Where is your antenna pointed?

Over the years I’ve concocted a number of alibis for inaccurate forecasts. In some instances the forecast was flat out wrong. I have also concluded part of my perceived forecast errors have come from the failure to effectively communicate. Folks are sometimes too distracted to hear the whole story.

As a NOAA meteorologist for 34 years I flew under the radar in the public arena. Yes, I worked for the world’s premier forecasting agency, but had little face recognition. Thus it was easy to listen in on conversations at the grocery store, restaurant and neighborhood about the upcoming weather. Where did these educated folks get their forecast information?

Just this Monday evening an associate asked me if it was going to snow on Friday. Bewildered, I asked where she heard that. Her antenna must have been aimed towards International Falls. No meteorologist I know in the Twin Cities had floated the forecast of snow for Friday.

We have a long way to go to enhance our forecast accuracy, but it helps if our message is clearly conveyed. Stay tuned to your weather experts at Minnesota Public Radio for details of cold and snow as we approach the winter of 2007-2008.

By the way, there is snow in the forecast for northern Minnesota. Check out the forecast for the Falls.

Forecast for International Falls