"How Valid Are TV Weather Forecasts?"

[oldmanradio]

Yeah, I know. Radio board.

But the same conclusions hold true, obviously, for weather forecasters on radio.

Anyway, the below is a scientific look at the accuracy of TV weather forecasters in one market ... or lack of accuracy when attempting long-range forecasts.

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/21/how-valid-are-tv-weather-forecasts/

Tony

 

[Triple Fake Jerry]

In fairness, a trained monkey can predict the weather seven days out in Dallas in July and August.

 

[oldmanradio]

In fairness, a trained monkey can predict the weather seven days out in Dallas in July and August.

That's true, and nearly 365 days of the year in San Diego.

 

[grantchester]

Loved the exchange between Delcus and Hanson:

Brad: I wish I could be as wrong as often as you and keep my job

Pete: Yeah, but let's see you predict the winner and the final score five days in advance....

 

[jd]

That's pretty similar to what I told one of co-workers one time. I said "if we did our jobs like the TV weather people do we wouldn't have jobs!"

And to dig up an old quote from the venerable Harold Taft, who resisted doing long-range forecasts, "if you're thinking about forecasting snow here in North Texas, think again."

 

[unclepudd]

You must have been around a long time jd. The discussion between Harold and management went on for a while and was a long time ago. Harold held his ground and finally worked it out. He explained that anyone who said that they could forecast the weather 5 days in advance accurately in this part of Texas didn't know weather. If I recall it occurred during a time when local TV stations were moving to "entertainment" weather people instead of meteorologists. Once it was Harold on 5, Dale Milford on 8 and I believe it was Warren Fults on 4. The old memory ain't as good as it once was but I enjoyed your comment about Harold. He was one of a kind...