NWS Discussion: Log in the Fire / Hot Chocolate

[southerngale]

Over the last year or so, I've noticed a lot more comments such as the ones below. I used to not find casual comments like this, and sometimes they're kinda funny.

Anyway, another cold and wet day today, just like yesterday.



AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LAKE CHARLES LA
346 AM CST TUE FEB 1 2005

.DISCUSSION...A REPEAT OF MONDAYS WEATHER ABOUT SUMS UP THE FORECAST
TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING SOUTHWEST OF HOUSTON
ARE MOVING NORTHEAST AND WILL BE INTO SOUTHEAST TEXAS LATER THIS MORNING.
THIS ACTIVITY WILL CONTINUE TO EXPAND AS A SURFACE LOW IN THE NORTHWEST
GULF BEGINS TO WIND UP SOME AS A SERIES OF UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES RIDES
THROUGH THE REGION. SOUNDINGS ARE FORECAST TO REMAIN QUITE MOIST AND THE
ETA MODEL FORECASTS FRONTOGENESIS OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF WHICH WILL RESULT
IN EXTRA LIFT TODAY WHICH WILL SURELY AMOUNT TO MORE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE
FORECAST. A TIGHTNING OF THE TEMPERATURE GRADIENT WILL ALSO MEAN COLD AIR WILL
CONTINUE TO BE PULLED DOWN FROM THE NORTH. IN FACT...THE 1000 TO 500 MB THICKNESS
PATTERN SHOWS NEUTRAL TO COOLING WHICH COMBINED WITH CLOUD COVER WILL MAKE
FOR A DAMP AND COLD DAY WHICH IS AN EXCUSE FOR ME TO PUT ANOTHER LOG IN THE FIRE
AND BREAK OUT THE HOT CHOCOLATE...COATS AND UMBRELLAS.

ON THE BRIGHTER SIDE OF THINGS...THE SUN WILL MAKE AN APPEARANCE BEGINNING ON
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WITH A DRYING TREND DEVELOPING FROM THEN ON INTO SATURDAY.
OUR COOL WEATHER WILL MODIFY SOMEWHAT OVER TIME WITH HIGHS IN THE 60S FRIDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY. A LOT MORE SUN CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THIS TIME PERIOD AS HIGH
PRESSURE ENTRENCHES OVER THE REGION.

STORMY WEATHER RETURNS ON SUNDAY AND EARLY MONDAY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM COMES OUT
OF BAJA ALIFORNIA/OLD MEXICO. NO REST FOR THE WEARY AS LONGLEAD MODEL RUNS SHOW
MORE SYSTEMS IN THE PIPELINE COMING AT US NEXT WEEK. STAY TUNED!

&&

.AVIATION...IFR CONDITIONS WILL RULE THE AREA TODAY AS LOW CLOUDS AND AN ABUNDANCE
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS KEEP THINGS UNSETTLED. IMPROVEMENT WILL BEGIN BY
WEDNESDAY AS LOW CLOUDS BEGIN TO EXIT FROM WEST TO EAST.

&&

.MARINE...A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED AGAIN AS WINDS AND SEAS WILL
REMAIN HIGH DUE TO A TIGHTNING PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE NORTHWEST GULF. STORMY
WEATHER CAN ALSO BE EXPECTED AS A SURFACE LOW GENERATES STRONG LOW LEVEL LIFT
IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH IS ALREADY PRIME FOR ACTIVITY.

[Persepone]

As someone who is old enough to remember workplaces like the one in the movie 9 to 5 when you were not allowed to have anything personal on your desk unless you were an executive, I welcome the individualization and personalization--even of things like NWS discussions.

As one who reads these, the personal comments tell me that there is a "real person" in the local weather office who has to "live with" the weather he/she is forecasting. If nothing else, it makes me pay attention.

I know from these personalizations that one of the NWS employees in Taunton lives near me somewhere and he/she also has to contend with the conditions. This anonymous person (probably not one of the forecasters who signs the reports, but someone in the office there) has to shovel it, drive through it, etc.
That tells me, if nothing else, that they are not just making predictions to hear themselves talk, so to speak. So, yeah, it makes the forecasts more immediate in some way.

I think the personal comments put a "human voice" into the weather forecasting. I hope they continue.

By the way, I don't know what the "voice" sounds like on NOAA radio in other parts of the country, but our voice is "Sven" who really does sound as if he has a vaguely Norwegian accent... I'm sure it is a quirk in the text to speech program or something, but it really is fun. I'm glad they are able to make these technological tools more "human" and if they can have a little fun in the process, well, it makes it a little bit more fun for us as well.

[ohiostorm]

I like when they have some humor in their forecasts. Pittsburgh just mentions weather stuff.. whats up with that???

[vbhoutex]

I know from these personalizations that one of the NWS employees in Taunton lives near me somewhere and he/she also has to contend with the conditions. This anonymous person (probably not one of the forecasters who signs the reports, but someone in the office there) has to shovel it, drive through it, etc.
That tells me, if nothing else, that they are not just making predictions to hear themselves talk, so to speak. So, yeah, it makes the forecasts more immediate in some way.

I think the personal comments put a "human voice" into the weather forecasting. I hope they continue.

One of our members is an NWS employee at Taunton. she posts here on rare occasions.