Congrats to our very own Todd Gross for two full decades at Channel 7,
the station where he is now chief met... There's a full interview with
his in the Boston Phoenix. Here's an excerpt.

http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/qa/multi_1/documents/03806069.asp

Forecast for success
WHDH-TV meteorologist Todd Gross celebrates 20 years of breaking the bad
news to New Englanders
BY TAMARA WIEDER



WEATHER OR NOT: Todd Gross's father may have wanted him to be a dentist,
but for Gross, meteorology was the only option.

YOU KNOW YOU’VE done it: blamed your local meteorologist when it
rained during your family picnic, snowed the day you were trying to
catch a flight out of town, or sweltered at that outdoor summer wedding
you didn’t even want to attend.

Just don’t tell Todd Gross you think it’s his fault. Celebrating
20 years at WHDH-TV Channel 7 this month, the station’s chief
meteorologist just might get a little defensive. Despite some opinion to
the contrary, weather forecasting, Gross says, has gotten markedly
better over the years — and with the improvement has come an increase
in the public’s expectation of just how accurate the local forecasts
will be.

But Gross, with his passion for all things weather-related, is happy
with the challenge.

....

Q: So much about TV meteorology has changed in the past 20 years. What
are the most significant changes that come to mind?

A: Well, you know, it’s very interesting you should say that, because
I’ve really identified a very nice problem: the forecasts have gotten
so good within 24 to 48 hours, that we’re now forecasting way beyond
that. And that’s creating a problem. The problem is, people just take
it for granted that the forecast is so good 24 to 48 hours in advance,
so now they think of us as wrong when we change our minds prior to that
period. And actually we’re not wrong; it’s just that we’re so
good one to two days in advance, the computer models helping us along,
that we actually go further out in time. So the big question is, should
we really do that? And the public wants it so bad. And I know why the
public wants it, because I want it when I go on a vacation really bad. I
look at those maps a week in advance, even though I know they’re not
usually right, when I’m going away. I want to know exactly what’s
going to happen. I know that in reality, I’m looking at an
approximation.

So we’ve created a new problem, and that is, we’ve continued to
perpetuate the myth that weather forecasting isn’t that great,
because now we’re going further out in time. We are now at the point
three days in advance where we used to be two days in advance; two days,
we used to be one day. Since we’re projecting much further out in
time, we still are continuing to be challenged. That’s the nature of
the beast. Mother Nature still has the upper hand.

....

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok )
Co-moderator, ne.weather.moderated (news:ne.weather.moderated)
Join us for weather info and discussion in a civil, low-noise environment.
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Congrats, Todd. I've watched you since the beginning, and you've informed
me about meteorology and excited me about the weather and what's happening
in the skies. (And you don't look a day older!) Thanks for 20, I forecast
another great 20.


"Charles M. Kozierok" wrote in message
...
Congrats to our very own Todd Gross for two full decades at Channel 7,
the station where he is now chief met... There's a full interview with
his in the Boston Phoenix. Here's an excerpt.


http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/...documents/0380
6069.asp

Forecast for success
WHDH-TV meteorologist Todd Gross celebrates 20 years of breaking the bad
news to New Englanders
BY TAMARA WIEDER



WEATHER OR NOT: Todd Gross's father may have wanted him to be a dentist,
but for Gross, meteorology was the only option.

YOU KNOW YOU'VE done it: blamed your local meteorologist when it
rained during your family picnic, snowed the day you were trying to
catch a flight out of town, or sweltered at that outdoor summer wedding
you didn't even want to attend.

Just don't tell Todd Gross you think it's his fault. Celebrating
20 years at WHDH-TV Channel 7 this month, the station's chief
meteorologist just might get a little defensive. Despite some opinion to
the contrary, weather forecasting, Gross says, has gotten markedly
better over the years - and with the improvement has come an increase
in the public's expectation of just how accurate the local forecasts
will be.

But Gross, with his passion for all things weather-related, is happy
with the challenge.

...

Q: So much about TV meteorology has changed in the past 20 years. What
are the most significant changes that come to mind?

A: Well, you know, it's very interesting you should say that, because
I've really identified a very nice problem: the forecasts have gotten
so good within 24 to 48 hours, that we're now forecasting way beyond
that. And that's creating a problem. The problem is, people just take
it for granted that the forecast is so good 24 to 48 hours in advance,
so now they think of us as wrong when we change our minds prior to that
period. And actually we're not wrong; it's just that we're so
good one to two days in advance, the computer models helping us along,
that we actually go further out in time. So the big question is, should
we really do that? And the public wants it so bad. And I know why the
public wants it, because I want it when I go on a vacation really bad. I
look at those maps a week in advance, even though I know they're not
usually right, when I'm going away. I want to know exactly what's
going to happen. I know that in reality, I'm looking at an
approximation.

So we've created a new problem, and that is, we've continued to
perpetuate the myth that weather forecasting isn't that great,
because now we're going further out in time. We are now at the point
three days in advance where we used to be two days in advance; two days,
we used to be one day. Since we're projecting much further out in
time, we still are continuing to be challenged. That's the nature of
the beast. Mother Nature still has the upper hand.

...

peace,

-*-
Charles M. Kozierok )
Co-moderator, ne.weather.moderated (news:ne.weather.moderated)
Join us for weather info and discussion in a civil, low-noise environment.
Contact me for assistance in having ne.weather.moderated added to your
server.


--
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program. The author is solely responsible for its content.

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ne.weather.moderated moderators e-mail:
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block.)



--
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program. The author is solely responsible for its content.

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