The Weather Channel: Unreliable forcasts

[brentspeak]

I don't watch the Weather Channel, but I check out their forcasts using the Yahoo! home page. Two weeks ago, every day was predicted for rain (northern NJ), which I was looking forward to so things could cool down. There ended up being one five-minute shower during the entire week.

Today, like most everywhere in the country, it's about 97 degrees outside. And the Weather Channel forcast calls for "severe thunderstorms" late in the day to early evening. That's great! But...after a few minutes of overcast sky, the sun just came out again...

:grr:

[Mutley]

1. Predicting the weather is no where near an exact science.

You will get your most accurate forecasts up to 24 hours in advance. Beyond that they are relying on many different variables to come together which can change several times without notice, and over the course of just a few hours.

As for thunderstorms, they generally come in smaller cells and it could be sunny up until five minutes before they begin.

[txwhitedove]

2. I say again, Mutley for Weathergirl! Besides, there is a BIG protest...

over Underpants' inaccurate forecast earlier today.
Just sayin.......
:hi:

[Mutley]

4. LOL!

Well, I DID know about the tropical depression pretty early this morning. :D

[txwhitedove]

3. damn dupl/hiccups again

[Bombero1956]

5. they never get it right

Lewis Blacks says that we can't get weather right in 5 minutes yet we do it 24/7.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

6. Also in northern NJ here...

Last week, they also admitted that it was raining here, but that there was only a 30% chance of rain for the day. Guess what? Once there's a rainstorm covering Morris County, I think Morris County now has 100% chance of rain for the day.

[Midlodemocrat]

7. Don't you worry. The revolt to replace underpants

as the lounge meteorologist is underway. We are currently interviewing for the position. Interested?

[Reciprocity]

8. During Rita

(the other hurricane after Katrina) the weather channel was predicting massive flooding for East Texas. What they did not take into consideration is East Texas terrain is nothing like Houston (costal) or Dallas (flat as a pancake) the drought (last couple of years) or our heavily forested countryside and low rolling hills. Our weathermen/weatherwomen where desperately trying to calm the locals not to panic over flooding but to instead concentrate on wind damage.

After this experience I now take them with a grain of salt.