The role of social science in the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC): Putting the pieces together

1. The role of social science in the Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC): Putting the pieces together Lisa Vitols Engagement and Strategy Advisor MSC – Environment Canada October 28, 2009

2. 2008 Report Recommendations EDUCATION Promote Weatheroffice resources Expand/improve e-weather/ e-warnings Workshops on introductory meteorology Increase Weatheradio coverage to include summer camping areas CONNECTION Instant messaging platform into MSC Strengthen relationships and outreach Send weekend overview to distribution list Knowledge-sharing workshops More links on Weatheroffice e.g. warning criteria, impacts, calls to action, partners PRESENTATION UNDERSTANDING Provide value-added information to decision-makers Incorporate new forecast elements Review thresholds by industry and users Use standard post-event report template Create list of common antecedent conditions for inclusion in Special Weather Statements (SWS) Have Weatheroffice in formats users can personalize for work Increase temporal specificity of forecasts Create site for decision makers – like MediaWebImprove graphic displays for personal digital assistants (PDAs) Portray information graphically

3. EDUCATION • Promote Weatheroffice resources • Expand/improve e-weather/ e-warnings • Workshops on introductory meteorology • Increase Weatheradio coverage to include summer camping areas • Fire Weather Forecaster Course • Outreach activities MSC “smoke” icon – seriously?

4. Fire Weather Forecaster Course • 3 month course offered to provincial, territorial and government agency fire weather forecasters • Intended to provide a meteorological basis to their fire weather behaviour forecasting skills • 6 students participated from 4 provinces and Parks Canada • One week dedicated to ensemble prediction systems and had 17 additional students from around the world participate through a webinar

5. Fire Weather - Social Science Elements • Teambuilding • Communications – internal and external • Ongoing qualitative evaluation • Moodle • Goldilocks • Written questionnaires • Individual and group interviews • Informal feedback tools (www.chiji.com) • Post-season follow up survey

6. Outreach Activities Meteorologists and outreach staff in public fora • Annual events– Vancouver Boat Show, Emergency Preparedness Conference • Biennial events – Union of BC Municipalities AGM • Other events by invitation • Networking events – Next Generation Warning Tool workshop, National Science and Technology Week • Advantages – opportunities to collect stories, feedback, introduce new program elements, test prototypes, etc.

7. Outreach Activities 2009  Municipal outreach Marine outreach Networking

8. Outreach – Social Science Elements • Collect and analyse qualitative data (stories, notes) from discussions with participants and delegates • Review meteorologist presentations to make more easily consumable by the public • Provide a friendly face to the weather service • Promote MSC products and services (e.g. Weatheradio, Weatheroffice website) • Informal surveys on existing and new products and information

9. CONNECTION • Instant messaging platform into MSC • Strengthen relationships and outreach • Send weekend overview to distribution list • Knowledge-sharing workshops • More links on Weatheroffice e.g. warning criteria, impacts, calls to action, partners  Window on Weather

10. Window on Weather • Inspired by discussions of NWS Chat pilot • Following on model from V-CMAC (Virtual Canadian Meteorological Aviation Centre) • Began in the spring thrice weekly, twice a day • Meteorologist-hosted, by invitation email to decision-makers • GoToMeeting platform with chat emphasis but teleconference capacity • Archived chat logs • Positive feedback and relaunched this week for the fall season with an expanded invite list

11. Sample of WxWindow screen capture

12. UNDERSTANDING • Provide value-added information to decision-makers • Incorporate new forecast elements • Review thresholds by industry and users • Use standard post-event report template • Create list of common antecedent conditions for inclusion in Special Weather Statements (SWS)  Wind impact study

13. Wind Impact Study • Current wind warnings are not relevant to some clients • No significant impacts provided at warning thresholds • Numeric windspeed values are not well-understood • 3 initial parts –wind impact statement library, public outreach about wind, technical design of widget • Partnership with Parks Canada for access to Parks and National Historic Sites

14. Wind study locations Vancouver (2 locations) Winnipeg (4 locations) Please note, Canada is covered by only 7 Storm Prediction Centres! You are here somewhere

15. Wind Impact Study Have you seen the wind? • Main elements: • Guess windspeed, check against anemometer • Collect concepts to describe wind

16. Study Results – Accuracy of estimation *Fort Langley is excluded as there was no wind.

17. Study results – Wind speed indicators Flag Top three indicators of windspeed – trees, flags, smoke.

18. Wind Study – next steps • Incorporate mouseovers of wind impacts onto Weatheroffice text forecasts Mousing over highlighted windspeed value causes popup of wind impacts based on land Beaufort scale.

19. It was that or this…

20. PRESENTATION • Have Weatheroffice in formats users can personalize for work • Increase temporal specificity of forecasts • Create site for decision makers – like MediaWebImprove graphic displays for personal digital assistants (PDAs) • Portray information graphically  Street Level Forecast, 2010 Webpages

21. Street Level Forecast • User defined, interactive • Point and click forecast produces meteograms • Familiar GoogleEarth platform • 1km GEMLAM resolution • Level: model ground surface only • Time step: every hour, forecast for 15 hours • Temperature, Cloud cover, Precipitation (type & amount), Windchill, Wind (+ gusts) • Southwestern British Columbia geographic area • 3 month public trial during 2010 Games

22. Street Level Forecast screen capture – point and click map

23. Street Level Forecast Meteograms - screen capture Mousing over graph points shows exact temperature for that time

24. Social Science Elements • General feedback during development • Prototype testing in small groups • Decision makers (utilities, school boards, municipalities, other government departments, transportation) • Prototype testing one-on-one • with the public – at outreach events • Work with Inquiry Response on public feedback option • Provide non-meteorologically-trained perspective  • Context placing within 2010 Games suite of services (media webcast, torch relay, data dissemination, wx vignettes, specialized webpages)

25. 2010 Games Weather Pages http://www.weatheroffice.gc.ca/2010/index_e.html

26. What’s Next? • Expand consultations (internal and external) on national version of SLF (Meteo4U) • Complete 2010 Games product/service analysis • Engagement strategy for Aviation sector • Move wind project forward with web designers • Plan a Canadian Integrated Hazards Information Services workshop and a WAS*IS session!

27. Thank you! Lisa Vitols Lisa.vitols@ec.gc.ca 604-713-9524