Weather Forecasts...worse than normal?

[Amaris]

Weather forecasters are next to useless. They are overly dramatic and exist only to push fear.

What? Do your forecasters only predict natural disasters or something?

With some of them, that's the tone they always use. Not just for *legitimate* disasters, but for any kind of storm whatsoever. They go way the hell over the top, with fear in their voices that's way out of proportion.

And I hate it when they use bullshit euphemisms like "tornadic activity". Just say 'tornado' and be done with it!

That's not bullshit. "Tornadic activity" encompasses several stages of a tornado, everything from updrafts and developing mesocyclonic wind shear, to wall clouds, funnel clouds, to the actual tornado itself. By using the term "tornadic activity", you get more time to prepare in the event of an actual tornado.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I also hate it when they refuse to spell out words. They use abbreviations like "T'Storm" even when it's obvious they have enough room to write out the whole word. It's like they're afraid the storm will get worse if they spell it out.

Or maybe T'Storm is a Vulcan weather forecaster...

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I have no idea. Maybe the clouds passed over me while I was sleeping. Sometimes that'll happen; the forecast will say THUNDERSTORMS and then I'll see all the storm clouds, but they'll blow over and hit Chicago.

Funny thing about the lakes, at least lake Michigan, they seem to affect weather systems quite a bit.

It seems like we get relatively few tornadoes, ever, even in the "year of hell" we're in the midst of.

I mean, they happen, just very rarely. I'm 43 and never seen one outside of a partial waterspout over the lake.

 

[Amaris]

I also hate it when they refuse to spell out words. They use abbreviations like "T'Storm" even when it's obvious they have enough room to write out the whole word. It's like they're afraid the storm will get worse if they spell it out.

Or maybe T'Storm is a Vulcan weather forecaster...

Why should they write it all out if you understand what they're saying? Do you get upset when they have the chart with "SUN", "MON", "TUE" instead of "Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday"? I mean, is anyone going to wonder what it means?

Why do the extra work if the information is sufficient to relay what needs to be said? These people are under time constraints as well, and have to have these graphs and charts ready every time they are cued, which if your station is like mine, that's every 5 minutes on the air.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Do you get upset when they have the chart with "SUN", "MON", "TUE" instead of "Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday"?

No, but in those cases, there's usually a lack of space. They *have* to use abbreviations in those cases. When there's a huge text scrawl over the bottom of the screen (another thing I hate, BTW), there's no reason to go soft like that.

They're afraid of using words like "Thunderstorm" because they think it sounds harsh, so they soften it up by using abbreviations. I'm sticking with that.

 

[RoJoHen]

I have no idea. Maybe the clouds passed over me while I was sleeping. Sometimes that'll happen; the forecast will say THUNDERSTORMS and then I'll see all the storm clouds, but they'll blow over and hit Chicago.

Funny thing about the lakes, at least lake Michigan, they seem to affect weather systems quite a bit.

It seems like we get relatively few tornadoes, ever, even in the "year of hell" we're in the midst of.

I mean, they happen, just very rarely. I'm 43 and never seen one outside of a partial waterspout over the lake.

Yeah, I grew up in the suburbs and have ventured into the city plenty of times. I'm well of aware of the effect the lake has on weather.

I am in a similar situation now being right next to the Mississippi River.

24 to 48 hour weather forecasting is generally very accurate, though. The problem is that there are far too many variables to accurately gauge it too far beyond that window.

Right, but this is the window they've been getting wrong. Hell, they've been getting the forecast wrong as the weather is happening.

The forecast for today called for thunderstorms. It called for thunderstorms all day long, even though all day long there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

 

[Amaris]

Do you get upset when they have the chart with "SUN", "MON", "TUE" instead of "Sunday", "Monday", "Tuesday"?

No, but in those cases, there's usually a lack of space. They *have* to use abbreviations in those cases. When there's a huge text scrawl over the bottom of the screen (another thing I hate, BTW), there's no reason to go soft like that.

How is that "going soft"? "T'Storm" means "Thunderstorm". It was much easier for me to type "T'Storm" and get the relevant information out quickly, without having to type the full word.

They're afraid of using words like "Thunderstorm" because they think it sounds harsh, so they soften it up by using abbreviations. I'm sticking with that.

You can stick with it. That doesn't make you right, but you're free to stick with it.

 

[Canadave]

And I hate it when they use bullshit euphemisms like "tornadic activity". Just say 'tornado' and be done with it!

But "tornadic activity" and "tornado" don't mean the same thing. The former means that there are weather systems which could develop tornados or funnel clouds, and may have developed them already. A tornado is a very specific thing.

 

[Nerdius Maximus]

Our forecasters here are really on top of things. They have to be, with all these damn tornadoes tearin' shit up.

 

[Amaris]

24 to 48 hour weather forecasting is generally very accurate, though. The problem is that there are far too many variables to accurately gauge it too far beyond that window.

Right, but this is the window they've been getting wrong. Hell, they've been getting the forecast wrong as the weather is happening.

The forecast for today called for thunderstorms. It called for thunderstorms all day long, even though all day long there wasn't a cloud in the sky.

True, lately they've been a little more off. That's due to the atmospheric instability. Detection models can only do so much before they start to guess based solely on the available data that they have. The U.S. is experiencing a flux in atmospheric stability due to la Nina.

 

[RoJoHen]

That's the main thing I was wondering. Since it's been happening a lot very recently, I was trying to figure out if there were any goofy weather things happening that were making forecasts more difficult.

 

[Holdfast]

The UK weather can't seem to make up its mind either. Warm and sunny last week, fits and starts of sun and cloud so far this week. Oh well, Queens and Wimbledon are just round the corner, so consistently predictably wet weather will soon be here.

 

[Amaris]

That's the main thing I was wondering. Since it's been happening a lot very recently, I was trying to figure out if there were any goofy weather things happening that were making forecasts more difficult.

I figure part of it is also due to our climate changing as it is. We continue to move out of an ice age, and a global warming trend is certain to play with the weather, giving us a level of unpredictability with our current technology.

 

[RJDiogenes]

While that's possible, I think it far more likely that a Mad Scientist bent on world domination is experimenting with a weather control device.

 

[Amaris]

While that's possible, I think it far more likely that a Mad Scientist bent on world domination is experimenting with a weather control device.

This makes sense.

 

[RJDiogenes]

I can't believe CNN isn't looking into it. They should send Jaqui Jeras undercover as a stripper or something.

 

[Amaris]

I can't believe CNN isn't looking into it. They should send Jaqui Jeras undercover as a stripper or something.

Your ideas are intriguing to me and I wish to subscribe to your newsletter.

 

[RJDiogenes]

That's what I need. A newsletter.