Where weather predictions come from

Weather predictions are one of those things that we see every day, but don't often think about how they're created. The video explains how the process works in the United States, where the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration collects and compiles the data that's shared with hundreds to TV channels and weather websites.

Video Link

Via Scientific American

Maggie Koerth-Baker is the science editor at BoingBoing.net. She writes a monthly column for The New York Times Magazine and is the author of Before the Lights Go Out, a book about electricity, infrastructure, and the future of energy. You can find Maggie on Twitter and Facebook.

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MORE: behind the scenes • Science • weather

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http://greggman.com greggman

And yet they rarely seem accurate for more than about 6hr of prediction
:(
franko

somehow, before i clicked on the link and came to the story, i thought it was going to say, “they come from the Old Farmer’s Almanac”. but we’re talking about two different types of weather predictions. : )
Ádám Vaszil

This isn’t shownig how forecasts are made. It’s just showing one of the tools weather forecasters use for observing the planet.
http://profile.yahoo.com/FCCRRO5U5C63T5YS2CK2Q4O4QI Freddy

But where’s the Goatse picture? Weather predictions are clearly pulled out of someone’s ass.