WIND CHILL and TV weather

jymbee · Feb 23, 2015

The NWS Windchill Temperature (WCT) index uses advances in science, technology, and computer modeling to provide an accurate, understandable, and useful formula for calculating the dangers from winter winds and freezing temperatures.

Bottom line: If it's cold and the wind's blowing-- IT FEELS COLDER!

The TV weather nerds just love to make weather sound as dramatic as possible. They plaster those dire wind chill numbers all over their maps-- as if there's people out there running around naked. Your average 5 minute weather report could easily be summed up in 30 seconds. In fact, I speed through our TiVo to get to the 30 second "summary" which tells me all I need to know.

And nothing sends them over the top more than even the threat of a SNOW STORM! Multiple "reporters" stationed all over their coverage area with breathless accounts of the first few flakes falling. Of course in keeping with their need for drama-- even if completely contrived-- they seek out and climb that 3 foot drift created by plows clearing a local shopping mall. And if they're fortunate enough to come across some tree branches down or heaven forbid [GASP!] a power line down-- they can barely contain themselves with excitement.

Finally, is there anything sadder (or more pathetic) than the intrepid reporter that has been stationed for hours where they thought there would be a major weather event such as a snow storm or hurricane-- only to learn that the storm somehow managed to take a different path and miss them altogether. Oh the humanity... :duh:

rekees4300 · Feb 23, 2015

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The weather reporters are occasionally beneficial but the one thing that really ticks me off is when they interrupt regular programming for so-called "warnings" that turn out to be nothing. They just love all those pretty colors on the radar and the techie terms nobody understands.

Terrydt100 · Feb 23, 2015

Here in Oklahoma you have got to have a reporter standing on side of highway . The reporter has to wear a black coat,so they can point out the tiny snow particles., during the summer when there are showers they have to break into normal broadcasting to let us know there is no sever weather.

randy41 · Feb 23, 2015

these guys are weather guys because they love it. you get excited about your tractor? they get it on for weather events.

oosik · Feb 23, 2015

Ha,ha - Two winters ago, wx girl standing along major highway, trying to expand upon how truly bad the wx was, all of a sudden she stops talking, her arm fly up in the air as she rapidly looks all around her, too late, the blast from the passing snow plow knocks her flat on her butt.

The truly humorous part, this segment is shown over & over, all evening long.

deerseeker001 · Feb 23, 2015

I think i might have seen that clip.

oosik said:
Ha,ha - Two winters ago, wx girl standing along major highway, trying to expand upon how truly bad the wx was, all of a sudden she stops talking, her arm fly up in the air as she rapidly looks all around her, too late, the blast from the passing snow plow knocks her flat on her butt.

The truly humorous part, this segment is shown over & over, all evening long.

coobie · Feb 24, 2015

The real question is HOW DUMB is it for the weather channel to give every winter storm a name now?

fishheadbob · Feb 24, 2015

TV weather reporters do tend to hype absolutely every possible snowfall or cold weather event as potentially the end of civilization. I think it all has to do with ratings as anything more than a snow flurry is reported with crawls during programming and promos anyplace they can sneak one in. "Life threatening event on the way. Be sure to watch us at 6 and 11 for details." Yeah, be sure to watch them to keep their ratings up so they can charge the personal injury lawyers even more for the never ending message to sue the bxxxxxxs for everything. More ratings = more advertising revenue = more profit for the station = more pay- maybe- for the reporter. In Buffalo senior weather anchors are a big, big deal and frequently make more than the news anchor.

NativeSon · Feb 24, 2015

Yellow Journalism is still alive and well with Weathermen. My favorite is "Dangerous Lightning"........DUH!

Charlie

Thomas · Feb 24, 2015

Bad news sell that's a fact,and some..some of those reporters out there are good actors.

Garandman · Feb 24, 2015

From a tv weatherman:

ThunderCycle said:
Since it was brought up that I'm on this forum, I thought I'd share some insight from the other side of camera concerning weather reports. Research shows weather is the #1 reason people watch local news. Good for me as it helps feed the racing beast. Even the networks are latching on to this phenomena. NBC owns the Weather Channel and ABC will lead with weather any chance they get. CBS not quite so much. I find it troubling how a storm "..is burying the East Coast" when really it's New York City getting a little snow. I've had our network put me on standby to talk about the weather when there is NOTHING happening in Boston. A good example was the Philly football game a few weeks ago. It looked dramatic on TV, but it had little impact on us or anywhere outside of Philly.

If you watch the local meteorologist, and I can only speak for Boston, they really are trying to give two things; the amounts and timeline. Where it becomes tricky is the promotion of those basic facts. If weather is the #1 reason people watch the local news, then how do you bring those people to their TVs and more importantly watch your station?

