"Hurricane" Previews Winter Forecast -- Cold Or Warm?
One day left until the forecast of the season
By GLENN "HURRICANE" SCHWARTZ
Updated 11:50 AM EST, Thu, Nov 20, 2008
Thanks to all of you who have commented on my last blog or e-mailed me in the past couple of months asking for my winter forecast.
It's almost here -- only hours to wait.
Most of those who ask for the winter forecast want it to be a cold and snowy one. Those who have the greatest interest in weather like it snowy, stormy or both. That's what got us interested in weather in the first place.
I became interested in both winter storms and hurricanes at the age of 10, so I understand the passion many of you have. I have that same passion.
But, loving wild weather doesn't mean, as professionals, that we’re going to predict it will happen.
Everyone has a bias of sorts (it’s only human), but our job as meteorologists is to understand our biases and adjust for them.
I have been accused in the past of having "a warm bias" by a number of e-mailers and those commenting on the wonderful Eastern U.S. Weather Forum (check it out!) They claim that I don’t predict enough cold or snow.
Being accused of a warm bias by snow and cold lovers is a good thing. If they were constantly happy with my forecasts I would have a cold bias like them.
Some of you are going to like my winter forecast and others won't. I can assure you that I have spent a lot of time (months) researching and trying to learn more about seasonal forecasting.
Seasonal forecasting is a whole different animal than daily forecasting -- most meteorologists are not interested in doing this type of forecasting. Many don’t even believe it's possible to predict winter in November.
I haven’t been right all the time (I'd say about 7 of 11 right in the past), so don't take the forecast as a guarantee only as a forecast.
First Published: Nov 19, 2008 1:57 PM EST
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