Local meteorologists

[PhiAlpha]

All you have to do is get the Weather Channel app (or another one that does radar well, Intellicast used to have the best radar in their app, until they got bought by IBM/Weather Channel), and just keep track of the radar. Or, if at home or without a smartphone, watch channel 9 muted, they usually have radar up almost all the time. Not that hard to look at the radar and figure out if a tornado is coming and if it's moving your way.

For those that want to bitch about meteorologists or just love monitoring severe weather. Download RadarScope. Hands down the best radar app on the market. There's a slight learning curve, but anyone who's lived in Oklahoma for a few years should pick up on the basics pretty quickly. It isn't cheap, but you won't find a better radar app.

[OKC Guy]

For those that want to bitch about meteorologists or just love monitoring severe weather. Download RadarScope. Hands down the best radar app on the market. There's a slight learning curve, but anyone who's lived in Oklahoma for a few years should pick up on the basics pretty quickly. It isn't cheap, but you won't find a better radar app.

If one wants a free and fast radar app I use My Radar. It is super fast and can zoom in/out or all around/whole country. Had it for more than a few years and its great.

[BoulderSooner]

For those that want to bitch about meteorologists or just love monitoring severe weather. Download RadarScope. Hands down the best radar app on the market. There's a slight learning curve, but anyone who's lived in Oklahoma for a few years should pick up on the basics pretty quickly. It isn't cheap, but you won't find a better radar app.

RadarScope is fantastic ...

also most of the OKlahoma Mets also use it

[jn1780]

Something tells me this guy won't be hired by Oklahoma stations nor would he want to be.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/10/media...ain/index.html

[BG918]

If one wants a free and fast radar app I use My Radar. It is super fast and can zoom in/out or all around/whole country. Had it for more than a few years and its great.

MyRadar is great, there are definitely better ones but not for free

[Of Sound Mind]

Something tells me this guy won't be hired by Oklahoma stations nor would he want to be.
https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/10/media...ain/index.html

He wouldn't want to be after reading this thread and similar threads that ascribe by broad brush that all the local mets are hyperbolic, alarmist and irrational. He's lamenting heavy-handed corporate office meddling in local professionalism; we have at least one Oklahoma-based company behind two Oklahoma TV stations who trust their local professionals... even when armchair quarterbacks are always second-guessing their work with the authority of layman expertise.

[jn1780]

Remind me, Which stations don't issue there own severe threat levels and warnings outside of what the NWS does? Probably start naming these high risk days next the same way winter storm system are named?

[Of Sound Mind]

Remind me, Which stations don't issue there own severe threat levels and warnings outside of what the NWS does? Probably start naming these high risk days next the same way winter storm system are named?

Remind me, which stations have consistently done it irresponsibly (with the exception of the infamous May 31st dire warning)? Has NWS always been right? Has NWS ever missed the mark? Has NWS ever been a little late to the game in issuing warnings?

I like NWS and appreciate what they do. I always start with them on weather-related information, especially forecasts. But the reality is that when it comes to live unfolding weather events, the NWS is not as nimble in their communications and the local TV mets (as much as some here like to malign them) provide a truly valuable service to the literally thousands upon thousands who depend on them.

After having watched live weather coverage in other markets during severe weather, I wouldn't trade our TV market with any market in the country.

[jn1780]

And they can do all that without having their own brand of weather rating system that confuses people and they seem to always be on the higher end of that ever scale(whatever that is, they change their own system every other year).

I will always rely on a system devised primarily by a team of researchers and scientists rather than a meteorologist who work for a station whom at the end of the day is about getting ratings. Mostly its the chief meteorologists who hype things using these "proprietary' threat levels. If someone wants a forecast with less doom just watch the morning people before their bosses start their shift.

[Celebrator]

Remind me, which stations have consistently done it irresponsibly (with the exception of the infamous May 31st dire warning)? Has NWS always been right? Has NWS ever missed the mark? Has NWS ever been a little late to the game in issuing warnings?

I like NWS and appreciate what they do. I always start with them on weather-related information, especially forecasts. But the reality is that when it comes to live unfolding weather events, the NWS is not as nimble in their communications and the local TV mets (as much as some here like to malign them) provide a truly valuable service to the literally thousands upon thousands who depend on them.

