Current Events > Why call them "meteorologists" when they don't even study meteors?

(+) Yeah! (+)

And why do they get paid $100k a year? I could do that with a chair and a pool cue.

Are you saying you're a manlet?

And they're also wrong more often than right.

lilORANG posted...

And they're also wrong more often than right.

Incorrect.

https://scijinks.gov/forecast-reliability/#:~:text=A%20seven%2Dday%20forecast%20can,right%20about%20half%20the%20time.

A seven-day forecast can accurately predict the weather about 80 percent of the time and a five-day forecast can accurately predict the weather approximately 90 percent of the time. However, a 10-dayor longerforecast is only right about half the time.

If you base your knowledge on some random weather guy in a local news channel's accuracy, then you aren't looking at the bigger picture. Once you take into account the National Weather Service's daily weather forecasts using sophisticated prediction models, things looks a lot better.

If what you said was true, flight travel would be impossible, as no one would be able to predict the correct weather forecasts to make flying safe.

MI4 REAL posted...

And why do they get paid $100k a year? I could do that with a chair and a pool cue.

See above. Also, most forecasters don't make that much. Again, you are likely basing this on the occasional TV broadcaster in a major market like New York or LA.

https://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Meteorologist/Salary

Payscale puts the average at $55k a year.

Wow they get paid so little. I make more than them.

Veggeta_MAX posted...

Wow they get paid so little. I make more than them.

Same >_>

Veggeta_MAX posted...

Wow they get paid so little. I make more than them.

The problem is most people assume that meteorologists are the guy you see on Channel 9 with your local forecast. TV weathermen are a very small percentage of meteorologists.

Most meteorologists sit in a cubicle in national weather centers (or air traffic control towers or space centers) and analyze satellite data using predictive models and such. Interestingly enough, only around half of them provide general weather forecasts for the general population.

The other half are contracted by companies to provide forecasts specifically for their business operations. Think airlines, NASA, trucking companies, agriculture industry, pipeline industry, firefighters, basically any industry that can lose money due to bad weather. You can make much more money as a private contractor, but you are also held to a much higher standard on your predictions and results since you could be costing people money.

You just know that someone, somewhere, has asked: "Do they study meat?"

lilORANG posted...

And they're also wrong more often than right.

Except theyre not. They said theres a 40% chance of rain which means theres a 60% of no rain

Meteoro means "something high up", and the meteorologist studies atmosphere and everything up there.
so meteor means it's a rock from somewhere up there