Primer: an introduction to CMC GRIB data sets, and
the impact of data resolution on various meteorological fields.
Edigraf: Various approaches to configuring Edigraf and setting up files were discussed. A
description was presented of images and vector files in use at WSC Greenwood, including the
dynamic use of amx for custom underlays.
Focal Points: various science related topics that require special attention by forecast staff if ADS
wants to move its program forward with a basis in science were described; possible roles and
responsibilities for Focal Point forecasters in ADS were reviewed.
xth V4.50 (Tephigram Display Program): a review of recent changes to the program.
URP (Unified Radar Processor) V2.0: a review of changes to new software release, including a
discussion of proposed changes to the ADS program necessary to incorporate this software.
Met Manager: a review and demo of the new met Manager suite with emphasis on amx were given.
ADS Activities: a review of presentations made by ADS managers at CMC in January, along with
discussions on relevant action items that arose from that meeting.
Future Opportunities for ADS: Discussions on options for changes to the ADS support program to
DND ensued.

For more information, please contact John Ogletree, at (902) 765-1494, Ext. 3894.

Training Services Unit Winnipeg Provides Doppler Radar Workshops to

Weather Services Centres Greenwood and Halifax
Barry Konzelman of the Training Services Unit (TSU) Winnipeg office gave three Doppler Radar
workshops to MSC and DND staff in the Halifax/Greenwood area on March 14, 18 and 19, 2002.
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The first workshop, given on Friday, March 14, was for the ADS/MSC meteorological staff of the
Weather Services Centre Greenwood. It was well attended by both ADS/MSC Staff and DND staff of the
14 Wing Greenwood Weather office. In his 3-hour presentations, Barry covered topics ranging from
Doppler radar basics to synoptic and mesoscale feature interpretation using Doppler radar. A CD-ROM
with hands-on exercises and case studies was left with Bob Howell, Manager of the Weather Service
Centre Greenwood, for staff to use after the workshop to solidify the information presented.
On Monday March 18 and Tuesday March 19, Barry delivered two 3-hour presentations to Weather
Service Centre Halifax staff, various DND staff from the Halifax area and a number of MSC
meteorologists from the Atlantic Weather Centre (AWC). Barry once again covered many topics and left a
few CD-ROMs of exercises and case studies with Jim Hamilton for future reference by his staff and those
at the AWC.
Workshops such as these allow TSU Winnipeg staff to share their meteorological knowledge and
instructional abilities with other MSC and DND offices. TSU Winnipeg meteorologists mainly deliver
courses focussing on short-range forecasting for the DND meteorological technicians that are employed
at Canadian fighter bases as short-range aviation forecasters.
Training Services Unit (TSU) Winnipeg is part of the Aviation and Defence Services Branch of the
Services, Clients and Partners Directorate of MSC Headquarters. TSU Winnipeg is co-located at the
DND School of Meteorology at 17 Wing, CFB Winnipeg.
Contact: Jasmin Paola, Manager TSU Winnipeg (204) 833-2500, Ext. 5838

Readers are encouraged to submit articles related to learning, training and recruitment. Submissions or
any questions related to items without a contact can be directed to Spencer.Silver@ec.gc.ca
Editorials: If you would like to express an opinion or submit a commentary, please send your comments to
Spencer.Silver@ec.gc.ca

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