How bad is the weather forecasting here?
 

Weather forecasting was a joke in Pennsylvanis and many folks changed plans/activities. The other morning I had a tee time at OBH and asked the Mrs. if she wanted to go to the pool. Well the weather person said it was going to be cloudy all day so she decided not to join me while I played golf. I got such a sunburn on that cloudy day let me tell you... it turned out to be a beutifull day.

Not to worry as I've only been here permanently for 2 weeks, as of today, and many more opportunities will arise.

Up in PA we laugh at the weather people and rely on our own observations and prognostications..... Many more influences here and it may take some time to figure out weather patterns.

Are there any rules of thumb like "when the wind blows from the south weaher will be clear, wind from the North will bring fear" Red at night.......

It took me a year to figure it out....but, I've learned, never change your plans til you have to especially in summer thunderstorm season. In that first year, I'd be at the pool and see the dark clouds looming and hightail it home only to find that the storm went somewhere else or just fell apart. Of course, never trifle with lightning.

If there is a 30-40% chance of rain, odds are someone will see rain, just not necessarily you or where you are.

So, how good/bad is the forecasting??? The Orlando stations and Weather Channel give decent general forecasts but the best Villages-specific forecasts come from our own local meteorologists on WVLG ... quite often, they give you pretty accurate real-time predictions on when storms will arrive and what areas will be affected. Can't beat that!!!

That said, it is nearly 5:30 on Tuesday, 10/18. "Heavy rain, possible thunderstorms" were forecast this morning. Haven't seen a drop, all day!

My observation, after 6-1/2 years: the television guys in Orlando are just about as accurate as the guys in (where you came from)! That is to say, not very!

I do think, though, that Cental Florida weather must be much harder to predict accurately than almost anywhere else! I mean, I was used to weather coming from the west or southwest. Here it can come from any direction, and sometimes from more than one direction at once!

Just remember this: I've never heard the weather guys forecast snow! :bigbow:

SWR
:beer3:

When I lived up north, the weather seemed to stay consistent throughout most of the day. If it rained, it rained all day.

Here in Florida, the weather changes and shifts very quickly, and moves from spot to spot. If you want a forecast, one idea is to go to www.weather.com, and scroll down to the doppler radar "weather in motion" map. Select the version that shows the next 6 hours, and you will see to what extent there will be rain or storms in the area.

As far as temp. forecast I find them to be very accurate. Anyone can predict the temps in the summer, but in the winter with fronts moving thru the temps can change rapidly and they are usually within 2 degs. Moving up from S. Fla. they constantly predicted lows in the winter 10 degs lower than actual.
As far as rain, don't listen to them. How would you like to have a job where you were wrong most of the time without any consequences?

And get paid well for doing it, too! :D

Bill :)

Accurate weather
 

I have found that weatherunderground.com is much more accurate than the weather channel

Dick Goddard is the local weather guy on a Cleveland weather station and he turned 80 in Feb of this year and still on the air. He cannot coordinate his mouth with the remote map / screen display clicker so either he is talking about something that is already off the screen or not on the screen yet.

Then we have the low pressure front off the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea that may bring some needed rain in the coming weeks. Thunderstorms and sever weather are also possible with this frontal line. Be sure to watch Channel 8 news and weather for updated information on this possible storm. And remenber we are your "Official" school closing station. For crying out loud the front is half a world away and it will take 2 weeks to get here.

Other than Wall Street Banking where can anyone make the money that the weather people make and still be wrong hald the time? We are on the verge of breaking the all time yearly rainfall total and all three major stations have a different number as to how much rain is needed to break that record.

Well, apparently people relied on info today that was not up to date. My buddy and I had the whole golf course to ourselves tonight. I heard on AM 640 that the storm went south and there would be no rain until 9 PM tonite. Apparently people did not catch it. We went out around 5 PM and it was empty.We played 15 holes on a 9 hole executive.

Well...tomorrow is another day! Florida will be different than "up north" because ALL of our weather pretty much is dictated by the 'sea breezes'. Watch channel 10 for the weather as it is about as accurate as the weather guys. They can only tell us what their technology gives them and it's all a crap-shoot is my take on it! I agree with the others...plan you day and "at the last minute" change them "IF" the weather gets in the way. If you're here full-time then you can just relax as you won't be on a schedule of the calendar and trying to pack in as much as possible within a certain time-slot. JMHO

You must remember, you live in The Villages. The family is able to direct the weather so the golf courses stay open. :boom:

I thank God that the weather folks totally got today's forecast wrong! I just arrived in TV and had to unload a truck this AM and then had to drive down to Orlando's airport having not a clue how to get there or back to TV and was dreading doing both in the severe weather they were warning about. Though a bit humid it was a beautiful day, at least for this newcomer.

Suzanne

Severe Weather Center
 

It slays me to see the weather listed on television stations here as the "Severe Weather Center"! I really think they only need to use Severe when it's really needed.

Came from Missouri where a tornado watch/warning blacked out all local channels and it usually came at the season finale. Why can't they just make a small box in the corner that you can watch???

Ok I'm a TV addict and I admit it. :}

One thing I've learned over the years about weather forecasts-Never rely on a five day forecast.By that fifth day,it very seldom is what they said five days previous.Somewhere in that five day span,something will change.Three days max is about the best they can predict.I also hate when a tv station refers to it's weather segment as it's "Severe Weather Center".Channel 11 in Pittsburgh does that which is why I told the station manager as long as his station refers to it as that,I will never watch it.