NWS online changes......?

[Dionne]

NWS Jackson, MS has changed it's online presentation. There are now color graphics and simple to read forecasts. I've noticed some inconsistencies within the forecasts that I do not understand. For example......tomorrow you can take your pick on the weather.....the opening page says rain....click on the lower map and the forecast is completely different......sunshine. While I do not want to point fingers and call names......something is clearly awry. The last update was 12 hours ago........??????? I hate this because I'm losing my best source of local information. Am I alone or has anyone else noticed problems? This is not a rant intended to disparage the NWS......just a concerned viewer.

[thetruesms]

The new graphic on top of the main page is what is often referred to as the "weather story". How different offices integrate this graphic varies widely. Many have a separate page dedicated to the weather story - some because they want to shove it off and others, like Norman, Oklahoma, because they put a good deal of effort into it. Another popular method is the one that Jackson appears to have just implemented, in putting it as a headline graphic on the main page. And some just don't really do it at all.

PoPs are why you're getting what looks to be like conflicting forecasts. With a weak cold front moving through the area and not much available moisture, the probability of precipitation is pretty low - a sample hourly weather graph from near Jackson puts it just over 10%. To trigger a graphic and mention in the text in the point forecast (what you got from clicking the map), the PoP must be over 20%. As a result, it doesn't appear in the forecast graphic. Apparently last evening, someone on shift decided that while PoPs were pretty low, they wanted to mention at least the possibility and used the weather story graphic on the main page to communicate that.

Hope that clarified things some for you.