CONGRESS SCHEDULE

On September 23rd, 2022, severe post-tropical cyclone Fiona underwent rapid extratropical transition from a category-3 major hurricane as it tracked just north of Bermuda and made landfall in Nova Scotia early on September 24th. This very large and powerful storm brought extreme winds, 2m+ storm surge and devastating ocean waves to many parts of Atlantic Canada. The storm set a new national record for lowest sea level pressure of a marine cyclone making landfall in Canada. Near ¾ of a billion dollars in insured damage was inflicted on the region and almost all residents described the storm as the worst in their memory. Fiona was the costliest natural disaster in Atlantic Canada’s history. In this talk I will describe the forecast process at the Canadian Hurricane Centre and will discuss the context of this event with other significant tropical events that have impacted Canada over the past 150 years.

Canada, like much of the world, is advancing its activities alongside ever evolving technologies and trends around weather and climate monitoring, modeling and service provision, including keeping pace with open data policies, AI, big data, and impact based decision support to provide critical services in a time of increased extreme weather events. The Meteorological Service of Canada (MSC) is built on a strong foundation of scientific research and development, and is known for delivering accurate and timely weather and environmental information and warnings to help the public plan daily activities and make decisions about their health, safety and economic well-being. By integrating environmental monitoring, science, operations, services and policy functions, the MSC is an authoritative source of meteorological and water resource information in Canada, where it delivers weather, water, ice, air quality, climate and related environmental services. This presentation will highlight MSC’s perspectives on and approaches to continuous transformation, innovation and modernization of its weather and environmental services to meet evolving user, stakeholder and partner needs.

Interest in ocean and coastal areas is growing both as areas of potential climate change mitigation as well as for emerging economic activity. Several national and international policies and platforms have been established for ocean and climate science communities to help aid these sustainable development initiatives (such as Canada’s Blue Economy and the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development), through helping identify opportunities and risks to ocean economies and coastal communities. However, there are opportunities and threats presented by the models of science implemented through these programs. For example, if science is not aligned with policy actions the applicability of the science will be limited. I will discuss areas where I think the science community may inadvertently contribute to risks towards sustainable development and Blue Economy aspirations, as well as potential (and largely unexplored) opportunities for the science community to aid better decisions towards sustainable development aspirations.

With the growth of big data and advancements in artificial intelligence (AI), the field of meteorology is poised for significant advancements that will help us better understand and predict weather patterns. This panel session will bring together top experts in the field of meteorology and AI to discuss the future of this critical area of research. The first guest, from Environment and Climate change Canada (ECCC), will address the current state of AI in weather forecasting in Canada. The second guest, from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), will discuss their roadmap for the next 10 years in machine learning. Finally, a representative from DeepMind will present their work on “GraphCast: Learning skillful medium-range global weather forecasting”.

The panelists will provide a view of the future of meteorology and AI, exploring both the potential benefits and challenges that lie ahead. This session will be dynamic, with an interactive format that includes a discussion period. Participants will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panelists, ask questions, and share their own perspectives.

With its diverse lineup of panelists, engaging format, and critical discussion of the future of meteorology and AI, this session promises to be an enlightening and thought-provoking experience for all participants. The session will be held in hybrid mode, with the possibility of attending in person or virtually. Make sure to mark your calendar!

There is growing recognition that embracing equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility (EDIA) in scientific research, the workforce and academia reduces barriers and bias in the way we conduct research, recruit highly qualified personnel, and disseminate and interpret our creative scholarly outputs. By considering EDIA principles, we build collaborative and engaging partnerships in service of a more equitable and just society. So, what does the EDIA landscape look like for CMOS and ocean, atmosphere, earth and climate science at-large?

During this discussion, we bring together a group of panelists with experience in EDIA principles to explore topics like:

• What does EDIA look like in science?

• What does it mean to be an EDIA ally? What is the difference between allyship and solidarity?

• How can we make workspaces, team meetings, labs, etc., more accessible and inclusive?

Whether you are an EDIA ally, identify with an equity-deserving group or unsure what EDIA is all about, this event is for everyone. Bring your questions related to EDIA and join in on the insightful discussions!

Climate change is contributing to an increase in extreme weather events. Recent historical events include Hurricane Fiona, the Derecho in Ontario & Quebec, wildfires in the West, the Heat Dome and the Atmospheric River. Ultimately, the challenge is to effectively warn the public and have them take action ahead of events they have never experienced before!

The Weather Enterprise is responsible for conducting research and delivering services related to weather extremes. The public will benefit from an effective preparedness and warning program that is delivered in a collaborative way, taking advantage of the talents and experience of each component of the weather enterprise: government and private sector science & services, academic research, and media communications. CMOS has a leadership role to encourage this conversation as a non-profit within the “enterprise”.

Our goal is to discuss and recommend options to better communicate risk within the Weather Enterprise (Government, Academia, Private Sector, and Media) so that the public take affective actions to protect their lives and livelihoods from extreme weather events.

Join local ECCC and DFO representatives for a virtual tour of the weather RADAR station located in nearby Holyrood. The tour will provide an overview of current ECCC Radar technology, network, and products.