I'm a huge fan of NOAA and the NHC. This is my only source for raw data in the map project and in all new projects moving forward. This site (storm2k) and one other are my sole source for commentary on tropical activity.
When building our maps last year we found that the NHC was pretty much dead on 72 hours out. Someone will say "yeah, but what about Charley turning in sooner" and I have to say that Punta Gorda was well within the "cone of uncertainty".
AccuWeather could take a lesson from the Ivan forecasts by NHC. While Bastardi was actually bashing the NHC on live TV and raising hell about Ivan "tearing up the backbone of Florida", the NHC gave a 72 forecast indicating Ivan would pass west of Cuba and the Keys and they were accurate to within 60 miles three days later. That's just incredible.
Maybe this year we will plot the forecasts of NHC and AccuWeather on the same maps and then overlay the actual paths afterwards to see who is more accurate.
A quick side note, Joe Bastardi is a brilliant guy. As a pay service, these folks know that they NEED to be right when the NHC is wrong and they need to drive the point home to justify the expense to their subscribers and advertisers. This explains the passion in a forecast that differs greatly from the NHC. Of greater concern is that the NHC is the official weather source and that varying/conflicted forecasts can cause confusion, cost lives and result in loss of property due to lack of action.
I do not support boycotting a business for doing what businesses do. I do, however, support removing elected officials from office that bend to the influence of corporate interests.
P.S. That’s a funny typo in their map
