Crazy Things that MAKE NO SENSE !!!!!

[JRTJH]

It seems to me that the more we move toward "total accessibility" the further from understanding or realizing what we've really got on our hands.

I clicked on the "Microsoft Weather Forecast" for our area just now. It shows the current temperature at 6F. Right under that, Microsoft "declares" that the low tonight will be 8F.... Since it's dark outside, it's already "tonight" and it's already colder than 8F... DUH !!!! Then, to add "insult to injury" Microsoft goes on to declare that we can "expect temps below freezing".... ANOTHER DUH !!!!!

Maybe this can help explain why we have 8 warning stickers on a 6' extension cord and a warning on every WalMart bag that the bags can cause "suffocation if placed over one's head"....

[rhagfo]

My wife has a android phone and I have an iPhone we both have the weather Chanel app on our phones. Seldom show the same temps and the forecast are always a bit different.

[flybouy]

Here in the "People's Republic of Maryland" the weather folks have been hyping a "first measurable snow of the season" expected tomorrow for the last 2 days. Predictions from a tenth of an inch to 3.5" which is a trigger for panic as most inhabitants here suffer from Chionophobia. Typical reation is a rush on the grocery stores to empty the shelves of milk, bread, and toilet paper.

This a.m. the news was showing the road crews pre-treating the roads with a salt brine spray. So I guess the stores called and told the weather casters they were sold out because now there's no snow in the forecast. Watching the local evening news I told the DW that weather forecasting is the only job other than being a baseball batter where you can keep your job despite missing more times than you hit

[sourdough]

Oh my! John you need to get out more!!

I watch weather.com, weather.gov, a weather gauge outside and one inside. Once upon a time I tried to figure out why all of them read things entirely different....lost sleep. In the end I finally figured out that I would just open the door and see what's happening to me; wet head, dry head or....? And putting the WalMart bag over your head suffocating you.....doesn't everyone tie a Walmart bag over their head from time to time??

[Canonman]

Weather Guessers here predicted snow today. I got my clubs out of the basement and played 9. Sunny, no wind and and a balmy 47 degrees.

[NH_Bulldog]

For us, the Weather Channel uses a reporting station 26 miles away, so their forecasts are generally poor. Microsoft is even worse since it is so vague.

I use Weather Underground and select my neighbor’s home weather station, and that gives us the most accurate weather for our location.

[hankpage]

John, I don't know what to say .... Our forecasters just show photos of sunsets on the Gulf and predict 20% chance of rain every day and nobody seems to complain. Hank

[GHen]

The news channels here started showing their percent of correct forecasts. Wow, 85% the first week, other channels started doing the same, then 70%, then 60%, then 55%, when it got below 50% they all quit showing the numbers.

I now have this new weather app, it’s really big with a 5’x5’ display, my living room window, and it’s always 100% right.

[flybouy]

Weather reports are like stock market reports, crime reporting, sports and security cameras, they can tell you what did happen but not what will happen.

[xrated]

I use a weather rope that hangs on the front porch. If it's moving, it's windy. If it cast a shadow......yep, sunny. If it's wet....rain. If there is snow clinging to it, most likely 32 degrees or less and snowing.

[notanlines]

And here I thought Marshall was giving us credible information. If what he said was true he'd have put frozen pizzas ahead of toilet paper!

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by notanlines

And here I thought Marshall was giving us credible information. If what he said was true he'd have put frozen pizzas ahead of toilet paper!

I was born in MD, livied her my entire life. I've traveled extensivly for work and pleasure and the fear of snow here still amazes and somewhat perplexes me. People act like they will be snowed in for weeks. I think the longest time snowbound to my memory was 3 days but that was a very rare event. Anyway, back to bread, milk and toilet paper, I always suspected that it was a secret recipie gor a "traction paste" to put on the snow to get out. I never have found the correct portions so I gave up.

If you really want to see something look in and around Baltimore after a "shovelable snow". People that live in "row homes" (that's a town house everywhere else) will place
lawn chairs and or kitchen chairs or bar stools in the parking space when they move their cars. That "marks" their space for their car and violating that space can be punishable by death in some neighborhoods.

Pizza? That would be on the list behind a 12 pack of beer.

[dutchmensport]

Blame it on global warming! After all, the reported temperatures and the actual temperatures are almost as valid as ... well ... election returns.

[Gkri]

All the posts about the weather predictions just validate my decision many years ago to drop out of the meteorology program and take up water and wastewater treatment instead. Never wanted to be the most hated person at a picnic!

[xrated]

This is a good explanation of E. TN.......proud to call my home....

[LERD]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Here in the "People's Republic of Maryland" the weather folks have been hyping a "first measurable snow of the season" expected tomorrow for the last 2 days. Predictions from a tenth of an inch to 3.5" which is a trigger for panic as most inhabitants here suffer from Chionophobia. Typical reation is a rush on the grocery stores to empty the shelves of milk, bread, and toilet paper.

This a.m. the news was showing the road crews pre-treating the roads with a salt brine spray. So I guess the stores called and told the weather casters they were sold out because now there's no snow in the forecast. Watching the local evening news I told the DW that weather forecasting is the only job other than being a baseball batter where you can keep your job despite missing more times than you hit

Don't forget the government and politics!

[flybouy]

Originally Posted by LERD

Don't forget the government and politics!

Yup, and typically when they get a "hit" it hits our wallet.

[LERD]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Yup, and typically when they get a "hit" it hits our wallet.

And our rights!

[LHaven]

Originally Posted by flybouy

Here in the "People's Republic of Maryland" the weather folks have been hyping a "first measurable snow of the season" expected tomorrow for the last 2 days. Predictions from a tenth of an inch to 3.5" which is a trigger for panic as most inhabitants here suffer from Chionophobia.

Back when I lived in Fairfax County VA, they actually closed school once on account of clouds. No fooling. They feared there might be snow in them. (There wasn't.)

My first year there, my company announced a Christmas party. There was a snowstorm. We showed up (we were New Englanders and it was NBD to us) to find the venue locked. (The promised "we're cancelling" phone calls were never made.) So we had dinner at a local steakhouse that hadn't closed (got great service, too, as it was pretty empty).

The company re-scheduled the party for Valentine's Day (flyers of Santa holding a paper heart). There was a mild snowfall. Once again, we were the only ones who showed up, no cancellation notices received. That was the last office party we ever attempted to attend.

[flybouy]

The problem in the DELMARVA region (Deleware, Maryland, Virginia) is two fold. First we don’t get enough snow for folks to get experience and secondly is the type snow here. We don’t get the nice powdery snows. Because of the ocean and large bays and their tributaries the high moisture content makes ice and very slushy snow.

Not defending the forecasters here but it is a challenging area to forecast for many reasons. The "best" forecasters are the local natives. The "imported" ones from other states take some time to figure out the quirks of the "I95 corridor weather" in the region.