I’ve always been curious about weather reports on local television stations.
Don’t they all get their basic forecast information from more or less the same sources?
In the same general geographic area, are one television station’s weather forecasts any more accurate than their competitors from other local television stations?
If a local station brags about their “double doppler radar”, does that equipment actually belong to that one television station, or does it just subscribe to get that information along with other stations in the area?
Meteorologist here (but not broadcast), but I did intern at a TV station in Chicago when I was in school, so I’ll try to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge.
In my experience each station meteorologist does their own forecasts. Now granted, most have an idea what’s going to happen on any given day, can interpret the numerical model output, and/or are aware of the National Weather Service forecasts. Forecasts out to two days or so are rarely “wrong” by more than 1-2 degrees, and if they are, it is usually due to timing issues of whatever event (cold front passing a couple hours earlier, cloud deck not burning off in the morning, etc.), and are usually small-scale features, and typically harder to predict.
Again, in the short-term, it’s almost pointless to argue which station’s forecasts are better. In the longer-range, there is some skill out to 5 and 7 days, and everyone realizes that those numbers will fluctuate a little as time draws closer, so it isn’t a big deal. So, because it’s pointless to argue forecast accuracy, many stations do this…
I think it depends a ton on the market area. Here in the OKC metro area, it is as cutthroat as it can get. The individual stations have their own Doppler radars (some with 2), and are always trying to rush out the cutting edge technology. They can’t brag about their forecast accuracy, so they have to brag about their tools to warn you quicker when severe weather threatens. In less severe weather areas, the local station might just use the National Weather Service local radar output.
Hope this helps.
In places like the Midwest where weather systems have a habit of bumping into each other, the storm track can be very important.
The local meteorologist’s reputation is made or lost on whether he accurately predicted rain or snow or hail or tornadoes not just in the general geographic area, but where exactly the storm hits and misses.
Good idea. I forgot about snow/rain amounts, and was only thinking anout temperature numbers. You are correct, rain/snow is very important, and the local stations will use that for the accuracy statements.
My bad.