We can't treat viewers like idiots, it's New England and it snows. Viewers are tired of the old..."will it snow?" promo. Of course it's going to snow, why else would I be mentioning it? Our station (WCVB) is trying a different philosophy. We're not 100% there but we are trying. We'll give you all the facts we have and then to keep you around for the main weather try to find something beyond the obvious. Maybe a particular area will have a worse commute or break down the details of the next 12-hours, or show you some insight into why I think it's going to snow this amount. Stuff you can't find on a smart phone app.

We do put a lot of reporters out in the snow. People like to see what it looks like outside. For fun, during the next "normal" snowfall check out how the reporters handle it. The newbies think it's "snowmageddon", the seasoned reports often have a lot of fun with it. A Jack Harper live shot is not to be missed. An incredibly funny-quick witted man.

We do pay attention to viewer comments and try to get better.
-Mike Wankum

MikeInEburg · Feb 24, 2015

coobie said:
The real question is HOW DUMB is it for the weather channel to give every winter storm a name now?

This is only the beginning. "Be careful out there folks, as Fog Bank Henry moves into the region later this afternoon, bringing with it treacherous reduced visibility. But Henry will be chased out by thunderstorm Randall later tonight."

Fossil Farm · Feb 24, 2015

I just love the national "Chicken Little" station (Weather Channel) reporting on storms. You would think the world was destroyed if you just listened to the audio. Can't have a snowstorm without a yardstick and stick it in a plowed snowbank and call it a snowdrift. Guess they didn't get training on how to tell the difference. They need to buy a picture book to tell the difference between a bulldozer, front end loader, track hoe and a backhoe. Everything other than a plow truck is a bulldozer it seems like. If the road isn't perfectly clear and dry, it "hasn't been plowed yet." I'd like to see them plow a few streets in a snowstorm and see how they like it.

DFB · Feb 24, 2015

Ya but those national weather repeater stations are just sooo boring

Wunder Radio Directory | Weather Underground

Dr_Zinj · Feb 24, 2015

Wind chill is a concern if you're outside. It's a better indicator of how warm you need to dress than just the temperature.

Me? I want to know if the temperature is over 100 (darn* hot), between 100 and 80 (hot), between 80 and 60 (pleasant), between 60 and 40 (cool), between 40 and 32 (cold), between 32 and 0 (freezing), between 0 and -78 (stupid cold, as WOKQ calls it), or lower than -78 (at which point it starts snowing solid CO2.)

For snowfall, less than 4 inches means the wife and I can both drive out without plowing until the weekend. 4 to 12 means 2 hours of plowing before going to work. More than 12 to 18 means about 3 to 4 hours of plowing before going to work. More than 18 means not going to work. Doesn't matter how much snow we get when you have to deal with people on the road that are too much in a hurry to be smart, or too scared to move at more than a crawl.

Ice? Stay home until it melts.

Wind isn't a problem until it gets above 50 mph; at which time I gas up my chainsaw to remove downed trees.

Rain? Need an inch an hour for 12 to 24 hours before I worry about washouts on the driveway or the main roads. House was built well to drain away and never had water in the basement.

Now New Hampshire could have a worst case scenario where we get another Mother's Day storm while we have all this snow pack, which would produce a 1000 year flood, not the 100 year one we had Mother's Day Flood in 2006.

rekees4300 · Feb 24, 2015

coobie said:
The real question is HOW DUMB is it for the weather channel to give every winter storm a name now?

Totally pointless, soon they will start naming every cloud! :laughing:

oosik · Feb 24, 2015

Another thing I've noticed. I live far enough away from our local stations that "my local weather" is often quite different than whats happening at the TV station. Many times there will be more than a 4-5 inch difference in snow fall depth. I get wind and rain that they never see in the big town at the TV station.

jymbee · Feb 24, 2015

fishheadbob said:
TV weather reporters do tend to hype absolutely every possible snowfall or cold weather event as potentially the end of civilization. I
think it all has to do with ratings as anything more than a snow flurry is reported with crawls during programming and promos anyplace they can sneak one in. "Life threatening event on the way. Be sure to watch us at 6 and 11 for details." Yeah, be sure to watch them to keep their ratings up so they can charge the personal injury lawyers even more for the never ending message to sue the bxxxxxxs for everything. More ratings = more advertising revenue = more profit for the station = more pay- maybe- for the reporter. In Buffalo senior weather anchors are a big, big deal and frequently make more than the news anchor.

Wow-- that's a really cynical portrayal of weather reportage! And, I completely agree with you. :thumbsup: