2.1 The weather of the Olympic Period: February 12 to 28, 2010
Sunrise, sunset and hours of daylight in Pacific Standard Time (local time)
Sunrise 7:27 (Feb 12) to 6:58 (Feb 28) and Sunset 17:27 (Feb 12) to 17:53 (Feb 28) at sites
with a clear view of the (un-mountainous) horizon. The hours of daylight are 10:00 (Feb 12) to
10:55 (Feb 28).
General Weather Conditions
The warmest January at Vancouver Airport in the past 115 years proceeded the February 1228, 2010 Olympic period. A strong El Niño was, in part, responsible for the warm wet and
snowfall-free weather in the Vancouver area.
Weather during the Olympic period began with warm wet conditions, then switched to warm
sunny weather for six days and switched back to warm and wet for the remainder of the 17 day
Olympic period. This resulted in a somewhat wetter than normal Olympic period in the city and
on Cypress Mountain.
Above normal temperature conditions prevailed largely due to elevated minimum night-time
temperatures. Overall the mean 12 to 28 February temperature was 7.6°C at Vancouver airport.
That is 2.3°C (1.5 standard deviations) above the 1971 to 2000 Olympic period average
temperature. Rain fell in Vancouver from 12 to 16 and 23 to 28 February.
No snowfall fell in Vancouver or at Cypress, but moderate accumulations at higher elevations in
Whistler early and late in the Olympic period added to the winter ambience, especially at higher
elevations. Quite heavy rainfall was experienced at Cypress on several days in Olympic period
where rain adversely affected snowpack depth and surface conditions. This led to very
challenging snow conditions at the Cypress competition venues.
2.1.1 Vancouver Airport (YVR) Weather (Richmond) 4 m elevation
Overall it was a wet winter Olympic period at the airport until the arrival of sunny days from day
6 to day 11.
Rain was recorded on 11 days in 2010. Total rainfall (76 mm) was slightly above the normal
amount.
Average 1896-2010 rainfall for the period of 12 to 28 February is 70mm.
The rainfall came on the 12th (2.6mm), 13th (2.8mm), 14th (7.8mm), 15th (2.4mm), 16th (12.8mm)
23rd (4.0mm), 24th (10.4mm), 25th (1.0mm), 26th (10.6mm), 27th (19.8mm), and 28th (1.6mm).
No snowfall was recorded. This total (76.2mm) is the 49th largest in the last 115 years and is
about 15% more than the 66.2mm median total for the years 1896-2010. In 1982 a 115 year
record total of 210mm of rain fell in the 17 day Olympics period.
Daily temperatures averaged 4.8°C to 9.5°C during the February 12 to 28 period.
The warmest hour was 2pm to 3pm on the 28th when a temperature of 12.4°C was reached in
warm inflow conditions. Daytime maximum temperatures were in the 7.6°C to 12.4°C range and
minimums were 0.1°C to 8.0°C.
Overall the temperature averaged (median) 7.6°C at the airport. This is 2.0°C above average
(median) for this period. This was partly due to the June 2009 to February 2010 El Niño
conditions upstream of the area.
Visibility at the airport was good. Typical daily values of 19km to 48km were observed. Only two
hours of fog was recorded early on the 27th February with visibility of about 5km.
The maximum observed wind gust speed (11 m/s) from the east occurred at 16:00 on the 12 th
as a low pressure system boosted the easterly flow. Winds were generally light, averaging 3.5
m/s, the 12th, 13th, 15th, 17th and 26th were breezy days.
The maximum gust ever recorded at Vancouver Airport in February was 33 m/s in 1961,
although wind speeds of this intensity are very rare. Extreme wind speeds in the Whistler
area are much lighter.
2.1.2 Cypress Mountain North (VOE), South (VOG) & Freestyle (VOZ) elev. 960m
The Cypress Mountain weather stations VOE and VOG are both located near the elevation of
the lower end of the freestyle ski area. The first (VOE) is close to the resort’s ski runs for
snowfall measurement. The second, temperature and wind station (VOG), is in the crosscountry ski area parking lot, giving a better exposure to wind, especially wind from the south. A
third temperature, relative humidity and wind weather station (VOZ) has been located in a
central location near the lower end of the freestyle slope.
Temperatures at VOE were in the 0.0°C to 7.6°C interval with a warm mean of 3°C.
Snow depths for 12-28 February were low, (81cm to100 cm range), in part, due to the strong El
Niño and the associated warm winter weather.