After having watched live weather coverage in other markets during severe weather, I wouldn't trade our TV market with any market in the country.

Right, when it comes to real-time eyes on the situation, the local TV coverage, while sometimes a bit annoying, is invaluable. I only turned it on once this storm season when there was a tornado warning issued by NWS for an adjacent location as seen via their Twitter feed--then I turned the TV on to get real-time info just in case I needed to take action.

[okatty]

Not local here but saw this about a local TV station / weatherman in Illinois which is interesting.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/11/busin...ain/index.html

[stile99]

Is there an echo or is the matrix glitching?

[okatty]

Is there an echo or is the matrix glitching?

Oops...lets go with the latter!

[kukblue1]

Not local here but saw this about a local TV station / weatherman in Illinois which is interesting.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/06/11/busin...ain/index.html

He wasn't really even bashing anyone. He was just responding to the people that were asking why the code red stuff is how I see it. And yes radarscope is the best. Not worth the pro though.

[jn1780]

He wasn't really even bashing anyone. He was just responding to the people that were asking why the code red stuff is how I see it. And yes radarscope is the best. Not worth the pro though.

He got fired. "We want you to know it's not us" . He threw corporate under the bus so they responded in kind.

[Bunty]

LOL, Stillwater once again to get the most rain in Oklahoma this time now through early Sunday morning. Maybe meteorologist Emily Sutton thinks it's funny.

[TheTravellers]

Just saw a commercial on KWTV that said they don't have to wait for the NWS to issue tornado warnings, they can (and apparently are going to) do it quicker since they have technology, spotters, and a chopper. Is this a good idea?

[Bill Robertson]

Just saw a commercial on KWTV that said they don't have to wait for the NWS to issue tornado warnings, they can (and apparently are going to) do it quicker since they have technology, spotters, and a chopper. Is this a good idea?

I don’t like the idea. NWS isn’t concerned with ratings and I don’t care how well intentioned the local meteorologists are the stations are looking for ratings.

[5alive]

All three stations have the technology, spotters, and a chopper ...sounds like someone's ego is out of control lol

[kukblue1]

From a tv standpoint it's really out of control. This spring they were wall to wall coverage for just severe thunderstorms.

[5alive]

Because there were none of those spinning things to track

[LocoAko]

Just saw a commercial on KWTV that said they don't have to wait for the NWS to issue tornado warnings, they can (and apparently are going to) do it quicker since they have technology, spotters, and a chopper. Is this a good idea?

If anyone is able to find a link to this commercial I'd be interested in seeing it.

[TheTravellers]

If anyone is able to find a link to this commercial I'd be interested in seeing it.

I'd say to record the news a few times per day and it might show up, I think that's when it aired today, during one of their 10 or so daily newscasts.

[Of Sound Mind]

Just saw a commercial on KWTV that said they don't have to wait for the NWS to issue tornado warnings, they can (and apparently are going to) do it quicker since they have technology, spotters, and a chopper. Is this a good idea?

I don’t like the idea. NWS isn’t concerned with ratings and I don’t care how well intentioned the local meteorologists are the stations are looking for ratings.

While I still consider NWS the only OFFICIAL source for these warnings, that doesn't preclude the very experienced meteorologists (and storm chasers) in this market from issuing warnings before NWS. The reality has been that the local stations have sometimes identified and warned about a tornado minutes before the NWS warnings get out. This is especially critical when we've had those freak storms that spun up quick/brief tornadoes that weren't forecasted by anyone (NWS or otherwise). Do the TV mets hype things up more than necessary? Perhaps, sometimes. But I still prefer to err on the side of overcautious than err on the side of being hesitant to issue warnings.

I follow the NWS and consider it my primary source of weather information. However, they are often slow to the "party" when things rapidly develop. I appreciate the local TV mets using their technology, experience and expertise to make judgment calls in advance of official NWS warnings.

[LakeEffect]

Calling it a warning, from anyone other than the NWS, is bad. But it shouldn't stop the local tv meteorologists from saying: "we see a tornado signature on radar," or from broadcasting images of a tornado and saying: "NWS might have this on radar and classified as a tornado yet, but we can see what looks like one. Take cover!" Local emergency managers will still only abide by the NWS when it comes to turning on a siren, I'd imagine.