Yep-The Weather in my back yard is / was (Pittsburgh, Mercer: deal, schedule)

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

I go to bed with hopes of waking up to a few inches of snow after watching all the news stations hype the storm, but wake up to a light coating and see that the winter storm warning was downgraded to an advisory, and all we may get a whole inch of snow.

I haven't lived long in the north, but did the weather forecasters always have this much difficulty with their predictions in the winter? Or have they gotten WORSE since the introduction of all the technology that they have now, like modern computer models and super duper doppler?

Read what I typed above, from the start, it was clearly stated that the storm and cold air had to be just right for us to get it. Storms have minds of their own, and predicting is not a precise science.

Doppler radar shows the precipitation and the direction it is moving, but it can't predict and clearly show a change in the jet stream or if a storm is going to begin to rotate in a different direction.

[Bizowner00]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

AND

it was clearly, clearly stated that it all depended on how far north the storm and cold air would go.

I get so tired of people like you who are always giving forecasters a bad name, when you don't repeat what they say correctly.

They blew the forecast, simple.. More frustrating to me is the amount of times they get it wrong. Sure it always depends on temperature right? gee maybe I should get that job ! After all, whenever the hype a bad weather storm they kill my business ! No one will get out to eat if impending doom is just around the corner! false

[Mugatu]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

Read what I typed above, from the start, it was clearly stated that the storm and cold air had to be just right for us to get it. Storms have minds of their own, and predicting is not a precise science.

Doppler radar shows the precipitation and the direction it is moving, but it can't predict and clearly show a change in the jet stream or if a storm is going to begin to rotate in a different direction.

I understand that the storm track had a big influence on the type of precip we get, as they've been mentioning that in the days leading up to this event, but last night it seemed that everyone was in agreement that the storm would pass to our south and we would get mostly snow. I wonder what changed overnight? I imagine most forecasters simply go by the GFS model and base their forecast on that, so if the GFS is off, so are all the forecasters.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

I wonder what changed overnight?

The track of the storm, simple enough.

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by Bizowner00

They blew the forecast, simple..

If your business depends so heavily on the weather or not, maybe you should pay full attention to the forecast.

After all, whenever the hype a bad weather storm they kill my business ! No one will get out to eat if impending doom is just around the corner! false

Life's tough, isn't it?

[TechieTransplant]

It's the same thing with any kind of storm. You start watching a hurricane track early on, and they give multiple windows for land fall. A storm of any kind can change its path, gain or lose intensity, etc, in a matter of hours.

[RockLobster]

Pittsburgh forecaster's driven by news directors and competition go with the flow. True, low pressure to our south always encourages warmer air northward above the surface. The fault I find is that this is not put into the wording correctly. The error is typically for over forecasting. 3 to 6 inches when percentages show us that in Pittsburgh and along the river valley it would be more likely 1-3 inches.
This storm is a typical mixed precip storm for Pittsburgh. Low centered close enough to allow for warmer air. The forecast yesterday including the NWS favored a deeper cold layer and discounted the change over. It's all in the wording and ya'll favor over doing the numbers..

[RockLobster]

And would you tell the crazy news director to pull everyone from reporting along the highways, they are going to dampen my tailgate..

[TechieTransplant]

Originally Posted by RockLobster

The fault I find is that this is not put into the wording correctly. The error is typically for over forecasting.

And if we got that or more, people would be crying too.

This is a good demonstration of the American public, crying about something that can't be controlled in the first place.

[Bizowner00]

Like most things in media, it's just a case of weather being over hyped. If the weather forecast was a 30 second spot on a newscast, well you wouldn't here all the comments. Put all your eggs in one basket and your going to get the attention.