Winds for the same period were 0 m/s to 7 m/s with a low mean speed of about 2.6 m/s with
quite common south-easterly gusts of about (10-20 m/s). Wind direction was predominantly
south-easterly.
Visibility at Cypress Mountain (VOG) was below 100m several times during the Olympic period.
Such conditions have a detrimental effect on spectator and television viewer enjoyment of the
events. Visibility was typically more than 200m but foggy conditions became a significant issue
for a total of about 80 out of 408 hours of Olympic period operations.
The Vaisala FD12P instrument at VOG recorded periods on several days with low visibilities:
12th (50m), 13th (40m), 16th (30m), 24th (30m), 25th (40m), 27th (70m) and 28th (30m).
Low visibility conditions were most obvious in the television coverage of the ladies’ aerials finals
at 7:30pm on the 24th and the men’s parallel giant slalom snowboard races on the 27th from
10am until 2pm. Visibility was as low as 30m and television viewers had a less than ideal view
of the competitors as they raced down the courses on Black Mountain at Cypress.
2.1.3 Callaghan Valley (VOD), elev. 869m & BC Hydro Weather Station, elev. 880m
Olympic Period:
The Long 24 year, (1987-2010), records used for this site are for a British Columbia Hydro
(Power Generation Authority) station, Upper Cheakamus, (CMU).
CMU temperatures were about 3°C above average in the daytime and about 2°C above normal
at night.
The 17 day precipitation totalled 166mm (total rain and melted snow). This was more than twice
the 24 year 75mm median total.
The average midday temperature for the period, of 4°C, is 3.6°C above the 1987 to 2010
normal.
Data from the Olympic weather station, (VOD/CMU), show that on average temperatures were
much warmer than normal, winds were very light with occasional gentle gusts, and the
precipitation total was 166mm. Snowfall during the period was quite rare and light due to the
unusually warm weather that delivered more rain than snow. Average temperatures at noon,
3pm, 6pm and 9pm were mostly 2°C to 3°C above long term means.
Snow base depth was in the 113cm to 120cm range with warm and sometimes wet or snowy
conditions leading to a nearly constant depth of snow on the ground throughout the Olympics.
Callaghan Ski Jump (VOW), Weather Station elevation 936m
Winds were generally light, averaging about 1 m/s during the Olympic period. Gusts of up to
6m/s were experienced rarely. Wind direction typically changed from north-easterly to southerly
between 10am and 2pm.
2.1.4 Whistler Village, Nesters Road, Weather Station (WAE / VOC)
In the village (at 659 meters elevation near the mountain base) the weather followed the wet
(12th – 16th), dry (17th – 22nd) wet (23rd – 28th) pattern of Vancouver.
Mid-day air temperatures were 3.0°C above normal and skies were mostly cloudy except for the
17th to 22nd during the 17 day winter Olympic period in 2010. Total snowfall was minimal at
about 5cm. This is below average for the past 34 years.
Average 1977 to 2010 rainfall for 12 to 28 February is 30mm, and 43mm fell during the 2010
event period. Some light rainfall fell on the 12th (4.7mm), 13th (19.8mm), 14th (1.7mm), 23rd
(0.4mm), 24th (4.0mm), 25th (0.6mm) 26th (6.7mm), 27th (4.3mm) and 28th (0.4mm).
Only 5.2 centimetres of snow fell with most on the 15th (3.0cm).
Average 1977 to 2010 snowfall is 40cm for the 17 days of the Olympic period. In 2010 the
Village snow depth was in the 39 to 46 centimetre range. Record high November snowfall in
Whistler and warm El Niño conditions, especially in February, resulted in some of the
competition venues having less than ideal surface snow conditions.
The warmest temperature (10.5°C) was in the mid afternoon of the 22nd and daytime high temps
(about 5°C) were about two degrees warmer than average. Night-time minimums were as low
as -4.9°C (22nd Feb, 8am), but averaged about -3°C.
The Whistler weather was dominated by warm inflow conditions which led to a quite a small
difference between maximum and minimum daily temperatures.
Daytime maximum temperatures were in the 3°C to 10°C range and minimum daily
temperatures were in the -5°C to 2°C range. Overall the average air temperature was unusually
warm (3.0°C) at the village weather station (WAE), whereas the long term mean is 0.7°C.
Winds were generally very light at night and stronger during the daytime and averaged about
1m/s from the southeast. However, tall trees shelter the wind speed sensor and recorded
speeds are less than in open areas in Whistler Village.
