Typically, when I talk about business operations and continuity impacted by weather, the usual sectors – utilities, transportation, agriculture, and oil and gas— immediately come to mind. It’s no surprise that utility companies use weather intelligence to mitigate the risk of potential weather-related outages. Weather is the number one cause of power outages, according to Climate Central. And for decades, large public gatherings, such as outdoor music festivals, have heavily relied on weather insights to inform decisions around the safety of the festival goers. The Event Safety Association, formed after a tragic outdoor event at the Indiana State Fair, is an excellent resource for event risk reduction and management, including weather impacts.
But despite the adage, “weather impacts everything and everyone,” it may be surprising to learn how some other industries depend on both public and enterprise weather intelligence to reduce risk and improve business performance.
Horse Racing
While weather insights are used for public safety at races, data is observed and forecasted on a microclimate scale to keep horses safe. Much like human athletes, extreme temperatures can impact the horses’ performance and health. According to the Horseracing Sense website, “In extremely hot or cold conditions, horses may struggle to maintain their stamina and regulate body temperature, leading to slower race times.” A more serious concern is the wellbeing of the animals. Horses can produce sweat that then evaporates, but like humans, sweat may not be able to evaporate in a human climate, causing heat stress or heat illness.
Track managers rely on weather forecasts and consulting to prepare the track to ensure the safety of the horses and riders and optimize race conditions. Track conditions can influence horse racing, with track surfaces significantly influencing race results. Horse tracks are typically dirt or turf, and each has its challenges with changing weather conditions; for example, dirt tracks can vary significantly with changing moisture levels, which can impact a horse’s performance as a muddy track can slow horses down, while a hard, dry track increases the chance of injury. With turf, the rain can make it soft and slippery, making it difficult for a horse to grip and maintain speed, and extremely dry turf becomes hard and uneven, increasing the risk of injury.
Distilleries
The distillery industry is another unusual sector that relies on weather insights. The industry has a history of lightning-related fires that have destroyed warehouses storing barrels of spirits due to the explosive nature of the raw alcohol. As recently as 2019, a lightning strike caused a fire at a large Jim Beam warehouse, resulting in the loss of 45,000 whiskey barrels. Fires like this pose employee safety risks, environmental risks, and business continuity interruption. Risk mitigation has come a long way from its early days. Several distillery associations have created safety councils that provide education on how to reduce the risk of weather impacts.
Beach Volleyball
Outdoor sports heavily depend on weather conditions, but it’s not just the typical stadium sports like football and baseball, which regularly use weather insights to inform game strategy and public safety. Beach volleyball has grown tremendously with team growth of more than 400% in the past 12 years, partly due to the massive growth of NCAA Division One teams. This has also increased the awareness among players and league managers of the benefits of tapping into weather insights to schedule matches, ensure safety, and provide a pleasant experience for spectators. The sport is significantly impacted by weather conditions, including wind, moisture, and heat, and when the matches are held on oceanside beaches, the windy conditions can dramatically affect gameplay and strategy. Knowing how to use the wind and other weather conditions can be used to a player’s advantage. For example, they may choose to keep sets low so they don’t get high in the wind and move unpredictably.
Solar Farms
At first glance, solar farms don’t seem like an unusual industry to use weather insights, as energy output is directly affected by weather conditions, especially sunlight levels and cloud cover. But as this industry grows, so do the risks associated with extreme weather events. and weather insights are being used to mitigate extreme weather that may damage a solar farm’s assets. Hailstorms are the biggest weather risk to the solar industry for asset damage and loss. Solar Power World reported that summer hail in Texas in 2022 caused over $300 million in damage to solar fields, ten times more costly than the solar damage caused by Hurricane Hanna in 2020.
Solar companies are increasingly using weather intelligence to quickly position solar modules into “stow mode” ahead of hailstorms to reduce potential damage while maximizing the ability to generate energy.
These are just a few industries that are using weather intelligence on a new level of decision-making and are not only about safety. Incorporating weather insights into the decision-making process allows for optimization of operations, increased efficiencies, and overall preparedness for weather-related challenges, potentially leading to business resiliency and increased profitability.
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