Technical > Weather > Something I was reading regarding the NWS

Something I was reading regarding the NWS

Well all I can say is most don't have the training to interpret raw weather data. I somewhat do from going through General Aviatiom pilot training where weather is a very important potentially life and death issue (Just ask JFK Jr's ghost)

As to private sector can do it better The Weather Channel and CNN etc (just scare everyone to death) BS is my prime reason for saying NO WAY.

A storm is threatening Key West sure I will watch the WX Ch and CNN, but when I want pure unbiased, forecast I will go the NWS, the Navy, CG, or other more raw not ratings biased sources.

KW is fortunate to have a (one of the oldest) NWS office, and you really can't get a more local forecast than that... forget Jim Cantore trying to scare me to death to boost his ratings. And actually know a number of the local NWS meteorologists personally sometimes running in to them at at a local watering holes after work before heading home and actually getting their personal opinions they might not to be able to say publicly.

And by the way when the Nat Hurricane Center's radar was blown of their roof (and largely shut down) in Andrew it was the long range KW radar and office staff that NWS was providing, CNN and the WX Ch, but they were still saying the Keys may have been blown away. While there was damage in the upper Keys just south of the mainland.... OBVIOULSY Key West was just fine. But of course the teleprompter copy writers and producers feeding remote air talent didn't or just ignored it, for the sensationalism.

And for months to a year hurt tourism, and Key West in the position of Mark Twain in the early film news reel era when he sort of disappeared for a while, having to go on camera and say the rumors of my death are highly exaggerated, in ad promotion.

EDIT Though I swear I have seen on film (really him though maybe silent and later impersonater re-voiced) , as his death of 1910 really would put it well before the regular news reel, even pre DW Griffith

That needlessly scare them to death private crap does maybe serve a purpose of getting the idiots who have no clue to leave perhaps... but very little true info, for those who really can understand the data and make rational decisions, with out the 90% waste of time doom and gloom ratings and looped any horror footage, what if BS between actually getting it.

You know, I mean CNN and the Wx channel were EXSTATIC that the East river and the Hudson just BARELY lapped over banks at high tide.... but again looking at the NWS that was no surprise... They had long been saying it MAYBE still be a MINIMAL Cat 1 it just barely was, not much is going to happen but of course the private sector was still HYPING everything they possible could....

And then COMPLETELY ignoring where the real danger was upstate and NE.... were severe and catastrophic flooding occurred when down to TS. Did they send ONE person up there??

NO, it was all cell phone iReport stuff. NYC was the thing... who cares if some little podunct town in the Catskills is totally inundated.... no ratings in that.... but thanks for the iReport.

And Unless any of those people were smart enough to look to the NWS there was no warning, no evacuation orders etc.

Again IGNORING the FACTS for the big numbers SENSATIONAL, and the NWS saying it was going to happen all along.... but unless people really looked at that wouldn't know unless they looked at NWS directly, not the WX Ch or CNN, etc until NYC was getting totally boring, but maybe 10 sec in the middle of an hour of repetitive BS. Far to late for those people

PS a site I was recently turned on to, if you want just about any kind of raw graphic (with links to detail) info on a hurricane check out

»spaghettimodels.com
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)

reply to Subaru
If you watch your local Weather, and then go to the NWS and look at their previous info release you'll see more than likely your local weather forecast was taken directly from the NWS perhaps with some slight local twists added.

Take away the NWS and you'll have a whole bunch of weather people who are totally lost.

yep.. that's why I stopped looking at the weather channel online.. I just look at the NWS for info

reply to Subaru
And tonight CNN's HLN actually had the nerve to to an hour special on how heroic their reporters were do exactly what they were telling everyone else not to do.

What self serving BS, when as far as the most impacted perhaps upstate NY and VT totally devastated the hardly spent a few seconds on whhile extatic. a in or two sloped out of the East river and Hudson in NYC.

And never even sent ANYONE up there all the footage you saw was i whatever and You Tube, let alone the truly neglectful pre coverage..
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)

reply to Subaru
without the NWS we would not have GEOS taking those wonderful pictures of storms from space. I doubt Accuweather has the money to launch weather sats.

Also the NWS is free to all, by being government their output is free to everybody from radio and TV to someone going to their website. Somehow I doubt the TV stations that use Accuweather get its data free.
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[65 Arcanist]Filan(High Elf) Zone: Broadband Reports

As are all NASA assets yet ironically though FREE to provider and taxpayer paid for, NASA TV is often ONLY available on upper tier service levels.
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»haywardm.com (Hayward's Key West)

reply to SmokChsr

reply to Subaru
Once again, there are short term knee-jerk thinkers with no knowledge or experience touting their half-baked ideas.

As most here know, NWS works with an extensive network of EMS managers and skilled volunteers. Additionally, the NWS's broadcasting system is often the sole real time source of weather information and alerts for many people. Destroying these networks would be detrimental to citizens and businesses alike.

If they think I'd volunteer my time and resources to some outfit that will turn around and sell my contributions, they need to think again.

If we're going to get rid of something, get rid of the useless baggage that feels we should have to abandon a system that works and have the hyperbole-ridden commercial weather reporters as our only source.

We don't need idiots standing out in dangerous weather telling us not to stand out in dangerous weather.
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Follow your dreams, except the one where you're naked in church.

reply to Channel One