This email just came in:
Hey Geoff,
Good Luck in your move. So I have to ask…Who should we trust for weather now ?
Kenny
Good question. I’ve gotten it a lot.
First, there is little difference in accuracy between the four Connecticut TV stations providing a forecast. Nearly everyone’s correct nearly every day!
Don’t stop reading here. There are differences other than the numbers.
I do have a problem with the automated numbers you see on many websites. By and large they are correct, but they’re usually not double checked by humans. I’ve seen stupid forecasts posted that humans would never allow.
To a viewer there is no difference between 66° and 68°. A snow forecast of 5″ demands the same action as one of 8″. These differences are not very important. Don’t dwell on them.
The difference in weather forecasts is how the forecaster tells the story. Is his/her presentation understandable? Does he/she leave you with actionable information?
Watch the meteorologist you best understand, because accuracy doesn’t matter if you can’t translate their words into usable info.
I know most of the meteorologists in Connecticut. They are all honorable. None of them benefits from hyping the forecast–and they don’t.
Find someone you trust. In that regard meteorology is like everything else in life.