Target area posting, how to improve...

[David Draun]

Since everyone has been granted access to the Target Area per the guidelines, I've wanted to try my hand at forecast threads especially. My meteorological knowledge is limited but increasing, thanks to college and this forum especially. I would like to improve the quality of my Target area posts. What specific information is important, rather than the general area and weather system/conditions? If anyone has any advice for me on this I'd appreciate it.

 

[Amos Magliocco]

One idea might be to review past topics and study the posts there, see how the conversations develop, what details are mentioned, etc.

 

[Tony Laubach]

Amos is right,

I, too, began by watching how forecasts developed before I began to venture my shots. I'm sure you can watch how newbies evolve as they post and see how things develop. Start off by going through old posts, especially posts on days such as May 12, May 29 and other major outbreak days and watch how those unfold. Also, I would recommend the smaller threads in which forecasts were started, threads in which there may've been less than 10 posts; noteably posts in which SLIGHT RISKS were in areas where not as many chasers live, such as Colorado Foothills, Montana; cause those give you a bit more personal look on how those work for those indiviguals forecast for their own areas based upon experience, which makes an invaluable tool in forecasting as well!

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Tim Vasquez]

This is why we relaxed the rules on Target Area. There was enough learning by example that we felt people could use it properly without overstepping the guidelines. Just follow the Target Area rules and note the material in most of the posts and you should be ok. The only things that are categorically not allowed are nonmeteorological posts, offtopic posts, and brief remarks that don't contribute anything (e.g. "that's cool - I'll be out chasing", etc).

Tim

 

[bill mudd]

Is it an proper assumption that tornado season starts say in March in Texas and works it way north over the summer months and then into the Midwest by mid summer say July and then into the southeast coast around the hurricane season? I know this is a very general question but it seems to me there is a north bound to eastbound pattern - is this right anyone?

thanks to anyone that knows about weather patterns....

 

[Saul Trabal]

Good thread. Thanks for posting it.

I've made my share of silly newbie mistakes over there.

 

[David Draun]

My FCST thread's have been busts, the two I've done anyway, but I will get better, just watch me when spring rolls around! :twisted:

 

[Mike Peregrine]

The Target room continues to be an outstanding resource ... not only in learning about the things people find the most helpful in preparing a forecast, but also in being able to look back over previous events and see how they unfolded - in some cases with moment-by-moment play-by-plays ... I hope we are backing that thing up somewhere because we certainly do not want to lose the stuff from some of the big days this year. I love going back and reading through May 22nd, 24th, and 29th again sometimes just to 're-live' the event.

After my attempt to learn a bit about hurricane forecasting during Frances, I've all but decided that figuring out what a hurricane is going to do with itself is all but impossible. From now on I'll be sticking to the satellite images and saying "there it is" rather than trying to figure out what it's going to do next.