Accuweather says NHC is much less confident than they are

[Andrew Khan]

I highly dislike accuweather....they're not accurate. Seriously, the NHC does a much better job than they do...but competition is what drives America. Accuweather was trying to make online forecasts to buy, and change that they are free. It's also like all the news stations do this....Hurricane Central -- Hurricane Arena -- Hurricane Source. All trying to compete...

 

[Justin Bailey]

The bad things about accuweather

1. They're annoying.
2. They're still bragging about the two correct predictions they made from last year, but fail to talk about the three million incorrect predictions they've made this last month.
3. They're constantly bashing the NHC.
4. They SUCK.

The good things

1. They're always on whenever CNN, MSNBC, and TWC are on commercials, therefore I always find myself watching them. Afterwards I always seem to go and beat my idiotic head in with a bat after hearing and catching myslef listening to all thier BS.
So i guess its not a good thing after all.

 

[Michael Auker]

Accuweather must not have very visionary PR personnel. They could better achieve their objective if they avoided antagonizing so many people. Not that I would want them to succeed.

 

[Anonymous]

Everything else aside... for them to come on TV and start confusing everyone is out of line. Do they have a fleet of aircraft - NO. If this kind of sorcering starts to become common place -- what is next? Vegas odds on where a storm will hit.

The NHC is still the best there is.

Mike

 

[Tim Vasquez]

I'm puzzled why no one has done a study on them to measure their skill vs. that of the NWS. All the numbers (like highs and lows) are online all the time from both places... someone just needs to collect them and crunch them, and report on it. A lot of people would be interested, I'm sure.

Probably not a big enough sample size to measure hurricane accuracy though.

Tim

 

[HAltschule]

Interesting observation, Tim. I now they are on WABC in NYC, so that compared to the NWS forecast could be a good 1 on 1 comparison.

Further, a landfall comparison against NHC would certainly be interesting. Each time when an advisory comes out, there can be a track map from A-wx and one from NHC. One would be able to see who was more accurate and who had bigger distance errors (in approximate miles).

Finally, Accuweather would not have us considering these options had they not been so vocal and bashing of the NWS and NHC.

 

[Steve Miller]

What is interesting to me is that Accuweather bases their Hurricane forecasts off of model data, satellite products, hurricane hunters' reconnaissance missions, etc. Just like the NHC. The key here is interpretation of the data... Period.
Since the models, satellite images and flights into hurricanes are mostly created and supported by Gov’t employees and Gov’t $$, perhaps if Accuweather keeps attacking NOAA, they should be cut off from the tools they need to effectively operate their business...
Okay, that is more communist that capitalist but why bite the hand that feeds you? Accuweather has very few active competitors, why spend the time and money to go after the U.S. Gov’t (Santorum Bill)? Why confuse hurricane evacuees, business interests, etc. by announcing on national TV that their hurricane track and overall ability to forecast is better than NHC?
Okay, I'm done now...

 

[joel ewing]

Thanks Howie, but I couldn't garner much info from that. Are their forecasts consistently way off the mark?
For the little bit I've been able to watch of this event....I guess I've managed to see 3 or 4 AccuWeather spots....with only the one forecaster each time..Mr. Bastardi. (Oh dude....don't you KNOW that he's had to fistfight ALL his life). Anyhow, what I saw wasn't pompousness as much as confidence. To me, ohhh that's refreshing. In this upside down world of today...with all it's putrid political correctness...people are afraid to "offend" everybody and everything. This guy Bastardi just stepped up and belted out his forecast....putting his name and his company's reputation out there for all to size up. You don't see guys doing that hardly at all anymore...and I dig it!
But there must be a lot that I've missed regarding AccuWeather. With so many folks dogging them here in the forums....there must be something that I've obviously missed. And that's what I was hoping to find out. Thanks Joel in Tucson

 

[HAltschule]

I haven't seen the original article, but supposedly they were bashing NHC tremendously. IMO, NHC has done a phenomenal job...certainly not deserving of a bashing. If you go back and read the previous posts, you will see the history of it all.

 

[joel ewing]

Well, I know that I'm responding to my own last post, but after reading all the posts above me, I now HATE 'EM TOO! lol.
What did it to me is reading about the Santorum bill...and how AccuWx backs it. Yeah, that did it.
Thanks for getting me up to speed on this outfit, fellas.

 

[Mike Smith]

Folks, this is getting ridiculous. AccuWeather is a competitor of mine, but let me point out the following facts regarding statements made in this thread...

"AccuWeather has no accountability..." Wrong! There is far more accountability in the private sector than in the public sector. If you don't please your clients, they discontinue paying you. Period.

Secondly, it is not the "government's" money, it is OUR money. We [all of us] are entitled to use the data, model output, etc., in any way that we wish. If we can make a profit, great. We generate more potential money for the NWS and research by paying more income tax.

Third, [paraphrasing] "AW should be cut off from the data for criticizing the NWS." Isn't this a free country? Should you be cut off from using the highways for criticizing the service at the DMV?

If you feel strongly, write a letter to Dr. Joel Myers. But, personal attacks on AW personnel are not constructive nor helpful.

 

[Robert Dewey]

I blame it all on upper management. I am sure those guys are treating the mets like puppets, telling them to self promote as much as possible - So, I really can't blame the mets. Boiling it all down, I am sure Accuweather pays their on-air mets quite a bit more than what the NWS pays - making it a real attractive offer. In addition, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the on-air mets had non-compete agreements and contracts stating terms of employment (length of time, etc.).

It's all a business, and a business with heavy competition. Quite frankly Accuweather is doing a good job in that aspect, it's just too bad they don't focus on the MET aspect.

EDIT: Just seen Mike Smith's post popup and he is absolutely 100% correct. As I said, it's business... I also see a few personal attacks here, making you guys no better than the management at Accuweather (those who attacked).

 

[Anonymous]

Not suprised Accuweather would bash NHC since they are literally on a mission to destroy the NWS and all government weather services and in turn provide them to you for a fee.

 

[Anonymous]

Folks, this is getting ridiculous. AccuWeather is a competitor of mine, but let me point out the following facts regarding statements made in this thread...

"AccuWeather has no accountability..." Wrong! There is far more accountability in the private sector than in the public sector. If you don't please your clients, they discontinue paying you. Period.

Secondly, it is not the "government's" money, it is OUR money. We [all of us] are entitled to use the data, model output, etc., in any way that we wish. If we can make a profit, great. We generate more potential money for the NWS and research by paying more income tax.

Third, [paraphrasing] "AW should be cut off from the data for criticizing the NWS." Isn't this a free country? Should you be cut off from using the highways for criticizing the service at the DMV?

If you feel strongly, write a letter to Dr. Joel Myers. But, personal attacks on AW personnel are not constructive nor helpful.

Of course it's our money and I don't want any of mine going to subsidize Accuweather so they can go on and try and destroy the Weather Service and then try and turn around and charge me for it.

 

[Ryan McGinnis]

Actually, they'd already changed the wording once when this article was posted. Here is a screengrab of the original: