Weather plays such an important part of the Olympics – from athlete performance and official scores … [+]
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The 2022 Winter Olympics begin this week in Beijing. Elite athletes from around the world prepare for years to compete in this one event. But one factor that they can prepare for – but can’t control – is the impact of weather on their performance. Weather plays such an important part of the Olympics – from athlete performance and official scores to public safety for the limited spectators and staff – that there is a special group of meteorologists assigned to forecast on the microclimate level. The forecasts include several atmospheric elements, including precipitation, snow depth, wind, gust, temperature, and visibility.
Weather for both the summer and winter Olympics present challenges. For instance, the 2020 Summer Games in Japan started with an impending typhoon, and athletes battled searing heat throughout the games. The 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, started with cold temperatures well below freezing and strong winds that made it feel even colder. This year’s games will also likely see cold temperatures as February is Beijing’s third-coldest month of the year, with an average daytime temperature of 39.2 degrees Fahrenheit and below freezing overnight. It appears the warmest days will occur during the first week of competition with several above-average days, however each night temperatures are forecast to be well below freezing, allowing snow-making and grooming operations to continue. Other than some light snow in the mountains to the west of the city it appears the dry conditions that have been over the region will continue.
Cold weather can have an impact on athletes, particularly when combined with any artificial snow. The lack of snow in the area has resulted in the exclusive use of artificial snow at the 2022 Olympic Games. By using more than 300 snow-making guns to cover the ski slopes, the Beijing Organizing Committee has made more than 1.2 million cubic tons of snow, groomed for competition. With a higher moisture content than natural snow, it ices up quickly and skiers, in particular, frequently report rock hard conditions that can feel like falling on concrete. The cold and wind also challenge design of the outdoor competition locations. For example, the Nordic skiing course planners will avoid open, windy areas and the snowboarding competition area will also account for icing potential that could result from the wind on the freestyle jumps and features. Wind can impact an athlete’s ability to execute tricks and shifting winds down a slope are dangerous when an athlete is trying to calibrate speed. If there is too much wind, conditions can become dangerous, and a race can be postponed.
One event where wind is directly tied to an athlete’s score is ski jumping. Headwinds provides lift to a jump and tailwinds can shorten their flight, so wind direction and velocity is measured during each jump. Points are then deducted for headwind and added for tail wind. Another reason why it is important to have dedicated meteorologists making short-term and near-term forecasting and monitoring the weather for precise locations.
For all participants in the winter games, any episodes of extreme cold can be dangerous. Cold weather affects a person’s circulatory system, which can bring about heart attacks and other health problems. The cold also brings about more direct effects like frostbite and hypothermia, especially at international events where all visitors may not be used to cold temperatures. There are a few specific populations more at risk during extreme cold weather, especially people with pre-existing medical conditions, taking medications and those not dressed appropriately for the elements. At the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Games, spectators received heating pads, a blanket, and a raincoat to withstand the elements.
In addition to the cold, the air quality in Beijing has been a decades-long problem that could impact public safety at the Games. The Chinese government is committed to providing the best possible air quality and has a wide range of options to rapidly improve air quality, if needed. The country may employ a weather modification program that uses cloud-seeding technology to increase rainfall, which in turn could literally wash out dirty skies.
From the impact on the competitions to those who staff and the few that are able to attend the games, the weather is one more “competitive” variable to pay attention to during the Beijing Games.