2.1.5 Whistler Mountain Creekside (VOT, VOB & VOL) elevation 797m to 1,320m
Whistler Low Level (VOB), weather station is located near the bottom of the men’s and women’s
Olympic downhill courses at about 228m above the Creekside finish area, at an elevation of
675m.
Light-moderate precipitation occurred on eleven days.
Total snowfall was about 10cm and most of it fell on the 16th and from the 24th to the 27th
followed by some light rain on the 28th.
Snow on ground depth averaged 99cm and started with the same depth on the 12th and peaked
at 102cm on the 27th at the end of the main snowfall period.
Temperatures were at their warmest (10°C) in the early afternoon (2pm) of the 20 th and daily
maximum temperatures were 1.3°C to 9.7°C on other days. Night time minimums were 0.5°C or
colder and averaged about -0.7°C. The overall average temperature was 1.5°C for the 17 days.
Winds were generally very light at less than 1m/s on average. The strongest wind gust was at
2:35am on the 18th measured at 6.4 m/s from the north-northeast.
Good visibility (>100m) is vital for high speed downhill ski competitions on the steep fast
Creekside courses. To aid in the forecasting of visibility, several visibility sensors were deployed
at mid-station (VOL) and at the Creekside finish area (VOT). Three different sensors (Vaisala
FD12P, OTT PARSIVEL & Belfort 6200) collected data at VOL and a Vaisala FD12P and an
OTT PARSIVEL measured visibility at VOT. Only the FD12P produced data that consistently
matched the low visibility conditions seen in images captured by web cams (RVAS) at VOL and
VOT. Visibility at the finish area (VOT) was rarely below 100m during the Olympic period. It was
typically more than 200m and did not become a significant issue for event operations; however
the same cannot be said for visibility at mid-station (VOL). The Vaisala FD12P instrument
recorded periods on several days with low visibilities: 12th (60m), 13th (100m), 14th (110m),
16th (50m), 24th (50m), 25th (70m), 27th (140m) and 28th (90m). The men’s downhill was
eventually run at 10:30 (PST) on the 15th when visibility improved greatly for about 24 hours.
The Ladies’ downhill was delayed until 11:00 (PST) on the 17th when good visibility conditions
started and lasted for about six and a half days.
2.1.6 Whistler High Level (VOA) elev 1,634m & High Level Wind (VOH) elev 1,676m
Whistler High Level (VOH), wind and temperature, weather station is located at the top of the
men’s Olympic downhill course. Whistler High Level (VOA) automatic weather station is colocated with the manual Whistler Roundhouse weather station 365m to the southeast and about
42m higher than the top of the downhill course.
Record high November to February snowfall of about 11.3m provided a deep initial snow base
depth, (2.84m), for the February 12 to 28 Olympic period.
Snowfall during the Olympic period was heavy early on in and in the last third of the Olympic
period at this higher elevation (1,634 m) weather station.
Moderate snowfall occurred on five days and totalled 86cm, with 11cm on the 12th, 18cm on the
13th, 10cm on the 14th, 10cm on the 24th and 13cm on the 26th. The depth of snow on the ground
increased from about 284cm on the 12th to about 296cm on the 28th. This is above average
snow base depth based on records for 1981 to 2010.
Moderate February snowfall high on Whistler Mountain and below zero temperatures for the
period helped to maintain a good depth of snow and good surface conditions for skiing close to
this upper elevation mountain weather station.
Minimum night time temperatures were in the -2.0°C to -7.0°C range. Overall minimums
averaged -4.1°C and maximums 0.1°C, giving an average February 12th to 28th temperature of 2.0°C.
Whistler High Level Wind and Temperature (VOH) elevation 1,690m
On average winds were quite light (2.6m/s) from the east. Hourly peak wind gusts were (about
60% of the time) greater than 5m/s from NE through SE directions. Occasional (about 4%) gusty
winds of greater than 10 m/s were observed from the south to the west.
The strongest wind gust (14.5m/s) was from the southeast at 3:21am on the 12th.
Overall minimum temperatures averaged -3.7°C and maximums -0.6°C, giving an average 12th
to 28th temperature of -2.2°C. The temperature range was small due to almost constant in-flow
from the British Columbia coast.
A heavy workload for the field of play course-management crews, especially at Cypress
Mountain, was as a result of near record warmth and heavy rain in the pre-Olympic
period and throughout the games.