Topic: On Air Talent; Who Do You Trust? Distrust?

[WeatherHost]

AKA Talking Heads.

Our local station is ridiculous, more interested in self promos than accurate forecasting. Even their didgital subchannel that is supposed to be dedicated to weather is loaded with promos.  Broadcasts are loaded with fancy buzzwords, slogans, catch phrases, mottos and other silliness.  For local weather, I have to rely on the next distant station, about 60 miles west.  Oddly enough, during severe weather the #3 station in the market seems to have the best coverage.

On TWC, there are a few I just cannot stand, the rest are pretty good for the most part.  Cheryl Lemke is OK but her voice is like chalk screeching on a blackboard.  I rank Dave Schwartz in the same category as Billy Mays and Smiling Bob of the Enzyte commercials.

Can you trust your local on-air forecasters?

Where do you go for national information?

[ocala]

I don't watch the local weather. I get all my info from the computer.
As you said they are disgusting to watch. We had one guy here a couple years ago who was real good. Didn't sugar coat it, and told it like it was.
These jokers now mis- pronounce names of cites and have on  several occasions given old hurricane updates.

[ncpilot]

I try to get my info from multiple web-based sources--and VERY important!--look out the window...  I do watch local weather, but only half seriously...

I wouldn't be surprised if Greg Fishel at www.wral.com is the best in N. Carolina, and since the CBS station here is run by WRAL, we get their news--so I can watch Greg if I want. He always has a great balance between the technical side and still making it understandable to most any viewer. I can actually learn from his weather segments.

http://www.wral.com/rs/bio/1010713/

He's an institution at WRAL, and given the equipment/software, his budget must be huge...

[WeatherHost]

How are your local TV Weather Guessers doing?  Do they give you enough notice on upcoming severe events?  Do they cover them in real time?  Stay on the air or go to regular programming?

Have you seen any change in TWC since the NBC acquisition?

[blackjack52]

Here we get about 2-day out notice for the bad stuff. I don't consider Dan's wx crew as guessworkers though. They tell it like it is. The chief met, at times, directs the spotter net. They educate the viewers too, about what the SRV means, etc. They don't inflate, which is real important here.

I stay away from TWC. It's too generalized. I can extrapolate more pin-pointed areas using NWSs SREF forecast tool. Something I learned how to do since joining the Virtual Chase. Severe wx will only be showing likely for a small portion of a state, and TWC plots the entire region.
I also don't like their angle now...green.  They're supposed to be reporting wx, not why it's better to use cloth diapers vice disposable.
You got me started.

[offroadjosh]

i dont trust any of them here, when i lived in oregon Mark Nelson was really good=) in fact i still  talk every now and then with him.

but all in all i get my weather online.(usually through models like, gfs, euro, NAM, and a few others.




Josh

[HailHunter]

The Weather Channel has become a shell of its former self. Only a few of the OCM that are left on there do I trust. Kim Perez seems to still be reliable (so she will probably be jettisoned by NBC soon enough to join her other colleagues in limbo.) Carl Parker is a great meteorologist. As goofy and silly as she can be, Stephanie Abrams is actually one of the better ones on TWC. Right off the top of my head those are the only ones I can really think of that I trust.

I think I lost all respect for TWC last year during Ivan (I think) when they kept on spouting off that junk about 'certain death if you stay.' That is nothing more than cry wolf syndrome waiting to break out, and will only serve to up the death toll from folks that don't believe the meteorologists next time a legitimate Camille, Andrew, or Katrina comes in.

As far as local is concerned, I am pretty much sick of weather forecasts and severe weather coverage becoming nothing more than an infomercial for the newest toys they use on the air. I just want to scream at weathermen during severe weather coverage not to use junk like tornado signature indicators and talking about hook echoes. For the general public, all the does is confuse them or perhaps even give them a false sense of security.

Technology fails, and common sense is always useful.

[blackjack52]

I just want to scream at weathermen during severe weather coverage not to use junk like tornado signature indicators and talking about hook echoes. For the general public, all the does is confuse them or perhaps even give them a false sense of security.

Technology fails, and common sense is always useful.

I have to disagree w/ you on that one. Technology is what has increased warning times from 0 to 13-17 min. Those stations showing TVSs and educating about hook echoes are the better stations, because those are 2 of the best indicators for TOR formation. TVS=atleast 45kt rotational wind shear and TOR formation usually takes place in the SW part of a meso, where hooks form.

