Interesting Results on Weather Underground

[egaito]

Last weekend and this, Angela and I have been exchanging weather notes, planning the weekend. Each time, her results have been different than mine. I didn't think much of it until today we were comparing notes and the forecast she had was far more pessimistic than I was seeing.

So, we exchanged screen shots, and sure enough, we're both hitting Weather Underground, entering the same zip code, and getting different results. Tonight we did it at the same time, made sure we refreshed the browsers, and yet again, the forecasts were different, the one on her screen a bit more pessimistic than the one on mine.

I'm sure there will be some humorous responses, but beyond that, it strikes me as quite odd that two machines would yield different results consistently from the same site, using the same input criteria (to the point that I copied the URL of the returned pages.

Has anyone run into anything like this before?

 

[GJH]

There are two forecast sections, one at a glance "headline" section at the top of the page, then details in the middle of the page. For some reason the two will vary, especially regarding rain probability. So perhaps you are each reading a different section.

 

[egaito]

There are two forecast sections, one at a glance "headline" section at the top of the page, then details in the middle of the page. For some reason the two will vary, especially regarding rain probability. So perhaps you are each reading a different section.

I'll check on that....I thought we went in from the same place, but perhaps not, as it was indeed the rain predictions that were skewed.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Scroll down Ed...There is a whole different and hourly format down farther. They don't always agree with what you see on the top of the page. Close though. One won't predict freezing temps. and the other a heat wave.

 

[egaito]

Not that this is important in any way, but it is interesting. We just tried it again with the exact same URL parameters. I got this:



Angela got 20% rain probability for Saturday and 40% for Sunday. Location has been eliminated as we're using the same connection. The query is the same down to the character.

Strange stuff!

 

[Avenger]

Are you loggin in, or just pinging the website?

If there's a login it may be a preference setting. If just visiting a site, try clearing cookies. Also, are you both using the same operating systems and browsers?

 

[GJH]

As Maynard and I pointed out, there are two different forecast sections on each page, which often carry two different rain forecasts. It has nothing to do with location or URL whatsoever. For instance, right now for Morehead City NC, the top line "at a glance" section has no chance of rain for tomorrow and Sunday, the detailed forecast further down the same page shows a 10% chance each day.

 

[fissioneng]

Is the "Source" the same? There are 2 choices "Best Forecast" and "NWS". Look at the upper left for the switch.

 

[bobk]

Why not contact Wunderground and inform them of the problem. I informed them of one years ago and got a nice thankyou back.

Bobk

 

[egaito]

I'm looking at the same section of the page on both machines.....I'll look for the switch. Perhaps it should be labeled "Optimist" and "Pessimist". It's more of a curiosity than a problem. Regardless of the chances, it's going to rain somewhere around here every day, and it's a crap shoot whether or not you're going to be under it, so I don't take the forecast too seriously.

 

[Maynard Rupp]

Nobody can forecast exactly where a thunderstorm will pop up. They are just a single cloud each. The best they can do is tell you that conditions are favorable for their development. Gee, we don't see that problem when we spend winter in Miami.