Environment Canada`s Weather Information

Environment Canada`s Weather Information

Environment Canada’s
Weather Information
Lake Carriers’ Association
Meeting (Cleveland, OH)
Tony Cham
(Program Supervisor, Marine)
Ontario Storm Prediction
Centre, Environment Canada
Feb 21st , 2012
Ontario Storm Prediction Centre
(OSPC)
• Toronto, Ontario, Canada
• Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC)
• Environment Canada (Federal Agency)
Page 2 – March-8-13
OSPC Responsibilities
•
•
•
•
Marine Forecasts
Public Forecasts
Weather Warnings (Public & Marine)
Air Quality Health Index
Page 3 – March-8-13
Province of Ontario
Page 4 – March-8-13
Marine Forecasts
•
•
•
•
•
•
- Text Forecasts
- Wave Height Forecasts
- MAFOR
- NAVTEX
-Marine Warnings
-Technical Marine Synopsis
Page 5 – March-8-13
Forecasts for the Great Lakes
(All Year Round)
Page 6 – March-8-13
Seasonal Forecasts for Rec Lakes
(May 1st - Nov 30th )
Page 7 – March-8-13
OSPC-Forecast Office
Page 8 – March-8-13
Marine Workstation
Page 9 – March-8-13
Marine Forecasts & Synopsis
Bulletin
Header
(article) Region
Coverage
Technical marine synopsis
FQCN10 CWTO
Great Lakes and the portion of the
St. Lawrence River
Great Lakes
Marine forecasts
FQCN13 CWTO
Recreational boating marine
forecasts
FQCN19 CWTO
Marine weather statement
FQCN20 CWTO
Wave height forecasts
FQCN23 CWTO
Great Lakes
Great lakes
MAFOR
FQCN30 CWTO
Great Lakes and the portion of the
St. Lawrence River
Great Lakes
NAVTEX
FQCN38 CWTO
Prescott VBR
Great Lakes from Huron to
Ontario
NAVTEX
FQCN39 CWTO
Thunder Bay VBA
Great Lakes from Superior to
Huron
Extended marine forecasts
FQCN53 CWTO
(the) Great Lakes and the portion
of the St. Lawrence
Great Lakes
Great Lakes and the portion of
the St. Lawrence River
Lake of the Woods, Nipigon,
North Channel, Nipissing, Lake
Simcoe
Great Lakes and the portion of the
St. Lawrence River
Page 10 – March-8-13
Great Lakes
Major inland lakes
Great Lakes
Marine Forecasts (Great Lakes)
OSPC
NWS
Day 1-2
3 times/day
4 times/day
Day 3-5
2times/day
4 times/day
Issuance Time
3 am
3 am
10:30 am
9 am
6:30 pm
3 pm
?
9 pm
Page 11 – March-8-13
Which Marine Forecast do you use?
• American?
• Canadian?
• Both?
Page 12 – March-8-13
Marine Scribe – Forecast Tool
Page 13 – March-8-13
Final Product - Forecast
Page 14 – March-8-13
Marine Forecast Software
On-Line Chat – Coordinating With US NWS Meteorologists
Page 15 – March-8-13
Marine Warning
• Synoptic Scale
-large scale..wind warning
• Localized Scale
-summer severe weather..thunderstorm, squall,
tornado.
-small scale..waterspout, high water level, dense fog,
etc.
Page 16 – March-8-13
Watches/Warnings (Synoptic)
Type
WHCN Required?
FQCN Flagged?
(Warning Bulletin)
(Forecast Bulletin)
Lead Time(hr)
Strong wind
Gale
Storm
Hurricane
no
no
no
no
yes
yes
yes
yes
24(18)
24(18)
24(18)
24(18)
Freezing Spray
no
yes
6+
Marine Weather
Statement (FQ20)
no
no
up to 120
All the above, issue through FQCN13, FQCN19 ONLY.
Page 17 – March-8-13
Watches/Warnings (Localized)
**Mostly Summer Severe Watches/warnings**
• Type
WHCN Required?
(Warning Bulletin)
Squall Watch
Squall Warning
Tornado Watch
Tornado Warning
Waterspout Watch
High Water Level
Special Marine Watch
Special Marine Wrng
FQCN Flagged?
Lead Time(hr)
(Forecast Bulletin)
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
yes
no
yes
no
yes
yes
yes
no
Page 18 – March-8-13
6
1/2
3
~0-10min
3-12
12-24
3-24
0-12
www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
Page 19 – March-8-13
Menus
Page 20 – March-8-13
Warnings
Page 21 – March-8-13
Radar & Satellite
Page 22 – March-8-13
Marine Info
Page 23 – March-8-13
Marine Forecasts
Page 24 – March-8-13
Sea (Lake) Ice
Page 25 – March-8-13
Ice Forecasts
(Canadian Ice Service in Ottawa)
What a Difference A Year Makes
31-Jan-2011
(More Typical Winter)
30-Jan-2012
(Mild Winter)
Page 26 – March-8-13
Analysis & Modelling
Upper Air Pattern Surface Pressure
Clouds
Precipitation
Page 27 – March-8-13
Wave Model
Animation
Page 28 – March-8-13
www.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca
Marine Resources – phone, radio, web
• Forecast Telephone Consultation Services (user fees
•
•
•
•
•
apply): 1-900-565-5555
Weatheradio: Weather broadcast on the VHF-FM radio
band, 24 hours a day.
Canadian Coast Guard's Continuous Marine
Broadcast (CMB):. For information on Radio Aids to
Marine Navigation, visit www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca .
Marine Services Online:
http://www.marineservices.gc.ca
Tides, Currents and Water Levels:
http://www.waterlevels.gc.ca
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/marine/home.htmn
Page 30 – March-8-13
Survey (Which Format?)
• Text Forecast
• Western Lake Erie. Wind southwest 15 knots
•
veering to west 15 this afternoon. Periods of rain
ending this evening.
Waves less than one half metre building to one
half to one metre near noon.
Page 31 – March-8-13
Survey
• MAFOR Forecast
• WESTERN LAKE ERIE. 14616 16610
11610
Page 32 – March-8-13
Survey
• NAVTEX Forecast
• SYNOPSIS: 16/15Z DPRTG RIDGE ON LINE N-S OVR
THE EAST COAST OF THE US. 16/15Z TROUGH ON
LINE N-S OVR ERN LK SUPERIOR. 17/15Z LOW 1002
MB OVR SWRN QUE.
• WESTERN LAKE ERIE: WNG: NIL. WND: SW15. VIS:
16/18Z-17/02Z PTH-FG.
Page 33 – March-8-13
Survey
• Graphical Forecast
Page 34 – March-8-13
Survey
• Graphical Forecast Time
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
6 hour forecast ?
12 hour forecast ?
18 hour forecast ?
24 hour forecast ?
36 hour forecast ?
48 hour forecast ?
All of the above ?
Page 35 – March-8-13
Survey
• 2 Separate forecasts..i.e. American and
Canadian Portion
• 1 Forecast for the Whole Lake..joint
forecasts
Page 36 – March-8-13
Marine Forecast Program Feedback
Feedback on weather, dissemination (website,
weatheradio, etc.), monitoring equipment outages.
•National Inquiry Response Team (NIRT)
•Phone:
1-877-789-7733
•E-mail:
weather.info.meteo@ec.gc.ca
•Web:
Contact Us - www.weatheroffice.gc.ca
Page 37 – March-8-13
Thank You