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+--- Thread: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" (/showthread.php?tid=55208)
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Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - Don Kiyoti - 05-19-2008
Here in Tucson, the high temperature forecast is of increasing interest this time of year. I've been looking at my weather widget quite often and when I see a figure that's rather alarming (106º for Tuesday) I compare it to what the National Weather Service says. I find that "Accuweather" consistently adds 4º to whatever NWS says. In other words, it'll really be 102º on Tuesday. Right now, NWS indicates 94º with a heat index of 89º. "Accuweather" is saying 93º with a "RealFeel ™" (god how I hate marketing) of 103º which is complete BS.
So, I suppose the inflated and alarmist forecast numbers must be designed to increase the hit rate on the "Accuweather" web site. Could there be a better explanation?
I recall a few years ago that Rick Santorum wanted to prohibit the NWS from providing weather information directly to consumers in order to promote the free market, advertising-driven services like "Accuweather" and weather.com (which incidentally shows data much closer to reality). Thank god that didn't happen!
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - M A V I C - 05-19-2008
AccuWeather is highly inaccurate. The way they get their numbers to do their current temps and forecasts is fundamentally flawed.
I dealt with them for a couple years while I tried to supply a specific web service. Their numbers were continually off. When I signed up the sales guy gave me a breakdown of how they got their data and so on. But when the numbers were almost never right, I finally got to talk to to a tech. He explained the real way they get their numbers.
It's guesswork and then they fudge the numbers up and down based on user feedback. So there could be someone in your area that's in a hot spot and been complaining that the numbers are low, so now they automatically add a few degrees.
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - BigGuynRusty - 05-19-2008
[quote Don Kiyoti]Here in Tucson, the high temperature forecast is of increasing interest this time of year. I've been looking at my weather widget quite often and when I see a figure that's rather alarming (106º for Tuesday) I compare it to what the National Weather Service says. I find that "Accuweather" consistently adds 4º to whatever NWS says. In other words, it'll really be 102º on Tuesday. Right now, NWS indicates 94º with a heat index of 89º. "Accuweather" is saying 93º with a "RealFeel ™" (god how I hate marketing) of 103º which is complete BS.
So, I suppose the inflated and alarmist forecast numbers must be designed to increase the hit rate on the "Accuweather" web site. Could there be a better explanation?
I recall a few years ago that Rick Santorum wanted to prohibit the NWS from providing weather information directly to consumers in order to promote the free market, advertising-driven services like "Accuweather" and weather.com (which incidentally shows data much closer to reality). Thank god that didn't happen! Yes, there is a better explanation.
It is called a MicroClimate.
My front and back yards vary by three degrees with the same digital thermometer.
Also, the RealFeel temperature that you fear is actually more accurate to humans then just the raw temperature, it takes into account humidity, look up Heat Index.
There are Weather Widgets that don't tie into AccuWeather.
Instead of fearing things, why don't you get your own temp/humidity hardware??
BGnR
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - MacManMaz - 05-19-2008
Maybe accuweather like the weather channel is trying to make more global warming hysteria. Beware of the so-called "facts" put forth by people that need to scare others to pay their bills and put food on the table. These guys are nothing more than frustrated actors and fear mongers.
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - chopperbob - 05-19-2008
My iPhone and OS X widget never have the same forecast for me. I'd be happy if the two of them sync'd up (even if they were both wrong).
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - Don Kiyoti - 05-19-2008
[quote BigGuynRusty][quote Don Kiyoti]Here in Tucson, the high temperature forecast is of increasing interest this time of year. I've been looking at my weather widget quite often and when I see a figure that's rather alarming (106º for Tuesday) I compare it to what the National Weather Service says. I find that "Accuweather" consistently adds 4º to whatever NWS says. In other words, it'll really be 102º on Tuesday. Right now, NWS indicates 94º with a heat index of 89º. "Accuweather" is saying 93º with a "RealFeel ™" (god how I hate marketing) of 103º which is complete BS.
So, I suppose the inflated and alarmist forecast numbers must be designed to increase the hit rate on the "Accuweather" web site. Could there be a better explanation?
I recall a few years ago that Rick Santorum wanted to prohibit the NWS from providing weather information directly to consumers in order to promote the free market, advertising-driven services like "Accuweather" and weather.com (which incidentally shows data much closer to reality). Thank god that didn't happen! Yes, there is a better explanation.
It is called a MicroClimate.
My front and back yards vary by three degrees with the same digital thermometer.
Also, the RealFeel temperature that you fear is actually more accurate to humans then just the raw temperature, it takes into account humidity, look up Heat Index.
There are Weather Widgets that don't tie into AccuWeather.
Instead of fearing things, why don't you get your own temp/humidity hardware??
BGnR
Microclimate?? What a load! What joy do you get from being such a pill? And where does this "fear" enter in to my post? It's BS I dislike and it seems to me that Accuweather reeks of it. As mentioned in my post, the NWS includes a heat index with their data which is much truer to what I feel when I go outside than the misinformation Accuweather has.
What Mavic posted surely seems to fit with what I see from Accuweather. One thing I forgot to mention in my original post: the 106º forecast for tomorrow will be reduced to match the NWS by later this evening.
And MacManMaz: oh puhleez!
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - BigGuynRusty - 05-19-2008
[quote Don Kiyoti]Microclimate?? What a load! What joy do you get from being such a pill? And where does this "fear" enter in to my post? It's BS I dislike and it seems to me that Accuweather reeks of it. As mentioned in my post, the NWS includes a heat index with their data which is much truer to what I feel when I go outside than the misinformation Accuweather has.
What Mavic posted surely seems to fit with what I see from Accuweather. One thing I forgot to mention in my original post: the 106º forecast for tomorrow will be reduced to match the NWS by later this evening.
And MacManMaz: oh puhleez! Man, I can hear the fear in your voice from here!
You are are an incredible "Self Loather" if you hate "BS" so much!!
BGnR
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - OWC Jamie - 05-19-2008
Accuweather seems to get the same temp from the same airport reporting station as NWS and WUnderground for my zip code. (the numbers and data all coincide)
Could you be between two reporting areas ?
WUnderground at least states the station code where the temp info is coming from so you know you are comparing apples and oranges.
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - Mike Johnson - 05-19-2008
I call it Inaccuweather. Wunderground.com usually does a better job forecasting my local weather.
I suspect their forecast for my zipcode is actually for the neighboring one, which includes beachy areas, because they're usually 2 - 4 degrees below reality. But they've been more than ten degrees off. Sorry, but if it's 76 degrees at 7am, the daily high will not be 78. That happened just a couple weeks ago, when it got up into the nineties (even at the beach).
And they're laughably wrong in predicting rain. Some mornings, I walk out the door and see it's going to rain, so I go back in and get an umbrella. Accuweather insists it won't rain. But it does. And some days, their AccuPop will say 80% chance of rain from noon to 3pm, but it's 3pm and there's not a cloud in the sky.
At this point, my wife and I check their site just so we can laugh about bad they are at forecasts.
Re: Weather widget: too bad it's tied to "Accuweather" - kap - 05-19-2008
Here is what I go by: When I am hot I am HOT!!! When I am not; I am not
