Based on the latest technologies, the Canadian Precipitation Analysis system (CaPA) effectively leverages a variety of information sources (observation and modelling) to estimate precipitation accumulation every six hours across Canada. Even though CaPA has been in use for less than one year, this system has already been incorporated into applications and studies in a number of important economic sectors across Canada, including meteorology, water level and dam management, and agriculture and fisheries management.

Since 2003, CaPA has been the product of outstanding technological innovation and teamwork among scientists and other experts from various communities. The project team clearly demonstrated that the judicious joint use of information from existing atmospheric forecast systems and observation networks can enable more effective representation of spatial and physical patterns generated by the diverse meteorological phenomena (convective and stratiform events, mountain and nordic weather, lake and sea breezes) occurring across our country.

Moreover, CaPA has stimulated interest in sharing information generated by private organizations (provincial entities, hydroelectric companies, agricultural and forestry operators) with Environment Canada. Numerous organizations, Manitoba Hydro for one, have initiated discussions and projects with the department to date. This information pooling will better position the department to benefit directly from private and provincial investment and, consequently, to provide its services to Canadians more effectively and at lower cost.

The team members responsible for developing the system were awarded Environment Canada's Geoff Howell Citation of Excellence for Innovation at the departmental awards ceremony on June 12, 2012. Thanks to their extraordinary professionalism, determination to push the limits of innovation, and diligent perseverance in overcoming the many obstacles they encountered along the way, the developers not only successfully created this innovative product, but also opened the door to development of even more products and services in environmental prediction.

Heartiest congratulations go to Vincent Fortin, Marco Carrera, Jean-François Mahfouf, and Norman Donaldson of the Meteorological Research Division; Guy Roy, Stéphane Gagnon, Viateur Turcotte, and Jacques Marcoux of the Laboratory for Severe Weather Meteorology; Gilles Verner, Bruce Brasnett, Linh Chi Nguyen, and José Garcia of the Prediction Development Division; and Sylvain St-Germain from the computer support team, now with Shared Services Canada.

Acknowledgement and thanks also goes to the team at the National Prediction Operations Division--Ahmed Mahidjiba, Lewis Poulin, Ping-An Tan, and Lorraine Veillette--for their support in making this new tool operational and developing additional tools for observation data processing.

Contacts: Pierre Pellerin, Pierre.Pellerin@ec.gc.ca, Environmental Numerical Weather Prediction Research, Atmospheric Science and Technology Directorate; Chantale Coté, Chantale.Cote@ec.gc.ca, Atmospheric Sciences and Environmental Issues, Meteorological Service of Canada; Al Pietroniro, Al.Pietroniro@ec.gc.ca, Water Survey of Canada, Meteorological Service of Canada