Coaching - How to Get More Specific Weather Forecasts
Do you rely on weather forecasts to determine your outdoor workouts? If so, you're probably wasting your time. After 25 years of coaching an outdoor sport, I've found that the weather forecasts, at least in our area of the country, are very often inaccurate.
But I've also found that some of this inaccuracy stems from the manner in which weather forecasts are reported by the media. Usually, it's very general in terms of timelines. For example, "Chance of thunder showers this afternoon."
Well, "this afternoon," can mean any time from noon to about 7:00 PM. If your practice takes place from 3:00 to 5:00 PM, a 6:15 PM storm won't affect you at all.
WeatherNetwork Hourly Forecast Tip
So, if you do want to improve the accuracy of their forecasts as they relate to your workout times, try this tip.
Click the "Hourly" forecast link on the WeatherNetwork.com website. It will give you the projected weather forecast, including precipitation, for every hour over the next 24 hour period. While it's no guarantee that a surprise shower won't rain out your practice, it does make the forecast more time-specific. The Weather Network URL is:
http://www.theweathernetwork.com
Dick Moss, Editor, PEDigest.com, August 2007.
Click the “Hourly” Link To Get the Forecast for Every Hour
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