You may have been reading a lot about Artificial Intelligence lately. It looks as though weather forecasting will be influenced as well.
AI’S DeepMind says its weather model beats leading systems.
I’m passing on one of The Morning Brew (MB) which reports AI can predict the weather better than traditional models. The AI model GraphCast, according to the MB story developed by Google’s DeepMind, can predict the weather with more accuracy and in far less time than the best models we use now, according to a report published in Science. GraphCast is also cheaper to use because it runs on a normal-sized computer — rather than the school bus-sized supercomputers on which meteorologists currently rely. Researchers think AI will play a crucial role in preparing for future life-threatening natural disasters. The model predicted where Hurricane Lee would make landfall three days before weather forecasters could.
Weather observers for the National Weather Service such as myself probably will not be affected as much by AI’S predictions. But in general, we need forecasts as a heads up to get ready for measuring and recording precipitation totals and potential severe conditions. So, faster, more accurate forecasts are important. Overall months like this year’s November make it enjoyable.
This November was a ho-hum affair with nothing severe. It was colder and drier than average by two degrees and one and a-half inches as my accompanied chart shows. Most of the storms passed by either well to the north or well to the east. The Berkshires, south of I-90 seemed to luck out for the most part. That made it easier to get leaves raked up.
So, I’m looking forward to winter and snow. I bought an electric snowblower and have used it maybe a half dozen times.
Have a wonderful December.
November notation
Warmest: 1975 — Mean: 45 degrees. 10 days of 60+, including 4 days of 70+; only 12 days below freezing
Coldest: One year later, 1976 — Mean 33 degrees. Eight days below 20, including two in the single numbers degrees. It was the beginning of a very cold four months of winter.
*Snowiest: 1971, 16 inches, including the infamous Thanksgiving snowstorm.
*Driest: 1976, not only the coldest but driest with just .33 inches of snow.
