World and Nation

Take It Easy On the Meteorologists

Take It Easy On the Meteorologists

Who knew being a meteorologist could be such a dangerous job? In Brazil, a forecaster who predicted a big storm that never materialized was threatened with a six month prison term. In Peru, a local TV weatherman who failed to predict a flash food was taken away by a furious mob and lynched in retaliation. Although such unreasonable or violent displays are unheard of domestically, meteorologists often take the blame for what are perceived as bad forecasts through vindictive calls or e-mails.

What people may fail to understand is that there is a fundamental uncertainty to predicting the weather. As the atmosphere is inherently chaotic, there will always be a limit to how far out one can predict the atmosphere’s state. This limitation is only compounded by the lack of perfect numerical models of the atmosphere and a dearth of observations over certain regions of the globe, namely the oceans. Thus, forecasting is tricky business, especially the farther out you go in to the future. With that said, you can trust the forecasts from your group of staff meteorologists at The Tech. Just don’t get angry if we’re off from time to time.

Extended Forecast

Today: Sunny in the morning, then increasing clouds in the afternoon

with rain showers beginning in the evening. High 62°F (17°C).

Tonight: Light rain. Low 41°F (5°C).

Tomorrow: Periods of rain till evening, raw, and breezy. High 45°F (7°C).

Tomorrow night: Gradually clearing, cold, and windy. Low 33°F (1°C).

Sunday: Partly cloudy, chilly, and windy. High 45°F (7°C).

Monday: Sunny and warmer. High 54°F (12°C).