Accuweather promoting Investigations early to TD....

[PhillyWX]

I know there was comments on it in the 94L thread earlier but I did not get a chance to opine in the thread as 94L has graduated. However, seeing Accu promote something six hours beforehand, without the NHC officially declaring a Tropical Depression to be forming, is ridiculous and leads to additional confusion for the public.

The NHC, NWS, NOAA, and all other forecasting entities under the NOAA umbrella are the official designators of what is and what is not a weather warning and situation in this country (or, for the tropics, everything within their jurisdiction). Assuming Accuweather has private clients and they want to let their PRIVATE clients who pay for their services know about the 'threat' of a TD forming is one thing. However, to issue graphics and forecasts for 94L before it has officially been promoted is completely different and unacceptable, IMO.

I know a few mets at Accu and know several former mets...all of which are good people and a couple of which I consider friends. However, the organization they work or worked for does not have the true interests of public safety in mind or at heart by only confusing people by issuing tropical depression advisories for systems that did not exist. What would have happened if for some reason TD 6 did not have a fully closed circulation? The confusion potential is high. Thankfully, because this system is not an immediate threat to the US (and looks like a threat only to Central America or Mexico) there is little chance for confusion.

Accu needs to leave the PUBLIC 'calling' of tropical cyclones to those who are mandated to do it...the National Hurricane Center.

[Category 5]

I agree with you, that was utterly irresponsible. And to list the pressure as 988mb???? Was this some sort of prank? I hope so.

[HURAKAN]

What made it extremely wrong was the central pressure of 988 mb. Where the hell did they got that from??? Do any of them suffer from low pressure!!!

They could have just easily waited for the NHC to make it official.

[brunota2003]

I agree 100%. So what if they cannot say they called it? Let the NHC do their job, geeze! Public safety is and always has been the #1 priority of the NHC, and I not only applaude them for that, but wish I could thank each staff member personally.

[cpdaman]

i see what you guys are saying...............but

how does this confusion hurt public safety

if there was a hurricane and they said nah it's a weak tropical storm that confusion could harm the public, but this is just unprofessional , no harm to public imo

[HURAKAN]

i see what you guys are saying...............but

how does this confusion hurt public safety

if there was a hurricane and they said nah it's a weak tropical storm that confusion could harm the public, but this is just unprofessional , no harm to public imo

TV stations that people watch like FOX news and others use Accuweather regularly and the information distributed by Accuwx at that time was not very accurate, If your name is "Accurate," then how you are informing the public about something that is not accurate?!?!?!

[Beam]

Honestly, if I were the NHC, and TD6 was still way out in the ocean and not threatening land, I would have sat on it a day or two before upgrading it, just to screw with AccuWeather for making that stupid graphic.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

That is what they did to 96L. Which is pretty much gone now. I don't think they should do that, they need to have as accurate of a record as possible. Or they should just turn into a center that warns people on system close to land. Accu weather might of been wrong but if there is data showing it is, it normally is. Was it a tropical depression 6 hours before being upgraded. GOD ONLY KNOWS.

[Cryomaniac]

I can understand this being a problem if it was a direct threat to someone. As it is it is a matter of interpretation imho.

If anyone is that bothered by accuweather saying what they did, sue them.

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

I can understand this being a problem if it was a direct threat to someone. As it is it is a matter of interpretation imho.

If anyone is that bothered by accuweather saying what they did, sue them.

I 100 percent agree.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I think a tech was editing a page for when the system was upgraded, and accidentally posted it. It would explain the 988 mb. He/she was using a page from a previous storm in the area that was 988mb, if I had to guess.


That is was still up 5 hours later, doesn't reflect well on the QC there.

It has been fixed, finally.

[PhillyWX]

I can understand this being a problem if it was a direct threat to someone. As it is it is a matter of interpretation imho.

If anyone is that bothered by accuweather saying what they did, sue them.

However, it's not Accu's job to designate Tropical Depressions, tornado warnings, or floods. It's the government's responsibility the last I checked.

[Coredesat]

I emailed them earlier and got a reply basically amounting to "we're right, you're wrong":

Hello,
AccuWeather tries to forecast the formation of Tropical systems just as the NHC does, and we believed this storm was a tropical depression, and shortly after the storm was called by us, it was a tropical depression. As for the pressure, around the formation of the storm, it had a pressure of around 30.00 inches, and looking at the data, it should be correct now if it was in error.
Hope this helps,
Alan R.

Basically, they're saying that they're right because it became a TD anyway, even though their upgrade came at 13Z (9 AM EDT), but the official upgrade supported by recon data did not come until 21Z (5 PM EDT). The issue of Accuweather upgrading systems unofficially is still not resolved, however; they're basically asserting the right to "upgrade" or "name" systems without the NHC doing so. Imagine if 96L had lasted longer...there would be mass confusion right now.

