Olympic Weather Partnership: Mark Eubank Heads One Team of Forecasters
April 5, 2001--
The competitors in next year's Winter Olympics will have the advantage of receiving the best weather forecasts and information attainable.
The Salt Lake Organizing Committee today announced its partnership with three teams of meteorologists.
And one of those teams is from KSL-TV.
In sports that rely on mountains, snow, and speed
in the middle of Winter,
weather conditions are critical moment-to-moment.
So is knowing specific weather conditions in advance.
SLOC's Mitt Romney Thursday introduced the team charged with providing the most accurate and up to the moment weather forecasts possible during the Olympics.
Mitt Romney/Pres., SLOC: "WE ARE DELIGHTED THAT WE HAVE FORMED, IF YOU WILL, A PARTNERSHIP AMONG SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WILL COME TOGETHER TO ENSURE A PERFECT FORECAST!" (chuckles)
Is that high pressure, or what?
The partnership consists of the National Weather Service,
the University of Utah's Department of Meteorology,
and a team of forecasters headed by KSL's Mark Eubank.
Mark Eubank/Chief Meteorologist, KSL-TV: "WE HAVE BROUGHT TOGETHER 13 METEOROLOGISTS WHO HAVE 247 YEARS OF WASATCH MOUNTAIN FORECAST EXPERIENCE."
Eubank will oversee
meteorologists stationed at each of the outdoor venues.
They've simulated their tasks during the past winter's test events.
Steve Root/Venue Forecaster: "WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO HERE IS BE VERY SPECIFIC, NOT ONLY SPECIFIC IN TIMING, BUT SPECIFIC IN CONDITIONS, MINUTE BY MINUTE, AND FOR THIS RUN OR FOR THAT RUN."
Just a few degrees difference in temperature changes the snow and may call for different skis or different wax.
The venue forecasters achieved a success rate of 88% through this past winter's test events--
that's for predicting temperature, wind and snow.
And, they got better as time went on.
"THE ACCURACY IN MARCH WAS 95%."
Eubank will deliver daily weather briefings in the Olympic
press center.
"ONE THING I'M SURE THAT THE MEDIA OF THE WORLD WILL GET USED TO IS NOT BORING WEATHER, BUT WEATHER IN MARK EUBANK'S INIMITABLE STYLE, WHICH WILL BE DELIGHTFUL, ENTHUSIASTIC AND ENTERTAINING."
The Olympic forecasting project will involve a staff of 80, and a budget of $3.5 million.
More Info
