IanM

I'm had one blow out and another request an itinerary, which is going to be a little hard to nail down.... arrive, meet the gang, get in a car, drive, laugh a lot, see huge weather, eat, drink bud, create the perfect solution to storm chasing, sleep, wish I'd written down the perfect solution, rinse and repeat. Go to airport, buy duty free, sit on plane seat, sleep.

Thanks to Tim, who has been emailed by Dog Tag to confirm they are happy to cover chasing this year. The only exclusions being cover for loss or damage due to climatic conditions, so hang on tight to your cameras if it gets breezy. You need to select Sport+ cover. Thanks again Tim, you beat me to it with Dog Tag, I am hopeful of confirming another option over the next 24 hours too.

It's an odd one, as chasing in itself isn't dangerous unless you are a Discovery TV show. It's effectively a driving holiday with the chance of seeing some spectacular weather along the way. I'm still waiting on replies from a couple of underwriters to clarify what they define as chasing, and whether they will offer specific cover for what we do.

I've got a couple of companies looking into it for me right now, I'll update as soon as I get confirmation Ian

Thanks Dub, you might need to check the fine print to be certain and most underwriters have a mild dizzy spell and hang up when asked about specific storm chasing cover. Go Walkabout will know how their underwriters will be working next week, it's down to a huge increase in the number of chasers, from individuals driving blindly into the wrong place and the wrong time, to the potential exposure of a tour group of 15 people, all with the same insurer recreating the flying cow scene. I am speaking with the various insurance companies to make sure we can get cover in place for you if Go Walkabout pull the plug, and will update next week once we know if/how they plan to cover chasers this year. Ian

A huge thank you to Ian C, a great event and really good to meet you all, even if it was only briefly in some cases. I'm just grateful that I didn't wake up to a shaving foam message on my door and toothpaste in the lock as may, allegedly, have happened in the states last year. Roll on Denver for T5, I hope the first tours see plenty, but leave the best till last... Ian

Nope, it's because the MetO feel that the public prefer more specific forecast data rather than seasonal trends and percentage variance from the norm. That and the fact that if they say something along the lines of 'points to the potential of an extended period of temperatures exceeding the CET average' will become - Blimey BBQ shocker, we're all going to burn, turn off the taps and feed the elderly salt tablets, share a shower and sell all your coats'

Surrey CC are doing regular gritting runs on the main routes, and the current light snow will create brine, so it should be ok in most areas tomorrow

Not far from you, Shelley's is the local school. I'm out in the sticks a bit, and the kids are desperately hoping I'm wrong about it all blowing through...

Snow has arrived in Horsham, kids are now busily convincing themselves that school and work will be closed tomorrow.

Hi Andrew You could use the charts on the site here too - http://www.netweather.tv/index.cgi?action=nwdc;sess= - we kind of like them ;-) Ian

Ah, but that was for the 1-3rd Feb and mainly in the West, there must have been another sausage in the way - actually to be fair doubling zero is still zero, so he is spot on.

I think you might want to remember that Michael actually works with us Joshua... You aren't really being very convincing, or clever, or getting any nearer to having a better user name.

It is the swear filter, we are serving humble pie in the moderators area right now.

People post in the model thread because it is busy, they get feedback, they get recognition and all those good things that make a forum work. If we 'pick' special members, someone (maybe lots of someones) will feel overlooked, and the 'boffins' will sit in the cold dark boffin thread and feel a little lonely. they have to leave the thread and go to the public area to get involved with discussing their thoughts, it's a forum after all, it's not fair to restrict members to one thread, or make all other members feel like they aren't clever enough to make a contribution.

Hi Can you drop us an email via the support option on the main site please? Include your email and username and someone will get back to you on how to upgrade. Thanks

I'll check the sub is fully live for you, in the meantime make sure you don't double click links, or click something while a page is still loading. It can make the system think there are two sessions open under one login, so it logs you out. I see you had a radar sub recently too, you may need to clear cache and cookies if you haven't already.

A little late on the new thread sorry. Locking this one now.

A perfect grey day to discuss the models as they paint a picture of the future, and we argue about the use of F1 and fl. Keep it on topic please, and remember the chat and banter thread is there to keep this thread more model related and less bantered

I think that fixed it, I can get back in there now anyhow. Let me know if there are still problems.

True, and I'm sure the majority of the forecasters involved will admit it, learn from it and not change the facts to advertise their subscription forecasts in the future. And on that note, I'm locking the thread, it's circular and not going anywhere new really, thanks for taking part.

Well that's a surprise John, if I might quickly answer the comments for you by typing on the above quote?

I'd say that it's one of those situations where most people will have already made up their minds about the accuracy already Coast? I'm more and more convinced that it doesn't matter what the evidence suggests, the brave maverick long range forecaster will still keep fighting against the evil imperial overlords, and his followers will happily stand behind him, shouting 'yeah, what he said, down with generally accepted and peer reviewed scientific research. It's the sun what done it'.

You may want to rethink the term 'netweather campaign', it's a forum discussion, not a campaign, certainly not a Netweather mandated campaign. We remove any over the top criticisms and personal attacks if they are made, as soon as we are made aware of them. Discussion or criticism of his forecasts and claims of success is perfectly allowable, as it is for any other forecast or organisation, and that would include allowing praise for other forecasting organisations as well. anyone can come onto the forum and sing the praises of any forecaster, and if they have some evidence to back it up, fair play. It's when people only see the press releases claiming 'we got it bang on, and warned of this storm 9 months ago' and take it as fact that is starts to attract calls for evidence, and analysis. Like most extraordinary claims, they fall at pretty much every hurdle when reviewed against observed data. But as I said a little further up the thread, it's probably time to accept that it isn't going to change and just leave him alone to plough his lonely furrow.

ah but Boar, you have to consider whether anyone of significance listens to them, or makes decisions affecting public safety based on their advice. Ridicule is earned, I'm not sure there is enough real world interest to deserve the amount of forum space these sorts of threads always attract. Out in the real world both the stories quoting PC received a grand total of 3 comments, and Piers made one of the them, the other two in the Sun pretty much ignored the warnings and made jokes. compare that to the usual torrent of comments on weather related stories in the uk press...