What happened to the AccuWeather hurricane center?

[Tim Vasquez]

What's the deal with the AccuWeather hurricane center? Did that happen only with Rita? I have not been following Wilma at all, but the few times I checked CNN they were using the regular CNN weather center again. The CNN weather center was nonexistent during Rita.

Did AccuWeather make an appearance on any of the networks for Wilma?

I'm kind of wondering if that was a big PR stunt. Not that that's bad, business is business, but it's been interesting seeing what they've been doing to position themselves amongst NHC and the network weather centers.

Tim

 

[Sam Sagnella]

AccuWeather is the official forecast 'provider' for FOX NEWS and made several appearances during Wilma.

They have the widest damned 'cone of uncertainty' I've ever seen -- so wide that there really isn't any uncertainty at all...it's guaranteed to be somewhere in there.

 

[B Ozanne]

I've noticed that Accuweather was really toned down on the networks for Wilma. I never saw Joe Bastardi making any guarantees this time around. Not saying it didn't happen, I just never saw it.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Yeah I don't remember seeing Accuweather at all during the past 12 hours now that I think about it. I didn't spend much time on Fox News, where Accu spent a lot of time during Rita I believe. I remember seeing one of the Accu mets on TV a couple of days ago. I saved a couple of their forecast maps, in case they decide to slam official forecasts (so I'll have some evidence to see whether their claims are valid or not). In the end, the NHC hit landfall about 4 days ahead of time very well. The timing was off by a bit, but the landfall location was quite good (much like Katrina).

 

[Bill Hark]

When Accuweather comes on Fox (including at least one time for Wilma), I change the channel. I'd rather watch gardening advice on another channel than watch Joe Bastardi self congratulate himself and Accuweather rather than give the forecast. I watch a lot of weather forecasts and Accuweather on Fox is by far the absolute worst I've ever seen.

Bill Hark

 

[Andrew Khan]

Looks like there 'main' hour in the spotlight was during Rita...

 

[Phillip Hurlbut]

I did notice them on FOX News a couple of days (or a day) or so, before Wilma hit the Yucatan. It wasn't Joe Bastardi, but some other dude who was trying his hardest to make it sound like Cancun was going to be wiped off the map. I really like FOX News, but I hate seeing them have those idiots at AccuBust...errr...AccuWx on there.

Phillip

 

[Pat Lawrence]

Joe Bastardi was on John Kasich's show the other evening. Oddly enough Bastardi didn't have to say anything about how accurate AccuWeather's forecasts are; Kasich took care of that part during the intro (I believe he said more accurate than everbody else)!

Makes me wonder if AccuWeather didn't pay to be on FOX, instead of it being the other way around

Pat

 

[B Ozanne]

I can accurately say that Accu-Weather's forecast is the most accurate weather forecast Accu-Weather has ever forecasted, most accurately.

Sorry, I'm watching the Seinfeld where George does everything opposite.

 

[Richard Halter]

Accuweather was on Larry King Live Monday claiming that Wilma was going to strike Canada.

 

[rdale]

Guess they weren't the only ones - this comes from Geoff Boyle in the maproom:

In anticipation for the remnants of hurricane Wilma, Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for the entire province of Nova Scotia. Similar warnings have also been issued for 2 counties in New Brunswick. It looks like both provinces will be slammed pretty hard. Flooding will probably be the main problem. High winds are expected to exceed 110km/h.

 

[Jeff Snyder]

Originally posted by rdale
Guess they weren't the only ones - this comes from Geoff Boyle in the maproom:

In anticipation for the remnants of hurricane Wilma, Environment Canada has issued weather warnings for the entire province of Nova Scotia. Similar warnings have also been issued for 2 counties in New Brunswick. It looks like both provinces will be slammed pretty hard. Flooding will probably be the main problem. High winds are expected to exceed 110km/h.

They issued "weather warnings", but for Hurricane Wilma or the extratropical low? The entire northeast pretty much is in one warning or another right now, just almost entirely courtesy of the strong extratropical low.

 

[rdale]

Does it really matter to viewers? Want to guess what response I'd get from management if I said "extratropical low" on-air ;>