Forums → The Tavern → Purpose of meteorology?
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Seriously, why forecast the weather? Example: You have outdoor plans. You want to know if you'll get rained on, right? Just throw an umbrella in the car and bam, problem solved. Need to know the temperature? Why? Just step outside for two seconds and dress accordingly. Even if you're afraid of a cold-front or heat wave later in the day, just pack a jacket and throw it on or off when you need to! I'd like to discuss why anyone should even care about the weather, let alone trying to predict it.
- 40 Replies
Can't stand a little hot or cold on the loooong, outdoor trek back to the car?
It's one of those outdoor shopping centers, movie theaters, resturant arcades, the whole thing. But most of the walkways are outdoors. And that trek can get long.
sorry for the DP, hit the submit button early.
It's the same risk as having no forecast, but if we had no forecast we wouldn't know this is the risk. And also, in this case it doesn't matter, but in most cases (pretty much every other arrangement of statistics) it does.
If it were less than 50% you would still plan the event wouldn't you?
You're saying that as if it's easy to find some place to support a party (that could be an extremely huge party) with literally no word in advance. There aren't just places that are like "ohyea, we'll take 200 people in without notice".
...
PowerPlay. That'd be more fun than a boring ol' park anyway. :P
There are plenty of parties you can have for free outside (BBQs, sports, ect) and some parties you can only have outside, so why waste money renting some indoor place if, with a weather forecast, you can be almost certain it can work out outside?
PowerPlay. Again. Hahaha. Sure it'd cost a few bucks. But hey, it's fun isn't it?
A) Sure it has
B) Who wants to sit in the rain eating soggy food? And if there are sports involved you can't play on the fields if they are wet.
Haha. I mentioned before, almost all parks have a shelter. And hey, why not make those sports extreme and have twice the fun in the rain?
Correct me if I'm wrong, but you just agreed that a weather forecast beforehand would have been nice.
You're wrong. I said I think road trips are enjoyable, take it or leave it. I've had to go on 8-hour road trips without the cause of bad weather and it was quite a bit of fun. Sight-seeing, Mp3 player, portable DVD player. Yup.
Carrying extra equipment on a hike is a hassle.
More of a hassle than millions of dollars going to useless weather forecasting? Besides, be prepared is pretty much an essential when hiking (Weren't you ever a boy scout XD)
Try doing actual mountain hiking with an umbrella and a jacket with you. Not the easiest thing.
Not that hard either.
And it seems your only/main argument is to be prepared.
Isn't that the only argument I need?
It's one of those outdoor shopping centers, movie theaters, resturant arcades, the whole thing. But most of the walkways are outdoors. And that trek can get long.
Just be prepared. Besides, if you dress right before you go out, the weather can't change bad enough for you not to just be a man and be uncomfortable for 15 mins.
If it were less than 50% you would still plan the event wouldn't you?
Yes, but we wouldn't know it was less than 50 without a forecast.
PowerPlay. That'd be more fun than a boring ol' park anyway. :P
I don't know what that is, but i doubt it would take a large group of people last minute.
Haha. I mentioned before, almost all parks have a shelter.
No parks near me have a very large shelter, if any shelter at all.
And hey, why not make those sports extreme and have twice the fun in the rain?
Because they become extremely dangerous.
More of a hassle than millions of dollars going to useless weather forecasting?
For the use of hundreds of millions of people.
Besides, be prepared is pretty much an essential when hiking
You only prepare for what you need to prepare for, not something you can rule out. If it was going to rain i wouldn't even go hiking in the first place.
(Weren't you ever a boy scout XD)
Nope.
Isn't that the only argument I need?
Well, everyone else on the thread thinks it's a terrible one.
Urr, to answer the OP: the purpose of meteorology is to predict not only local weather changes, but also weather changes that could possibly be devastating, like tornadoes, or hurricanes. Some people just don't get it though, no matter how many times it is told to them...
I don't actually know any parks with shelter. Or forests, unless shelter means standing up against a tree and hope you don't get completely soaked in your raincoat that can't hold water.
And I have no idea what Powerplay is, so I will assume it is something American that is used to make the needs of everything else look stupid because we only have rational stuff.
What the weather forecast is good for:
Warning people about rain, storms, hurricanes and whatever else might be threatening a population. Considering Denmark is surrounded pretty closely with water, it tends to be a good thing so you are prepared that your basement might be filled with water if it is raining too much or a storm is starting up. In that case you might be able to save some of the stuff you will be needing.
Knowing whether or not there is a chance for a white Christmas this year. Without the weather forecast to tell me there is is a snowball's chance in hell for that, I might be hyped about the bit of snow there have been the last few days. Instead I am not. Thus no energy wasted.
With summers that differ between "Oh, I am sorry, you said 'too hot', not 'I really hope the heat gets something to start burning'. Honest mistake." and "Lol, I hope you weren't counting on sleeping in only a blanket! Better turn on your heat again!" it is kinda nice to know whether you should pack shorts and t-shirts or a ski mask. Especially if you don't have the chance of packing both, unless you want to carry the one load that will break your back or suffer through having no clean clothes sans the one that will make you die of heat or freeze your feet off.
Oh, and it is pretty good for compiling information on past weather and how it might be in the future, Global Warming and all.
But if you don't find it important, that's nice too. Others just might, though.
They probably don't have those spider sense like you do.
Yes, but we wouldn't know it was less than 50 without a forecast.
So?
I don't know what that is, but i doubt it would take a large group of people last minute.
It's a massive, indoor arcade/small amusement park. And yeah they take tons of people. And apparently since you didn't know what it is, then it's probably only in Kansas XD
No parks near me have a very large shelter, if any shelter at all.
Those are some poor, low budget parks.
Because they become extremely dangerous.
How? Someone trips and gets a bruise? Boo hoo, big deal.
For the use of hundreds of millions of people.
People who don't really need weather forecasts.
You only prepare for what you need to prepare for, not something you can rule out. If it was going to rain i wouldn't even go hiking in the first place.
What? You only prepare for what you need to prepare for??? Being prepared means ready for everything. What if you're hiking along with your buddies on a wilderness trail, then suddenly someone loses their footing and falls into a fast river. No one anticipated this, so that's what you should be prepared for, with rope to throw to and rescue the troubled person.
Well, everyone else on the thread thinks it's a terrible one.
Ha. Because it's winning.
And I have no idea what Powerplay is, so I will assume it is something American that is used to make the needs of everything else look stupid because we only have rational stuff.
PowerPlay, is basically a huge, indoor arcade, hundreds of people go there every day in my area.
Warning people about rain, storms, hurricanes and whatever else might be threatening a population.
Usually when tornadoes form near my area in Kansas, I am always well aware of them because of huge clouds building up over-head, I don't need meteorologists to tell me that.
it tends to be a good thing so you are prepared that your basement might be filled with water if it is raining too much or a storm is starting up. In that case you might be able to save some of the stuff you will be needing.
The sump pump in your house should take care of water in your basement before it happens, that's what mine does.
Knowing whether or not there is a chance for a white Christmas this year.
Why do you need to know this? You can't do anything about it. What difference does it make?
With summers that differ between "Oh, I am sorry, you said 'too hot', not 'I really hope the heat gets something to start burning'. Honest mistake." and "Lol, I hope you weren't counting on sleeping in only a blanket! Better turn on your heat again!"
What?
it is kinda nice to know whether you should pack shorts and t-shirts or a ski mask.
Uhh...Pack depending on what season it is... If it's summer, pack t-shirt and shorts, if it's winter, pack your heavy stuff.
Oh, and it is pretty good for compiling information on past weather and how it might be in the future, Global Warming and all.
Past weather has no effect on future weather. Are you saying that since it rained today, it will rain today every year? That's inductive reasoning, and is useless.
Warning people about rain, storms, hurricanes and whatever else might be threatening a population. Considering Denmark is surrounded pretty closely with water, it tends to be a good thing so you are prepared that your basement might be filled with water if it is raining too much or a storm is starting up. In that case you might be able to save some of the stuff you will be needing.
He thinks the solution to this is to stand on your roof and look into the distance to see the hurricane ._.
