I keep seeing all these Facebook posts about the upcoming winter. As anyone watching the weather reports knows, predicting the week's weather is hard, let alone months in advance.
The predictions of the harsh winter is coming from the Farmer's Almanac. The Farmers' Almanac's Website explains that its forecaster uses a "top secret mathematical and astronomical formula, that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action, planetary position and many other factors" to predict weather. Yes it uses input like the pseudoscience astrology (not astronomy which is the science).
And just like astrology and psychics it makes its claims very broad, imprecise and sometimes a little vague. While the Almanac claims 80% accuracy, weather professionals cite that it is below 50% (sometimes as low as 10%).
So take these predictions with a grain of salt, or a skeptical mind. I think you can get a better source of weather prediction than from something that uses the motions of the planets.
The predictions of the harsh winter is coming from the Farmer's Almanac. The Farmers' Almanac's Website explains that its forecaster uses a "top secret mathematical and astronomical formula, that relies on sunspot activity, tidal action, planetary position and many other factors" to predict weather. Yes it uses input like the pseudoscience astrology (not astronomy which is the science).
And just like astrology and psychics it makes its claims very broad, imprecise and sometimes a little vague. While the Almanac claims 80% accuracy, weather professionals cite that it is below 50% (sometimes as low as 10%).
So take these predictions with a grain of salt, or a skeptical mind. I think you can get a better source of weather prediction than from something that uses the motions of the planets.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment