How reliable is technology in predicting the weather?

Question

How reliable is technology in predicting the weather?

Answer 1

Better than it has ever been before.

Answer 2

Not very.

Chaos theory demonstrates that even if your technology and algorithms are perfect, the error rates in weather prediction are so high that the science can never be accurate more than a few days in advance. You could put a sensor at every cubic meter in our atmosphere and still have a hard time predicting weather. Frankly I'm surprised that meteorologists get it right as often as they do!

Answer 3

When I was a weatherman in the Air Force about  40 years ago, there were 3 day forcasts and 5 day forcasts. Today the 5 day forecasts are about as accurate as the old 3 day forcasts.

The super-computer is the reason for the increase in accuracy. And the main reason the weather forcasts can't be even more accurate is because we don't have enough decimal places. The flap of a butterfly wing has an effect on a hurricane thousands of miles away.

Answer 4

With improvements in observation techniques and greater coverage area,  combined with enhanced computer forecasting models,  the art is being refined yearly.  Longer range forecasts are a lot more reliable than even 5-10 years ago.

Answer 5

weather prediction as become highly accurate of late as the  technology has improved

Answer 6

Forecasting



An example of a two-day weather forecast in the visual style that an American newspaper might use. The numbers are temperature in degrees Fahrenheit, daytime high to the left and nighttime low to the right.Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere at a future time. Prior to the advent of scientific methods of weather forecasting, a large body of weather folklore developed to explain the weather. An example is the Groundhog Day celebration near the end of winter in parts of the United States and Canada, which forecasts whether spring is near or far depending on if the groundhog sees his shadow or not. Today, weather forecasts are made by collecting data that describe the current state of the atmosphere (particularly the temperature, humidity and wind) and using physically-based mathematical models to determine how the atmosphere is expected to change in the future. The chaotic nature of the atmosphere means that perfect forecasts are impossible, and that forecasts become less accurate as the range of the forecast increases.

Answer 7

its pretty reliable when it comes to knowing if it will be rain or shine, but weather in degrees wise, not so sure. it's always off.

but other than that, don't get your hopes up too high if it says it's going to rain and you think that they are lying :)