Oklahoma Media - Weather Coverage

[venture]

We had an old thread about this several months ago, but figured we could get this going again about coverage. It also keeps the other threads clean.

One thing I wanted to pop in here to start the conversation again is a contest former KWTV meteorologist Paul Bouchereau is running on his Oklahoma Weather Network Facebook page. He's essentially be monitoring forecasts of all stations in Oklahoma to determine who is the most accurate. It's pretty interesting to see how they stack up based on their actual forecasts. I feel sorry for the Lawton residents who seem to be exposed to the most inaccurate forecasts in the state.

This week shows KOCO moving into first for the state, which finally makes all that money they are paying to WeatheRate worth something. ;)

You can see his page here: https://www.facebook.com/OklahomaWeatherNetwork

[LakeEffect]

Awesome. I've wanted to do something similar, but never had the time.

[ou48A]

How long will it be before OKC TV stations are chasing tornadoes with drones....?

It seems like a TV station that had them would jump out in front with great ratings if they were the only station that had them.
They could cover multiple locations and multiple events and lower the risk for storm chasers and reporters.

[damonsmuz]

Per FAA, drones can not be used for commercial use. Though there was a court ruling recently that ruled in the favor of commercial use.

[venture]

I can only imagine was "wonderful" names the marketing people at the stations would come up with for them. Of course there will be 83 sponsor names in front of the marketing name they come up with.

[ou48A]

Per FAA, drones can not be used for commercial use. Though there was a court ruling recently that ruled in the favor of commercial use.

That's one reason why I was asking?

In this case public safety could probably justify their usage by TV stations in our state to cover the track of tornadoes.
I would really hate to be on the other side of that in an Oklahoma court room.

[SoonerDave]

That's one reason why I was asking?

In this case public safety could probably justify their usage by TV stations in our state to cover the track of tornadoes.
I would really hate to be on the other side of that in an Oklahoma court room.

I wonder if most of the kinds of drones out there right now are really suited to the kind of navigation required to "hover" in and around storms that may have wildly shifting winds, hail, etc. Think that might be a practical limitation.

[ou48A]

I wonder if most of the kinds of drones out there right now are really suited to the kind of navigation required to "hover" in and around storms that may have wildly shifting winds, hail, etc. Think that might be a practical limitation.

The size of the drone would probably need to be a scaled up more than some of the small ones we see now?

Don't the TV helicopters have picture stabilizers in their cameras?
Why not use similar cameras on a drone that could stand off at a distance?

A scaled up drone with 4 computer controlled rotor blades might be a preety good designed to keep a drone in level flight?

[SoonerDave]

The size of the drone would probably need to be a scaled up more than some of the small ones we see now?

Don't the TV helicopters have picture stabilizers in their cameras?
Why not use similar cameras on a drone that could stand off at a distance?

A scaled up drone with 4 computer controlled rotor blades might be a preety good designed to keep a drone in level flight?

Give the size of the drones I've seen, I'm not sure the sheer lack of mass might make their use as meteorological recon tool difficult. I'm thinking no matter how you power its path along any axis, I'm thinking of the power of one good downdraft/updraft that plows the little drone into a building the ground.

Now, if you're just looking for good remote photos, sure, that could be a horse of a different color - just get close enough with a decent zoom setup and that seems doable.

[ou48A]

I am sure if drones are possible for WX coverage..... somebody will eventually get it figured out

[ou48A]

Oklahoma scientists using drones to help improve tornado warning times

Oklahoma scientists using drones to help improve tornado warning times - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)




http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechcons...wister-science

[John1744]

What are the thoughts around here on some of the local stations using their own terminology for weather advisement?



Personally I think it's quite confusing to the viewer and is once again encouraging sensationalist weather reporting.

[Easy180]

Brad Sowder was recommending this morning to leave work early to be home by 4 if possible. I don't think he was trying to go overboard, but that's a little much.

[jn1780]

Brad Sowder was recommending this morning to leave work early to be home by 4 if possible. I don't think he was trying to go overboard, but that's a little much.

Its getting ridiculous. Even if the cap was broken today(and NWS was leaning toward no since last night) the tornado threat was always pretty low.

It wouldn't surprise me if this ends up being a pretty noneventful and slow year and people don't pay attention in the years ahead.

Seems like people only have two settings: 1:Panic and Irrational 2: Asleep.

Anyway, it seems like things will be pretty slow for at least a week and a half to two weeks. lol

[venture]

I honestly don't see any reason why they need to stray from the 3-tier system that has been in place for decades now. It isn't that hard to understand. The only modifier to it is that "enhanced" or "hatched" area SPC puts over an area where more significant severe weather could occur.

[Dennis Heaton]

Excellent Thread! Kudos to the person that created this!!!

[Bunty]

Brad Sowder was recommending this morning to leave work early to be home by 4 if possible. I don't think he was trying to go overboard, but that's a little much.

Surely, TV weathermen fear looking worse for predicting great, event free weather but a bad storm happens than warning of bad weather possibly coming and nothing happens.

[Klop]

Brad Sowder was recommending this morning to leave work early to be home by 4 if possible. I don't think he was trying to go overboard, but that's a little much.

Who is Brad Sowder?

[Easy180]

Who is Brad Sowder?

Well you must not get up at 5am and watch KOCO when Emily Sutton is on vacation like me

[Mel]

Well you must not get up at 5am and watch KOCO when Emily Sutton is on vacation like me

That's when I go to bed.

[Dubya61]

This morning on KOCO:
Katy Blakey: What happened to the great weather?
Brad Sowder: Do you really want to get into that now?
Katy Blakey: Right, I don't want science this early.

[OkieHornet]

What are the thoughts around here on some of the local stations using their own terminology for weather advisement?



Personally I think it's quite confusing to the viewer and is once again encouraging sensationalist weather reporting.

saw on the ch 43 weather this morning that they've gone back to the 3 categories - slight/moderate/high. not sure if it's just an emily sutton thing or all-around ch 4/43 thing.

[John1744]

Does it seem to anyone else that with the rise of Social Media the NWS is moving more and more towards communicating directly to people themselves? I've always thought of them as the informer to the TV stations which acted as the middle man between us and the NWS, but more and more I find myself just reading what the NWS posts on their site or through Facebook/Twitter. It's becoming more and more easy to read as they seem to be adjusting their language for common folk and their forecasts are not sensationalist like you get from a local station. I'm loving it!

[kevinpate]

I can not speak for anyone else but for the last couple of years or so I have been getting my bad weather information right here.

Thanks venture.

[silvergrove]

I can not speak for anyone else but for the last couple of years or so I have been getting my bad weather information right here.

Thanks venture.

Don't forget anonymous. Or maybe anonymous remains anonymous. Perplexing.