Then we'll agree to disagree.
For a non-research implementation of the mobile unit (not NOAA, or a University) I'm very skeptical, especially when you actually watch the hype that the on-screen talking heads put to it, with the emphasis they use.
As if they can dispatch this truck to three states in time to get the data that our NWS radars cannot.
The stations' managers around here got into a advertising war with their weather alerts, literally scaring people including a few little old ladies I knew, with their constant screen scrolls and beeping and alerts.
To wit, one winter with a supposed strong system approaching, FOR THREE DAYS all the evening programming had the beeeep, beeeeep, beeeep occur with the red banner and yellow text proclaiming an exceptionally dangerous storm was due and to take precautions, stock up, and all the things that those of us living in the midwest have done for years ignorant as we are, and this went on for literally three days before the storm was to hit.
People called the stations, bitching that they didn't need their programming interrupted nor to use the imminent danger that usually was reserved for tornado warnings, not watches even.
Yet, of course as you can imagine, the storm fizzled and we barely got a dusting and some wind with snow snakes.
That is the hype I'm referring to. I didn't research the truck, I looked at the hyped up ad on their web site.
So to me, that is hype. I fail to see how they can motor their little truck across three states in time to provide ADDITIONAL meaningful data to help the common citizen avoid injury. This isn't altering the weather, and folks need to be aware of local conditions.
PS Thank goodness the station managers have backed way down from their alarmist ads and interruptions, with a much more agreeable method of actually educating the viewing audience rather than clanging their gong the loudest. I notice that all the stations even with their own radar use the couple of predictive models that the weather service uses and also only break in with alerts as soon as the NWS issues them, not issuing them on their own accord.