He thinks the solution to this is to stand on your roof and look into the distance to see the hurricane ._.
oh yeah.
ninja'd
So?
So we wouldn't know not to plan it?
Those are some poor, low budget parks.
They're fairly nice parks actually.
How? Someone trips and gets a bruise? Boo hoo, big deal.
Slipping and breaking a few bones is okay i guess~
People who don't really need weather forecasts.
You can't state that as if it's a fact if nobody agrees with you about this.
What? You only prepare for what you need to prepare for??
Yes...
Ha. Because it's winning.
Arrogance... are you JAMMESS?
So we wouldn't know not to plan it?
I'm confused.
They're fairly nice parks actually.
Not nice enough to have a decent shelter like every single park in my county.
Slipping and breaking a few bones is okay i guess~
I literally play tackle football with my friends all the time, and with no pads. I haven't broken a single bone, not even after being slammed to the ground during a tackle.
You can't state that as if it's a fact if nobody agrees with you about this.
No one agrees because they're too naive to even realize that meteorology is pointless. (No offense :P)
Yes...
You didn't reply to my hiking example scenario...Do I smell your defeat?
Arrogance... are you JAMMESS?
Whatever 'jammess' is, it's not in the dictionary. :P
PowerPlay, is basically a huge, indoor arcade, hundreds of people go there every day in my area.
Don't have anything like that.
Usually when tornadoes form near my area in Kansas, I am always well aware of them because of huge clouds building up over-head, I don't need meteorologists to tell me that.
Storms and hurricanes are pretty much the same thing here. If big cloud are building up, the first thought is "It is going to rain" not "The wind will make your roof fly off."
The sump pump in your house should take care of water in your basement before it happens, that's what mine does.
The amount of people with water damage in the capital that would punch you for such a reply is rather high.
Especially those with their business or bars located below ground level.
Why do you need to know this? You can't do anything about it. What difference does it make?
I think I pointed that out in my reply. Chance of a white christmas makes me happy. I like snow. A lot. But now I don't have to waste time getting disappointed, because it won't be a white christmas.
What?
Imagine it is summer. July, August, the time of year. One day it might be hot, sunny and dry, and two days later you will be lighting up your fireplace and wearing extra socks.
Because summer in Denmark sucks. Winter in Denmark sucks too, it is just a matter of how much rain there will come, and whether or not all that rain will be freezing to a thick layer of snice the next day or not.
Uhh...Pack depending on what season it is... If it's summer, pack t-shirt and shorts, if it's winter, pack your heavy stuff.
As I mentioned, summer is not always fit for shorts and t-shirts. Last time I tried that, I had to borrow shirts from my dad because I had only brought t-shirts.
This summer it had been raining for forever, and the moment I travel back home in my long trousers, suddenly everything is sunny and hot.
Past weather has no effect on future weather. Are you saying that since it rained today, it will rain today every year? That's inductive reasoning, and is useless.
"This is the hottest summer in ten years".
"The last time it was a white Christmas was last year".
Stuff like that, that actually matters. The ability to see that weather is changing and how it has been changing so there might be a chance to predict how the future weather will be.
Think a little bigger, darling.
He thinks the solution to this is to stand on your roof and look into the distance to see the hurricane ._.
I can't get to roof of my apartment building. I am doomed.
Once again, it's fine that you don't need them, but it doesn't make them useless.
It's like saying that just because you don't play games, they are useless and should stop being produced because they are a waste of money.
Considering the US has a weather channel, I kinda assume there is enough interest to fund and otherwise useless channel, eh?
But thumbs up on not needing them. Others just might not be weather gods like you.
In response to your (Afterburner's) "hiking" scenario...
You live in Kansas. The highest "mountain" in Kansas is about 4,000 ft. Furthermore, you have only one "mountain" worth listing on wikipedias "U.S. mountains page". You have probably never been on a real hike.
Where I live, we have mountains well over 10,000 feet (and one over 20,000 ft). We have national/state parks the size of Kansas that are just pure wilderness. These are not places you want to go unless you have an idea what the weather will be like WEEKS in advance. Yes, this isn't terribly accurate, but it is far better than nothing.
Furthermore, about your "dressing for the season" thing...
