Forecast Icons

[dc1500]

Personally, I think some people have too high an expectation in terms of forecasting from a simple weather station. Multi million pound super computers with the most comprehensive data you can imagine can't always get it right. There was talk of temperature being factored in. Well there is no data that these weather stations are measuring that can predict temperature. The same goes for wind direction. It might make some assumptions based on what the pressure is doing but what is it going to say. A southerly for me will be warm but for a station in Adelaide it would be the opposite. In any case, how far ahead is the current forecast for? An hour, twelve hours, variable time dependent on the rate of change? The instruments and Cumulus are about accurately recording the current conditions and presenting this data in a variety of useful formats. If you want to know if it is going to snow/rain/be nice then use a decent forecasting service or interpret the Cumulus data along with radar/charts etc yourself. No small weather station can do that on its own. It is remarkable that the simple forecasts aren't completely useless (although they sometimes will be).
This is just the way I see it and I wouldn't want Cumulus trying to become something it can't.
Dave

[Frank02]

Steve,

I just wish to let you know that the forecast works very well now with the addition of the settable pressure range.

Thank you.

[gwheelo]

Where do I find appropriate barometric high and low settings for specific locations to tune the forecast feature? I am not expecting miracles with the forecast - it will never match the local fishermen - but theirs is based on instinct and experience - not data! All I have going for me is data.

George Wheelock

[Frank02]

Where do I find appropriate barometric high and low settings for specific locations to tune the forecast feature? I am not expecting miracles with the forecast - it will never match the local fishermen - but theirs is based on instinct and experience - not data! All I have going for me is data.

George Wheelock

Click on the Configuration menu, select Station, the station configuration window will open.

Look at the lower right corner of the window and set the Low and High figures for your area. Keep in mind that there is no conversion between mb and hPa (they are equivalent) so if you enter your numbers as hPa values, select the mb radio button.

And if your question is more in regards to what values you should use, just look at your all time high and low barometric pressure records and set it to those values. The shorter the range, the more sensitive is the forecast to pressure change while larger range will require more pressure change to show weather change (I hope this is clear).

You'll be surprise at what weather data can do for forecasting.

p.s. Make sure that you are using the latest (or close) 1.8.4 build.

[gwheelo]

Terrific - will get right on it and show up those old salts!

GW

[dc1500]

I have an interesting forecast at the moment. It says "Changeable, mending" It's been sort of ok so far but I think it should be "crap, crap and crap" at the moment!
Dave

[Super-T]

Opposite for me......I am showing "Rain, very unsettled" on Cumulus and outside it is a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight.
1081 display shows a sun so that seems right.

[steve]

Opposite for me......I am showing "Rain, very unsettled" on Cumulus and outside it is a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight.

Don't forget it's an attempted forecast, not a nowcast. Have you tried fiddling with the pressure settings, you probably need them different for your part of the world.

Steve

[Super-T]

No fiddling here My pressures are set at 970/1037.
Currently shows "Unsettled, some rain". Perfect for what is around at present. Console shows clouds.
I don't rely on forecasts from Cumulus or the Console. I can see for miles from where I am and most of the weather comes from the West. Auckland is one of those places that can have 4 seasons in a day so any forecast would have to be read with scepticism.

[Frank02]

Hello Steve,

Me again.

I don't know if you have much control on your forecast routine and how hard that would be but it would be nice if you could replace the word "rain" with "snow" when the temperature is below 0.

Just an idea like that to fill your spare time.

Still working great here.

Thanks much.

[steve]

The forecast code is pretty much self-contained and I can't claim to fully understand the workings of it. I could replace the word 'rain' with 'precipitation', though

Steve