Monday, January 31, 2011

Forecasters Agree on Two Bouts of Snow; Disagree on Total Snowfall

While Chicago and parts of the Midwest enjoy a Nor'easter-style blizzard on Tuesday, the Boston weather gurus see quite a dose coming this way as well. There is consensus that snow will arrive in two separate episodes, but much less agreement on the total amount of white come late Wednesday. But that means that when The Boston Forecaster (TBF) weathercaster grades come out late on Wednesday, some will receive high marks and some not so much.

As of mid-evening on Monday, here's how the various weather outlets saw the coming 1-2 punch. We'll update the various forecasters' predictions as often as they change.

WHDH (4): 3-6 by nightfall Tuesday. Snow (some sleet south of MA Pike). Two-day storm totals from 10 to 20 inches
WCVB (5): By Wednesday, 12-18 west of Boston, 12 in Boston; lesser amounts southeast of Boston.
WBZ/Accuweather (2): 3-6 inches Tuesday; Wed 12-16. Total 16-20 (12-16 south of Pike)
FOX25: 4-6 inches Tuesday; 6-12 snow/sleet Wednesday
National Weather Service: 4-8 inches Tuesday; 1-3 Tuesday night; mix Wed. Total 12-16 through Wed. evening.
NECN (6): 12-18 inches for two-storm totals (18-24 north of Route 2)

You can follow the progress of the forecaster predictions here. We're also on Twitter and Facebook.

Pull Out the Red Pens ... It's Time to Grade Boston's Weathercasters

I've always been intrigued by the different snow forecasts that can be produced by different people with access to the same information. This blog will be dedicated to summarizing the forecasts of local Boston weather forecasters in the days preceding a forecast of snow or other significant inclement weather.