For Those Who May Know.. Is the NHC Playing Politics here...

[rsm]

By the looks of their track compared to the others, is it possible that they have the official forecast track intentionally EAST of where they think this storm is headed so that people on the heavily populated and developed West Coast of Florida don't get complacent and fail to get prepared?

http://www.sfwmd.gov/org/omd/ops/weathe ... orm_09.gif

Or do they, based on all the info that they have really think this is the most relaistic track?

Not saying that they do this with some kind of selfish CYA mentality, I just did not know how much of a "psychological element" they use in their publicized forecasts if any.

If they do, it is a really interesting dichotomy between science and human nature.

[anjou]

Not suggesting that they would play politics. FWIW, weren't there some big proposed or actual cutbacks in the NOAA budget not too long ago?

http://www.larta.org/lavox/articlelinks ... edfund.asp

Heh... don't think anyone in Congress would want to suggest cutbacks any time soon, for fear of lynching. At least no one representing a coastal state.

[Nimbus]

Check out the "interesting snippet" thread yesterday where there was a statement about "probably having enough guidance to justify a westward track adjustment".