I would play down the fact that the Met Office have overdone it by as much
as some are claiming and I also feel they are being unfairly criticised. I
have not listened to or watched every forecast over the last week but those
I have observed, none have forecast that the Country will get a 'Whiteout'.
They have all indicated that the snow is likely to be worst in the N & E, as
we all know with Northerlies and exactly as it has turned out. And the 'snow
risk' map from last weekend onwards, that has been reasonably accurate - the
area I live, Malvern, was never more than moderate risk and the high risk
areas all seem to have got something.

Ever since I first had an interest in Meteorology as a young schoolkid in
the 1960's, I remember forecasts that haven't turn out exactly as first
thought and over the years, there are two particular types of weather that
it has most frequently occured with. One is as now, the other is with summer
TS's, especially as a heatwave breaks down.

Just as now with some in here, I used to get all exited then over a 'snow'
forecast only to find wherever I was got nothing while the TV news always
seemed to find somewhere that had got cut off by snow with scenes of
'whiteout', blocked roads etc. or alternatively, the forecast of severe TS,
only to witness a light passing shower and a change in temperature, while 50
miles away has had floods etc.

If anything, fingers of blame, as you suggest, should be pointed directly at
the Media for overhyping it. Especially so to one particular tabloid and its
pathetic (to anyone with half a brain) "feature" about the cold spell at the
beginning of the week, but quite frankly, anyone who seriously believes a
word of anything in that paper deserves all they get.

--
Pete

Please take my dog out twice to e-mail

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The views expressed above are entirely those of the writer and
do not represent the views, policy or understanding of any
other person or official body.
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"Dave. C" wrote in message
...
There has been some doubt cast but I think people have been much more
tolerant than with previous events. The realisation that snow is difficult
to predict, the Met Office have to make sure they're "not caught out" and
the stupidity of the media has helped.
I'm even think you Danny, once said "we never get any snow down here on a
Northerlies or NW" !!

Dave
"danny" wrote in message
...
Generally speaking the forecasts have been very poor, but most people in
this newsgroup have a decent understanding, and the slagging off has
been
from a minority, and not regulars of this newsgroup.
Nice try Simon.
--------------------------------------------------------
"Simon Gardner" [dot]co[dot]uk wrote in message
...
Various denizens of uk.sci.weather may have given the impression that
the
Met Office was talking nonsense and falsely hyping snowfall this week.

These wretches would like unreservedly to apologise and would like to
reassure all and sundry that there was not one scintilla of a truth in
any
of the unfair and premature slagging off of the Met Office and BBC
weather
forecasts which had correctly predicted snow.