Seasons can be fickle. In Fairbanks, some days it will be a balmy 10 degrees, and then it will suddenly drop to negative 40 for a week or so. No matter what, you need to bring a jacket wherever you go. But, its nice to know whether you will be needing a simple ski jacket or something more suitable to the Arctic. Since we sometimes go on multiple day hikes, the whole "just have it in your car" logic doesn't really apply.
Furthermore: Consider the following two scenarios:
1)
Where I currently go to school, there is a small but significant chance that it will snow on Thursday morning. There is almost no chance of it snowing on Friday morning. I don't own a car, so I am forced to borrow my friends car, which is two wheel drive and can't make it on snowy roads. I need to make a doctor's appointment for either Thursday or Friday morning: what day do I pick?
2) Tonight, I want to take my girlfriend on a romantic date. We both love to go star gazing (note that here it gets dark very early, so this activity does not need to wait until "night". Of course, this activity is literally impossible if the skies are not completely clear. I can take her out to a dinner and movie as a backup plan, but I need to make reservations for dinner. Lets assume I can't do both activities, and that the restaurant will be severely pissed if I don't show up. Clearly, wouldn't taking half a minute to look up the forecast on my phone be worth it?
Don't have anything like that.
Shame.
Storms and hurricanes are pretty much the same thing here. If big cloud are building up, the first thought is "It is going to rain" not "The wind will make your roof fly off."
??? If winds start getting high, evacuate. bam. problem solved. That's what I do when I think a tornado is gonna get close.
The amount of people with water damage in the capital that would punch you for such a reply is rather high.
Especially those with their business or bars located below ground level.
Do you know what a sump pump is?? It's saved my basement from floods countless times.
Imagine it is summer. July, August, the time of year. One day it might be hot, sunny and dry, and two days later you will be lighting up your fireplace and wearing extra socks.
Because summer in Denmark sucks. Winter in Denmark sucks too, it is just a matter of how much rain there will come, and whether or not all that rain will be freezing to a thick layer of snice the next day or not.
So? What's wrong with wearing socks next to a fireplace two days later? Forecasting weather has nothing to do with that.
As I mentioned, summer is not always fit for shorts and t-shirts. Last time I tried that, I had to borrow shirts from my dad because I had only brought t-shirts.
This summer it had been raining for forever, and the moment I travel back home in my long trousers, suddenly everything is sunny and hot.
Lemme get this straight, weather, where you are (Denmark?), makes extreme temperature changes rapidly and randomly?
"This is the hottest summer in ten years".
"The last time it was a white Christmas was last year".
Stuff like that, that actually matters. The ability to see that weather is changing and how it has been changing so there might be a chance to predict how the future weather will be.
Think a little bigger, darling.
First, Don't call me 'darling' :P. Second, who cares what past weather was?
I can't get to roof of my apartment building. I am doomed.
haha. good riddance. just kidding. Just stand some other high place, like maybe the deck, or balcony or whatever. -.-
Once again, it's fine that you don't need them, but it doesn't make them useless.
It's like saying that just because you don't play games, they are useless and should stop being produced because they are a waste of money.
Considering the US has a weather channel, I kinda assume there is enough interest to fund and otherwise useless channel, eh?
But thumbs up on not needing them. Others just might not be weather gods like you.
I never said I was a weather god. :P And on the flipside of your gaming analogy. If you like games, that doesn't make them useful, does it? About the weather channel, there shouldn't be one, because people are wasting their time on it.
You live in Kansas. The highest "mountain" in Kansas is about 4,000 ft. Furthermore, you have only one "mountain" worth listing on wikipedias "U.S. mountains page". You have probably never been on a real hike.
You don't need mountains to go on a hike. And I have had my share of mountainous adventures in Colorado :P
Where I live, we have mountains well over 10,000 feet (and one over 20,000 ft). We have national/state parks the size of Kansas that are just pure wilderness. These are not places you want to go unless you have an idea what the weather will be like WEEKS in advance. Yes, this isn't terribly accurate, but it is far better than nothing.
