From Short Fuse Warnings to Long Range Forecasts: The Role of the Meteorologist in America's Weather Industry (257)

Marshall Moss, AccuWeather, State College, PA

Daniel DePodwin, AccuWeather

Jonathan Porter, AccuWeather

 

Abstract:

As our understanding of the atmosphere evolves and the computing resources to model the atmosphere become more accurate, meteorologists are increasingly tasked with the communication of weather events rather than the traditional role of the forecaster. The significant advancement of Big Data and the Internet of Things are providing data sources and data density never before seen. Even with these advances, the human forecaster plays a critical and quickly-evolving role in the development and issuance of weather forecasts. Meteorologists across America's Weather Industry are part of an innovative forecast process that combines human expertise with proprietary state-of-the-science data ingestion, processing, and analysis methods. This combination allows Industry to serve users and customers in various ways whether it be issuing &ldquojust-in-time&rdquo warnings for severe weather, regularly targeting high-impact weather events, or compiling seasonal predication products. At AccuWeather, this process has been honed over the course of many decades. We continuously evolve to ensure accurate forecasts that are provided to a variety of users such as governments, businesses, and the general public are the most actionable, timely, understandable, detailed, and in the correct format. Reaching billions of users around the globe, AccuWeather and America's Weather Industry provide accurate, localized, and impact-based forecasts that communicate weather information that saves lives, protects property and helps people make decisions to improve their lives. Over the last several years, there has been much discussion within the weather community, and increasingly outside of it, about the future role of the forecaster. The transformational role of the meteorologist will be discussed along with how America's Weather Industry serves its users in innovative ways across a range of forecast time scales.