FOX44 - Burlington / Plattsburgh News, Weather & Sports10.13.11 Forecasters Take The Heat- Excellent Article from WSJ

10.13.11 Forecasters Take The Heat- Excellent Article from WSJ

I came across an article in the Wall Street Journal that got me so excited. If you care to see a little hint of what it's like to be a weather forecaster or meteorologist, give this article a read through and watch the video to accompany. Unlike some other weather related articles where I "sort of agree" with the interviews or what they say "kind of makes sense"... this one I feel actually hits it on the head.

The day to day stress of forecasting can be extremely daunting. Don't get me wrong, I love my job and I love the challenges that come along with figuring out what the weather for the next day, 3 days, or 10 days will be. Its exciting and a challenge for all meteorologists to "figure it out". We all know, weather is an "imperfect science". We don't fully understand it...period.  There are weather phenomena that scientists know generally how it works, but it is extremely difficult (or in some cases, impossible) to pinpoint the details. These details are, unfortunately, what you, the consumer, most likely care about.

As forecasters, we knew 6 days ahead of time that Irene was on a collision course with southern New England. The track was predicted among the most accurate in history of forecasting. But the details of raging rivers washed away bridges & roads, and the unfortunate loss of lives were quite unpredictable to pinpoint town by town. (Killington above, Brandon below) 

This snowy surprise (below) in the year 2000 caught many off guard. Residents on the eastern seaboard had only a few hours to prepare for a major blizzard.

How about April 1st, 2011? Remember the "April Fools Day snowstorm" prediction? Most forecasts called for 4-8" of snow for the Champlain Valley. That turned out to be more of a joke than anything. I took this picture in Colchester the afternoon of April 1st.

That is what continues to make forecasting a challenge, and why the field of meteorology continues to grow. For me, the continued challenge of understanding something about this world that remains undiscovered is fascinating. I chose to go into broadcast meteorology (versus research or teaching) to help get out day to day weather information that just may help save someone's life that day.  

Check out the article, here.