Last night the low clouds thickened for much for much of region...here is the visible satellite photo around 8 AM Sunday:
Lots of low clouds offshore, over SW Washington, and over the Cascades. But you note that there is quite a bit of opening to the north. The flow aloft is now out of the north and northeast and I believe I have good news for you. My interpretation of the visible satellite loop is that the clearer air will move southward into western Washington during the day, with sun spreading southward with it. So I am very optimistic today will be quite acceptable for many. And the radar shows nothing right now. Once the sun breaks through, the mid-60s are quite possible over central and northern western WA. The models do suggest a significant chance of showers in the mountains.
So here is my weather forecasting advice for today---if you want to see what is going on, take a look at the radar loop and the visible satellite loop. The UW's version of the radar loop is here
and the NWS has a nice satellite loop available here.
Tomorrow things should go downhill a bit as a weather system moves towards and south of us. Subtract 5 degrees from today perhaps.
KUOW Petition
If you would like me back on KUOW, please sign the following petition that will be delivered to KUOW (click here). I really don't see how a public radio station can ignore the significant numbers that are signing this petition. And there are serious principles at stake here about the essential nature of KUOW and public radio, including their transparency and their responsiveness to their listeners.
Recent articles the last few days on this controversy:
PI writer Joel Connelly
Geek Wire had a story.
Your Picture Can Be on the 2012 Washington Weather Calendar!
KCPQ TV and the Student Chapter of the American Meteorological Society are working on a Washington Weather Calendar and they need good weather pictures...maybe yours! Local photographers can submit photos NOW for possible inclusion on this calendar. Go to the Q13 FOX website where you will find the place to submit your photo. It must be of high quality and high resolution, and can be a weather/nature/landscape photo of anywhere in Washington State.
The 2012 Weather Calendar will also contain lots of weather and climate information for Washington State, as well as short weather and climate facts that the students are writing and compiling. The Student Chapter of the AMS will receive proceeds from calendar sales to fund their projects and research and/or a partial scholarship to the U.W. Atmospheric Sciences Department. KCPQ will not get any of the proceeds. The calendar will cost $13.99 and will be available in the fall.
Questions: Contact M.J. McDermott at Q13 FOX. Email: mj@q13fox.com
I haven't been following the KUOW story close enough so I may have missed something - but if the reason for you being asked to leave is not the reason that Steve Scher said it was (which is sounds like since others are allowed to speak their opinions on their shows) - do you know what the actual reason is? I've been wondering about that and trying to think what the actual unspoken reason is? Do you know or have any theories?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting weather from Alaska to California.The heat is on in Alaska: 86 yesterday in Fairbanks,many records set in the interior the past few days.Even Nome(!) made it to 75, better than we`ve done here in Seattle all year.In California, it`s been unusually late rains and some record low temperatures.Memorial Day weekend will be one of the coolest in recent memory in some Central Valley areas.
ReplyDeleteOf course, this area has been in the backwater lately,as usual--cool but dull.
Steve Scher should be asked what the rules really are. A few persons complained about an "off topic", so these few get accommodated. When thousands of persons complain that they don't get to hear anymore what they like to hear they get ignored i.e. overruled. What are the rules?
ReplyDeleteSorry, Cliff, but I support KUOW completely. They have an obligation to maintain editorial control over their programming.
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I rather resent the way you've attempted to use your credibility as a meteorologist to push a political agenda. Your views on math education are interesting, but as a former teacher, I don't really agree with your tactics. And using KUOW as a platform is not appropriate. If you want your own show, then ask for it.
I've just increased my contribution to KUOW as a response to your efforts. I'll continue to enjoy your weather blog, but I can't support you in this one.
Roger Herrin
So, many of us in the central sound never did see the sun today. What happened?
ReplyDeleteRoger,
ReplyDeleteThat fact you can say that shows how effective the KUOW dis-information campaign is. I have not talked about math education during the weather segment for OVER TWO YEARS. I agreed to do so, in lieu of them having some new programs where I am others could debate the issue. Those programs never happened. ...cliff
Thank you for your response, Cliff. I'm not out to dispute your word.
ReplyDeleteNevertheless, just as you have complete editorial control over this blog, the editors of KUOW have that same control (a responsibility in fact) over their programming.
And, while I don't want to be rude, you are neither an editor, nor an employee of KUOW. Your contribution has been substantial in helping to educate our region on weather matters, but I note that you do have a broad range of interests beyond meteorology, and can quite easily digress. Again, this is not a personal issue; I'm much the same myself (at least the easily diverted part).
Clearly there has been a strong difference of opinion between you and the staff at KUOW. I'm sorry about that, but my support for KUOW is not based on any 'misinformation' from them, but rather from my own experience as a listener.
I've enjoyed your segments on the weather (and hope they can continue), but I do have doubts about your political agenda. That's not a personal criticism. You are a scientist and an educator, and your views are perfectly defensible . . . but in the end it's up to KUOW to decide what goes out over the air.
Again, thank you for your response and I hope that whatever you perceive to be the motivation behind KUOW's actions, civility and common sense will prevail.
Roger
Imagine that Dr. Mass had been kicked off of a University of Washington radio show because he had been a critic (rather than a defender) of the University's admission policy. What would you think of KUOW's decision then? I'm pretty sure you would be crying "censorship!"
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, as a representative of the University, Dr. Mass had an obligation to respond to the previous guest's attacks on the University's admission policies. Since he is on the admissions committee I would think that the radio host would be delighted to have his opinion on the subject. That he was upset shows just how twisted our news universe has become.
Dr. Mass is not just the "weather guy", he is the one who teaches the weather guys and that is why he is on the show. The KUOW host could just read the NOAA forecast if all they wanted to know was what the weather was predicted to be.
I personally think it is a shame that he stopped talking about math performance. He is the "end user" of the product and is in the best position to see if our programs are working. It is extremely valuable information that you will not get by studying an education textbook.
By the way, math education has always been controversial and probably always will be controversial. It really is the people who have to teach higher order science who are in the best position to know if basic math programs are working.
"They have an obligation to maintain editorial control over their programming"
ReplyDeleteThis comment illustrates my point exactly. The guest before Dr. Mass discussed a news item unfavorable to the University. At that point "The Conversation" turned into a news program. "Editorial control" and "news" are incompatible concepts. That is why newspapers have an "Editorial" page.
I've been following this kuow issue closely Cliff. And I have to say I find myself in agreement with Roger's comment. I support kuow's decision. In general I think you have a good message to convey (outside of the weather forecast) but have made some less than ideal choices about how to convey it. I heard one of your last radio spots when you made your remarks regarding uw admissions policies. And I remember thinking at the time that it was a little out of line to use that time you had for the weather forecast to push an agenda that way.
ReplyDeleteI do love your weather blog and will continue to read it.
I note that my followup to Cliff Mass' response to my post (in which I'm accused of being a victim of 'misinformation') has not been posted. I assume it has been 'moderated' for some reason.
ReplyDeleteOdd that Cliff maintains the right to control the content on this blog, but seems to feel he has a 'right' to discuss whatever he pleases on the public airwaves.
Perhaps this is just a mix up and my posts will eventually appear, but this doesn't look good, particularly when I'm mentioned by name in two posts. My initial doubts are just being reinforced.
Roger
Roger...please consider that I am not constantly following this blog and that I like to take some time off on a Memorial Day weekend as well...so delay's don't mean that I am trying to censor you! This is not KUOW!...cliff
ReplyDelete