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the data in raster catalog format and stores the raster layers in a file geodatabase. Once this is done, the GIS layers are then published and made available in an offline format as map packages, which staff can use when working in remote areas without internet connectivity. The utility used Esri's ArcGIS Runtime Software Development Kit (SDK) to quickly build and deploy a new desktop application that includes capabilities for more powerful location services, data management, analysis and mapping. The GIS application georeferences and animates the time-enabled raster images and allows users to zoom in on a digital map to view locations with intense rain, as well as see more clearly if it is rain or snow falling into the reservoirs. More importantly, the new application significantly improves two key processes: weather forecasting and data validation. Increasing the accuracy of forecasts Forecasts using the previous system (see Figure 1) factored in a lot of human judgment because staff could not clearly see the movement of precipitation and temperature. They could also see only one view layer — rain or snowfall data — at a time. This made it difficult to produce accurate forecasts. With the new GIS-based application (see Figure 2), forecasting has significantly improved. Staff can distinguish whether rain or snow is falling because the two raster layers are displayed in different colors, one over the other, on the same map. Intense color means large values. Also, the new application displays both temporal and non-temporal data layers, making it easy to incorporate all relevant information for better analysis. When a temporal layer is selected in the table of contents, a time slider automatically appears to animate the time series. In addition, the application delivers the following map functionalities: • Spatial selection applied on the current selected layer; • Zoom and center after an item is selected on the map; • Zoom back to initial settings; • Search text on all layer components; • Dram line with pencil; • Measure distance and area; • Display longitude and latitude; • Display scale; • Layer visualization scale range; and • Interactive attribute tables to show selected features. Forecasts are updated automatically twice a day, with each new forecast overwriting the previous one. After the weather forecast is validated and published by Hydro- Quebec's meteorologist, another program automatically calculates the equivalent watershed precipitation and temperature using a spatial analyst function. This data is then sent as an input to the hydrological model that will calculate runoff — defined as the water to be stored in the reservoirs or used for power generation — for the next seven days. Improving the efficiency of data validation The GIS-based application has provided staff with an efficient way to validate data. Hydro-Quebec has numerous data logger devices installed at its plants that transmit information to a central database. This data is then processed by the utility's validation software that runs every day and sends a report to the GIS application so the data can be mapped and analyzed. Sometimes, data errors occur because the data logger device has broken down or the site has been vandalized or blocked by ice. Once the errors have been determined, they need to be corrected so as not to impede efficient reservoir operations. With the new application, the GIS automatically reviews all operational data and flags suspicious data with a red circle on the map (see Figure 3). Staff can quickly navigate to the error and click on the power plant with suspicious data. The application then calls up the time-series software to display the related time-series graph. Users can immediately correct the data because the application integrates the GIS with the utility's time-series software, enabling a seamless workflow. The time-series software and the GIS are separate components, but users see both as one application. Location is important in resolving data errors. Knowing where the wrong values occur can help determine the type of error or source of the problem. For example, if all data associated with a specific plant is showing in the system as incorrect, it is possible that the data transmission has failed. The application provides valuable information that allows staff to prompt field technicians to check the condition of the data logger devices.When the application flags a series of power plants with incorrect values, as seen in Image Figure 4, this means the plants need to be inspected one-by-one. The new GIS-based application integrates data from weather forecasts to display both rain (green) and snow (blue), as well as other valuable information, on a digital map for effective planning. Figure 2 — The New System

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