[x-y-no]

I think a tech was editing a page for when the system was upgraded, and accidentally posted it. It would explain the 988 mb. He/she was using a page from a previous storm in the area that was 988mb, if I had to guess.


That is was still up 5 hours later, doesn't reflect well on the QC there.

It has been fixed, finally.

Yeah ... it's been "fixed" just as I expected it would be ... the graphic is gone with no explanation, retraction or apology. For six hours or more they were falsely claiming there was a 988mb system threatening the islands (nearly half that time was *after* recon sent a VDM indicating 1009mb.

Where's the accountability? If you make a blunder like that, you should face up to it publicly. Does anyone imagine JB wouldn't be trash-talking the NHC for months if they blew it that badly?

[Frank2]

Something needs to be done to end the constant barrage of NHC criticism from AccuWeather - by their own actions, they have become a rogue weather organization, and, apparently those in media have backed off from using their services, since (from what I've noticed) FOX seems to no longer use them for "professional commentary"...

They seem to have become their own worse enemy - no one likes an individual or organization that constantly finds fault in others...

[flwxwatcher]

Something needs to be done to end the constant barrage of NHC criticism from AccuWeather - by their own actions, they have become a rogue weather organization, and, apparently those in media have backed off from using their services, since (from what I've noticed) FOX seems to no longer use them for "professional commentary"...

They seem to have become their own worse enemy - no one likes an individual or organization that constantly finds fault in others...

I agree... Accuwx seems intent to belittle TPC every chance it gets. I also noticed that FOX hasn't been using J.B. like in previous years but has been using Larry Cosgrove .X-Y-no Your right about J.B. if the TPC had made a blunder like this.

[Ed Mahmoud]

I emailed them earlier and got a reply basically amounting to "we're right, you're wrong":

Hello,
AccuWeather tries to forecast the formation of Tropical systems just as the NHC does, and we believed this storm was a tropical depression, and shortly after the storm was called by us, it was a tropical depression. As for the pressure, around the formation of the storm, it had a pressure of around 30.00 inches, and looking at the data, it should be correct now if it was in error.
Hope this helps,
Alan R.

Basically, they're saying that they're right because it became a TD anyway, even though their upgrade came at 13Z (9 AM EDT), but the official upgrade supported by recon data did not come until 21Z (5 PM EDT). The issue of Accuweather upgrading systems unofficially is still not resolved, however; they're basically asserting the right to "upgrade" or "name" systems without the NHC doing so. Imagine if 96L had lasted longer...there would be mass confusion right now.

So it was more than just a tech making a mistake. Wow, a touch arrogant, on the part of Mr. Reppert. More than a touch, even.

[mitchell]

Something needs to be done to end the constant barrage of NHC criticism from AccuWeather - by their own actions, they have become a rogue weather organization, and, apparently those in media have backed off from using their services, since (from what I've noticed) FOX seems to no longer use them for "professional commentary"...

They seem to have become their own worse enemy - no one likes an individual or organization that constantly finds fault in others...

I agree... Accuwx seems intent to belittle TPC every chance it gets. I also noticed that FOX hasn't been using J.B. like in previous years but has been using Larry Cosgrove .X-Y-no Your right about J.B. if the TPC had made a blunder like this.

I just saw Bestardi on Fox News last month during Hurricane Dean. Funny thing, he being reserved in his analysis, and the anchor was trying to egg him on with leading questions ala "this is just going to devastate Cancun isn't it". Pretty typical stuff nothing changes.

[chadtm80]

Something needs to be done to end the constant barrage of NHC criticism from AccuWeather - by their own actions, they have become a rogue weather organization, and, apparently those in media have backed off from using their services, since (from what I've noticed) FOX seems to no longer use them for "professional commentary"...

They seem to have become their own worse enemy - no one likes an individual or organization that constantly finds fault in others...

I agree... Accuwx seems intent to belittle TPC every chance it gets. I also noticed that FOX hasn't been using J.B. like in previous years but has been using Larry Cosgrove .X-Y-no Your right about J.B. if the TPC had made a blunder like this.

I just saw Bestardi on Fox News last month during Hurricane Dean. Funny thing, he being reserved in his analysis, and the anchor was trying to egg him on with leading questions ala "this is just going to devastate Cancun isn't it". Pretty typical stuff nothing changes.

Well to be fair.. A cat 5 making landfall anywhere is devestating is it not

[mitchell]

yeah..it was just the interview style that was amusing....instead of letting the meteorologist forecast the storm, the anchor kept trying to ramp up the conversation into shock and awe and for once JB wasn't biting.