Doopler 5000- totaly useless

[junquecol]

I'm sitting here now as house is being shaken by the thunder. Looked at the doopler 5000 and shows closest storm to be between Sanford and Vass, about twenty five - thirty miles away. Other night they show rainfall estimates. Being on the upper end of Harris Lake, we are easy to locate. (When lake is eventually flooded to 240 elevation, we have water front property.) They showed about 1" of rainfall here. It had not rained one drop! Often they show rain occuring, which occured about 30 minutes earlier. Sunday night they showed a shield of storms and rain that would last until wee hours of the morning- got about ten drops to the acre. Someone over at WRAL needs to fix that thing so it ACTUALLY WORKS!. For immediate forcast, I'm better offf looking out the door. Door didn't cost a zillion bucks, but provides better information.

[DaveO]

I don't think that the Doppler radar detects actual rainfall, but only the potential for the rainfall based upon the density of the water vapor in the clouds. I live very close to the radar tower and have seen many a "storm " roll over my house with not a drop of rain falling on my property. What really gets my goat is the expanse of coverage stations like WRAL have. I really don't care if there is a storm or a storm warning on the Virginia border, let alone want to have the warning scrolling across the bottom of my television program all evening long. But that is being selfish, as those in that area are probably very interested in that information.
I base a lot of my days scheduling on the weather forecast. When they call for rain we think twice about doing certain types of work. I wish that the weather forecasters could be more specific for the areas that they are forecasting inclement weather.

Weather forecasting - you're right only 50% of the time, but upsetting folks 100% of the time, no mater what the forecast is.

Dave

[jeff...]

The best weather forecaster is the hooty owl, when you here them hoot during the day, the weather will change in the next day or two. If you don't here them hoot during the day then things are pretty much going to remain the same. I don't watch TV but about maybe an hour a month if I'm lucky. I don't even know what channel the local news is on, don't want to, let alone actually watch it. I found my life to be much simpler without TV. Everytime I sat there and watched the news, there always seemed to be something playing to try and scare you, get you upset or get you worry about something or another. The thing that killed me is it's mainly someone opinion about a topic, there is very little if any facts. A very wise man one told me, opinions are like arm pits everyones got one and sometimes they really stink, he was right and that's mainly what TV is, opinions that stink. Anyways life is to short, the ole hooty owl know he knows how to forecast the weather.

Just my two cents worth

[junquecol]

Originally Posted by DaveO

I don't think that the Doppler radar detects actual rainfall, but only the potential for the rainfall based upon the density of the water vapor in the clouds. I live very close to the radar tower and have seen many a "storm " roll over my house with not a drop of rain falling on my property. What really gets my goat is the expanse of coverage stations like WRAL have. I really don't care if there is a storm or a storm warning on the Virginia border, let alone want to have the warning scrolling across the bottom of my television program all evening long. But that is being selfish, as those in that area are probably very interested in that information.
I base a lot of my days scheduling on the weather forecast. When they call for rain we think twice about doing certain types of work. I wish that the weather forecasters could be more specific for the areas that they are forecasting inclement weather.

Weather forecasting - you're right only 50% of the time, but upsetting folks 100% of the time, no mater what the forecast is.

Dave

Being close to the Harris Plant we have a weather radio for evacuation warning purposes. In the middle of the night, often we get severe weather warning for counties ranging from Alamance/ Caswell to the west and Halifax to the east, south through Harnett and east through Johnston. Some nights we will get over twenty different warnings. Each time siren goes off, awakening us. It can be a PITA! If it wasn't for our own protection, it would go out the door. Progress Energy furnishes radio, and give us a credit of $0.25 on each months bill to cover costs of electricity to run it.

[sapwood]

I highly recommend Weather Underground as the best weather/radar website. It offers lots of customization and the accuracy and detail is top-notch. Try it, you'll like it

Roger

[skeeter]

Bruce, let me add one more annoyance to the Doppler, the "Blackberry".

Each Friday night during the summer, there's a free concert on the grass behind the movie theaters at Mayfair shoping center in Wilmington. It runs from 5 to 9 and features mostly local bands. Last nights group was by far the best of the season.

Thunderstorms were predicted in the Wilm. area all day, but nothing but hot and dry was happening. About 7PM some dark clouds started to move in but not to bad. Around 8 PM it had staarted to really get dark but nothing but clouds, no thunder or lightning. All of a sudden, the band stops playing and starts to pack up. Someone in the audience asks whats going on. The band leader said someone with a "Blackberry" said lightning was on the way.

No real problem because I really respect lightning, but I guess that now we have to start relying on phones for weather forcasts. This was no big deal because it was free, but man, that was the best band so far!!

Oh yea, I live about 3 miles behind Mayfair and when I went to bed around midnight, still no storms, just clear skys. Blackberrys and Dopplers sound a lot alike!!!

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by sapwood

I highly recommend Weather Underground as the best weather/radar website. It offers lots of customization and the accuracy and detail is top-notch. Try it, you'll like it

Roger

I didn't hear no hooty owls this morning, nor this afternoon, so I expect it will rain again today like it did yesterday. Now if I hear on ole hooty owl tommorow, then I will expect the rain to stop, but if I don't hear an ole hooty owl, more rain . Weather Underground has just confirmed there is a line of thunder storms headed right for us. Geeze ole hooty owls are smart aren't they? .

[jeff...]

Hooty owls are hooting this morning, I heard at least 4 different ones. Weather is going to change from rain to no rain and is confirmed by weather underground forecast

Roger, thanks a lot for telling us about weather underground - that's a good site there, never knew it existed.

[Splinter]

Weather for cast:

If your driveway is wet it is or has rained. If it is dry it is not raining.
If the sun is bright it is not cloudy.
If your lawn is all white it is or has snowed.
If your lawn is under water it has rained a LOT.
IF you have little balls of ice on the lawn it is or has hailed.
If the trees are swaying the wind is blowing.
If your lawn is all brown in the summer it is dry and has not rained in several days.
Red sky at night, sailor take delight....
Red sky in the morning, sailor take warning....

[LeftyTom]

Never trust weather radar, or a ruler!

[sapwood]

Originally Posted by jeff...

Hooty owls are hooting this morning, I heard at least 4 different ones. Weather is going to change from rain to no rain and is confirmed by weather underground forecast

Roger, thanks a lot for telling us about weather underground - that's a good site there, never knew it existed.

Glad to share Jeff. Wish I had hooty owls I use to have them, but now I only hear dogs and kids in the new subdivision

Wistfully,
Roger

[jeff...]

Originally Posted by sapwood

Glad to share Jeff. Wish I had hooty owls I use to have them, but now I only hear dogs and kids in the new subdivision

Wistfully,
Roger

No worries dude, I've got plenty of ole hooties around here, they've be hooting all day. Glad to hear them too...

Thanks for that link to underground weather - I like it

[jeff...]

Well I thought the ole hooty owls were crazy this morning, hooting the way they we're and with the forecast this morning mentioning no rain for 5 days and for nothing but mostly sunny skies the rest of the week.

Hooty owls 1, weather forecasters 0.

[jeff...]

Hooty owls are hooting again this morning heard several of them, I think the weather will change soon...

Weather underground says a chance of rain over the next 5 days.
http://www.weatherunderground.com/cg...st?query=27582

I'm glad we need the rain badly...

[sapwood]

Gasp! No rain here
No hooty owl either (note to self: find hooty owl)

According to "lore" of my southern childhood:
"Kill a snake and hang it on a fence and it will rain in two days"

Roger