I second that rant! 

You're right for the most part, although I've worked with meteorologists who use Environment Canada data but also fashion their own predictions, which can deviate from it.

My beef isn't that they got it wrong. It's that they act as if they never said it was going to be a week of sunshine. I think they owe the viewer an explanation as to why they got it so wrong less than 48 hours out. 

I despise winter. They can't promise me a week out of this gloom and then pull the rug out from us without at least telling us what happened. 

I wonder if our meteoroligists would have more success predicting weather in Buffalo. How accurate would they be on snow accumulation totals?

Why do they all feel the need to talk so fast?

paterson1 wrote:

This is why it is called a weather forecast.  Nobody promised anything.  Weather changes and can very quickly over the great lakes, always has been this way. So were the forecasters still saying on Friday evening that it was going to be sunny most of (tomorrow) Saturday, all through the weekend, and into the whole week?  Long range and tomorrow's forecasts are two different animals.  Also long range forecasts change most of the time anyway.  Had they all been saying for five days in a row that we were into an extended period of sunshine? 

Yes, on Friday they were predicting sunny skies, not only for part of Saturday and all day Sunday but for the rest of the week. There were no real clouds in the forecast and they took great pains to note no major storms were on the horizon.

We did get a small amount of sun on the first day of the weekend, but Sunday was not only gloomy but a few flurries were falling. Suddenly, the 5-day forecast had mysteriously changed, going from sunny skies with above normal temps. to cloudy every single day with significant rain Thursday and a mix of rain and snow on Friday. You really couldn't have gotten it more incorrect, unless it was 36 degrees and humid the next day. 

Look, I get that it's not a sure thing when they make a long range forecast (WNBC-TV New York does a 10-day, which seems ridiculous to me) but to get it so very, very wrong with less than 24 hours to go is simply unacceptable. But as noted, I'm less upset about that than that they never take responsibility to say they were wrong - and more importantly, to tell the viewer why. 

Lyndsay Morrison was one of those singing "Here Comes The Sun" on Friday night. Her only concession on CTV Toronto's noon show Monday was "we didn't get as much sun as we were hoping for." No mention that she was one of those who promised not just a brighter weekend but a better week. Would it have killed her to explain to viewers how it went so off the rails? 

Did a front travel farther north than they were expecting? Did something arrive earlier than predicted? What happened that led to them getting it so wrong? It destroys their credibility and now I no longer believe them. The phrase 'you had one job...' comes to mind.  

I realize I'm taking this way too far and it's not that important in the long run. But it's one of my pet peeves. And by the way, here's one more thing to watch out for. It seems when it's going to be terrible weather, they mostly get it right. When it's going to be nice, they always, always, always overestimate. I can't tell you the number of times I've made plans in the early spring anticipating a 22-degree day and then the temperature barely gets close to 10. Check it out come April or May and you'll see it happens at least 8 times out of 10. And never, ever a word the next day about why. 

mace wrote:

rje1 wrote:

It's sunny today

Not where I am in North York.

Thanks Mace. I was going to note the same thing. There wasn't a hint of sunshine on Monday where I am in northern North York. Lyndsey Morrison wasn't working on Saturday, but perhaps her new theme song should be "Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone." Especially when her (and her colleagues) forecast Withers!

Then there's this line from the BBC's "The Two Ronnies:"

'We'd love to show you the latest satellite shot, but we can't because it's obscured by clouds."

Which stations have actual meteorologists here in the city anyway? Everybody just gave up and started using the weather network and relying on environment Canada. I've noticed lately whenever there's any weather event that would typically just get covered by the weather people environment, Canada has now started putting out special weather statements more and more To give everybody the heads up even when we don't meet actual warning or watch criteria

CP24 has two meteorologists with Bill Potter and Bill Coulter.  Mika Midolo is a weather specialist who oddly is still doing forecasts from her livingroom.  Looks bad, at least she should be outside.