It is actually worse than nothing. What if they predict good weather on the day you need it? Then you'll make all your plans in shallow predictions. Then your day would be ruined if, and most likely, they were wrong. Better off with no forecast.
Where I currently go to school, there is a small but significant chance that it will snow on Thursday morning. There is almost no chance of it snowing on Friday morning. I don't own a car, so I am forced to borrow my friends car, which is two wheel drive and can't make it on snowy roads. I need to make a doctor's appointment for either Thursday or Friday morning: what day do I pick?
Whichever. Snow plows clear all the snow in the morning. :P
Tonight, I want to take my girlfriend on a romantic date. We both love to go star gazing (note that here it gets dark very early, so this activity does not need to wait until "night". Of course, this activity is literally impossible if the skies are not completely clear. I can take her out to a dinner and movie as a backup plan, but I need to make reservations for dinner. Lets assume I can't do both activities, and that the restaurant will be severely pissed if I don't show up. Clearly, wouldn't taking half a minute to look up the forecast on my phone be worth it?
Just step outside and check the clouds a few hours earlier. If it's cloudy, go to the restaurant. If it's not, go star gazing.
Whichever. Snow plows clear all the snow in the morning.
But you are driving in the morning. When its snowing. So either a) you get stuck behind a plow or b) you are driving in the snow and go potentially off into a ditch.
Just step outside and check the clouds a few hours earlier. If it's cloudy, go to the restaurant. If it's not, go star gazing.
We are both in classes all day. Inside a building, with an opaque roof. It would actually take longer to go outside than to check the weather on my phone. And often things clear up, or get cloudy later. I don't care about the current weather, just the future weather.
It is actually worse than nothing. What if they predict good weather on the day you need it? Then you'll make all your plans in shallow predictions. Then your day would be ruined if, and most likely, they were wrong. Better off with no forecast.
They give probabilities. You are always going to be prepared for the worst weather you can reasonably stand, what we are trying to find out is if there is even a small chance of there being life threatening weather. Yes, there is a chance of horrible weather occuring even though it wasn't in the forecast. But, there is a much greater chance of horrible weather occurring if it IS in the forecast.
Second, who cares what past weather was?
Farmers, scientists, salesmen... Salesmen?
If you know historically that the third week in July is most likely to be the hottest week of the year, wouldn't this be the best day to jack up prices on air conditioning repair if you live in a hot climate? As you are sure to point out, you could just jack up prices once it is already hot. BUT, what if you had already advertised a certain price (or a sale, or whatever). Therefore, it would be to know in advance to not commit to any particular price that week.
Past weather patterns can give you much insight into future demand for many products and services.
First, Don't call me 'darling' :P.
Aw, haven't you seen Inception? Sad.
Yes, DK has crap weather. While I don't use the forecasts myself (Because I don't watch enough TV to actually catch them when they are on and because I live in the city, where weather doesn't matter that much), it is still kinda handy for packing my bags when I need to go home to my parents for a holiday.
Let's see. Hurricanes are not particularly common. Storms are, hurricanes are not. Hurricanes brings water to rise in the harbours and thus also screwing with the sewer systems like nothing else. Even with pumps and sand bags, there was streets with water around a meter high in the capital this summer.
The storm(and later hurricane-like winds) along with the amount of rain meant a lot of people lost business because of their basement-located businesses being flooded.
I live in a very small, very insignificant country where natural disasters, flooding, hurricanes and anything like that besides really bad weather is not particularly common. Obviously we are interested in knowing if such things are going to happen, if nothing, then to be able to save stuff.
Or, alternately, we will need the information collected by the meteorologists to get our insurance when the roof falls off.
@Past weather: Again, for predicting, if you are not interested in knowing that the weather is changing in general.
@Gaming analogy: Well, I don't think the news are particularly interesting in any way, and I don't see how anyone else would want to watch them. So I think everyone in the entire world should stop watching the news because they are useless.
I don't like certain types of vegetables because I am a wuss, I think people should stop growing them, because I don't want them in the grocery stores and they are useless to me.
Basically, just because you think something is useless does not mean it is.
Oh, and:
So? What's wrong with wearing socks next to a fireplace two days later?
I wouldn't have brought any, because I assumed they would useless.
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