Are Philly's TV Weathermen Blowing The Projected Storm Out Of Proportion??

[Joseph_Gallant]

In the past, I've read numerous posts on this board about Philadelphia's local TV meteorologists overly hyping winter storms, predicting "doomsday" even when official forecasts suggest only an inch or two of snow will fall.

Tonight (January 27th), a number of weather forecasters are predicting that there could be a major winter storm Monday night (January 30th) and Tuesday (January 31st) along the East Coast, which could affect Philadelphia.

I'm out of the area, so I'd like to ask readers of this bopard who are in or near Philadelphia to watch local TV weather reports and post comments about whether you think the local TV weather anchors are predicting armegeddon (or close to it).

 

[Irishfl]

Huh? I havn't seen every newscast, but ch6 says its gonna be cloudy and a high of 56 on Monday, same on Tuesday, but high in the low 30's. KYW says off and on rain sunday into monday, warm. However Monday night into Tuesday, the rain may change over to snow. Still they say only parts to the west of the city would get any on the ground. Maybe ch10 is predicting a major snow storm. They have been know to predict doom atleast once ever winter, when in reality nothing happens.

> In the past, I've read numerous posts on this board about
> Philadelphia's local TV meteorologists overly hyping winter
> storms, predicting "doomsday" even when official forecasts
> suggest only an inch or two of snow will fall.
>
> Tonight (January 27th), a number of weather forecasters are
> predicting that there could be a major winter storm Monday
> night (January 30th) and Tuesday (January 31st) along the
> East Coast, which could affect Philadelphia.
>
> I'm out of the area, so I'd like to ask readers of this
> bopard who are in or near Philadelphia to watch local TV
> weather reports and post comments about whether you think
> the local TV weather anchors are predicting armegeddon (or
> close to it).
>

 

[radiojoe315]

I didnt get the impression any Philly meteorologist was hyping it up. I think Hurricane has downplayed EVERY Storm this winter. I am a major weather buff and would like to think I have some knowledge in the area and for what its worth i dont think this storm would be worth much hype. One thing I think Hurricane will terribly go down as being wrong on was calling it one System all day on Thursday.

Tomorrow night's showers are a completely different storm then the one that is even slightly possible to have an wintry impact on the area. Its more like Monday night-Tuesday evening time frame that we are watching. But I just don't see it.

If its being given hype I pitty the meteorologists. It had potential on the long range models about a week ago, but then it disppeared. And Thursday night's models REALLY took off. One howed 8"+ AREA WIDE! The others about 3-6" or so. But then By 11 PM last night (A new "Model Run" on the computers comes in around that time) the storm disappeared. NO rain OR Snow! Today they are coming back around but in my opinion for much of the area it could be rain if anything. Until the pattern fully changes later this week its going to take a lot to get a storm. The storm would have to "make its own cold air" And I just dont see it doing that too well right now. NW area may not get enough precip so not much snow.. SE area wont have the temps to create snow, so they wont see any either. Sounds like a lost cause to me. Tonights 11 PM models will be a big run in my opinion but i don't think until late this upcoming week into the week after that the pattern changes fully. (We MAY get near 50* by Sunday again next weekend None the less, I think Feburary could feature atleast one storm to be hyper about.

Sorry for rambling on. I just wanted to prove this point.

 

[Irishfl]

I noticed that during the snow storms of December. I think the egg on his face from last seasons "I see 13 out of 14 signs of a major blzzard", "I predict we'll get 14 to 17inches of snow in Philadelphia" all the while channel 6 was predicting around 4 to 6inches, and channel 3 was predicting 6 to 10 inches. I think we ended up getting around 5 inches, but it was classic watching ch10 the day of the strom, and seeing hurricane on there making excuses. he really looked bummed out too. So maybe he learned his lesson...then again, like I said before. Ch10 overhypes atleast 1 storm a year. I guess we still have 2 months to find out if they do it again this season.

> I didnt get the impression any Philly meteorologist was
> hyping it up. I think Hurricane has downplayed EVERY Storm
> this winter.

 

[radiojoe315]

Its a shame too. Hurricane knows his stuff. Just gets paranoid too often.

David Aldrich on Fox29 HYPED it up tonight.. He showed two scenarios..
1) Tace-3" Philly, Reading like Area S&E

2)Ocean County/Monmouth County south.. 7-10"!!! Basically all of southeast Jersey
Philly region 3-6"
NW 2-4"
"It is certinately not out of the question" He said.

I am Quite confident Scenario two wont happen. I think its going to be rain.

 

[odomski]

Joseph: you know as well as I do, especially in New England were you and I live, that television weather anchors hype up every little expected snow accumulation. Philadelphia is no different. The same bull goes on in Philadelphia TV as it does in all of the New England markets when it comes to weather forecasts. This is nothing new. They hype up a forecasted 2 inches of snow just to scare people and get the kids' hopes up there will be no school the next morning.

 

[wavelength]

> Joseph: you know as well as I do, especially in New England
> were you and I live, that television weather anchors hype up
> every little expected snow accumulation. Philadelphia is no
> different. The same bull goes on in Philadelphia TV as it
> does in all of the New England markets when it comes to
> weather forecasts. This is nothing new. They hype up a
> forecasted 2 inches of snow just to scare people and get the
> kids' hopes up there will be no school the next morning.
>


Well, I can't take it anymore! I dont care if I dont have a driver's license. Im going to Florida. Im not putting up with this crap anymore! I can't believe I came back from Phoenix. I learned my lesson! My friend is in Ft. Lauderdale. Im coming down! Whooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[radiojoe315]

Well, I can't take it anymore! I dont care if I dont
> have a driver's license. Im going to Florida. Im not
> putting up with this crap anymore! I can't believe I came
> back from Phoenix. I learned my lesson! My friend is in
> Ft. Lauderdale. Im coming down! Whooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
>
Hasnt this winter been the perfect conditions for you? 19 days with temps into the 50's!!

 

[wavelength]

> Well, I can't take it anymore! I dont care if I dont
> > have a driver's license. Im going to Florida. Im not
> > putting up with this crap anymore! I can't believe I
> came
> > back from Phoenix. I learned my lesson! My friend is in
> > Ft. Lauderdale. Im coming down! Whooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
> >
> Hasnt this winter been the perfect conditions for you? 19
> days with temps into the 50's!!
>

Can't rely on it.

 

[philadelphiawx]

Long-time pseudo-lurker and first time poster. Be gentle, please ;-)

I guess one of the questions that needs to be asked is 'when will the hype ever end?'

I don't think it will...it's a vicious circle so every storm will eventually get hyped more and more.

http://philadelphiaweather.blogspot.com/2005/12/how-much-hype-for-philly_29.html

I run the Philadelphia Weather (blog) and wrote an essay on this topic over New Years weekend. Feel free to read it and let me know what you think about the hype phenomenon here in Philadelphia.