[HailHunter]

I just want to scream at weathermen during severe weather coverage not to use junk like tornado signature indicators and talking about hook echoes. For the general public, all the does is confuse them or perhaps even give them a false sense of security.

Technology fails, and common sense is always useful.

I have to disagree w/ you on that one. Technology is what has increased warning times from 0 to 13-17 min. Those stations showing TVSs and educating about hook echoes are the better stations, because those are 2 of the best indicators for TOR formation. TVS=atleast 45kt rotational wind shear and TOR formation usually takes place in the SW part of a meso, where hooks form.

I agree about technology improving warnings, however, my fear is that the general public will become too easily led to rely on radar signatures and tornado indicator numbers. They might begin to think that if the number is not high or there is no well defined hook that there is no danger, even though we know for a fact that sometimes radars do not show an accurate picture of what is happening on the ground.

I would much prefer the general consensus to focus on educating the public that every severe thunderstorm and tornado warning should be taken seriously, and not to simply rely on radar or any various numbers of techno toys that meteorologists use.

Perhaps it is the fact that the first tornado I came into contact with was spawned after the National Weather Service had already given the all clear for the evening, even though all actual conditions outside suggested that things were anything but all clear. So I might be biased and simply have an unfounded disgust of technology overtaking forecasting and warnings.

[blackjack52]

I see your pt and understand your rationale. It sounds like the EF-2 that hit us 6 May. No TS Warning, hardly no lightning, no hail core, and rain wrapped. 3 min TOR Warning provided by spotter then we lost electricity, then bam.

[HailHunter]

That's a great example of my fears come to life (in a way.) I am glad technology is where it is at, but I just don't think human logic, storm spotters, storm chasers, and eye witnesses will ever be topped. I am just glad that you came out of your run in with limited warnings unharmed, but can I ask if there were any critical injuries or losses of life? 

[blackjack52]

No serious inj or loss; just property damage, but thankfully non here.  It tore through 11mi of our town. Very lucky, especially since school was in and path parallelled 3 elem schools.

[weathermiz]

Well, for my local forecasts i trust two people... but they are from completely different markets (I moved to WA from TX last winter).

They are:
Dammon Lane @ KTXS-TV Abilene, TX
Tim Adams @ KNDU-TV Kennewick, WA

For national information I trust the National Weather Services website

[GvlSkywarnNCS]

We've had a 'character' or two here on TV. One was  well-known as being a drunk but evidently the station either didn't know (hardly possible) or didn't care. When Charlie plagerized someone else's forecast it was good- when he did his own he usually missed by miles. The station began giving out "Charlie said it would" umbrellas and many of us noticed people carrying these mostly when Charlie said it "wouldn't"  He finally retired. We've got another local TV guy who's been here many years but still misses the mark fairly often. Nobody around here trusts our local media forecasts too much for good reason!

For severe weather our local NWS staff is awesome and they do well during less active weather but there is one guy who hits the nail on the head squarely during normal times - Dr. Joe Sobel (sp?) with Accuweather as heard on a local AM radio station- and as best I know he's never set foot in this part of the world. Greenville SC is said to be one of the toughest places to forecast since we sit beside the end foothills of the Appalachains and they can steer the weather to us, push it away from us, or lift it over us. Just a few degrees direction can mean the difference between totally clear skies and heavy thunderstorms for us. Our best forecasters have usually lived in this area for a long time to learn the local nuances that make the forecasting here so tough which is why Dr. Joe flat-out amazes me.

Phil

[Chris H.]

I trust:

Mark Ronchetti: KRQE News 13-Albuquerque, NM
Joe Diaz: KOAT 7- ""
Steve Stucker: KOB-TV Channel 4- ""

Yes, I trust one person from each affiliate (CBS, ABC and NBC).

As far as anyone else being on TV, there are some people I wish would just disappear. They suck.

There's that old guy (I forgot his name) on one of the TV station in Oklahoma City..he covered the 1999 Moore tornado. I think he's on an ABC or NBC affiliate station in OK City.

[SlowModem]

There's a guy that's been the Chattanooga, TN weatherman for years.  His name is Neal Pascal.  He's the only one of three that predicted the blizzard of 93.  He was predicting that snow storm for a week and everybody thought he was crazy.  He nailed it, though. 

[Chris H.]

There's a guy that's been the Chattanooga, TN weatherman for years.  His name is Neal Pascal.  He's the only one of three that predicted the blizzard of 93.  He was predicting that snow storm for a week and everybody thought he was crazy.  He nailed it, though. 

That "land hurricane" of 93'? Man I saw a video about it..snow as far as the Gulf! Wow!!