[mandibeet]

My niece recently asked me why it's important to make weather forecasts. I had never really thought about it myself. But it is a very important job! Knowing the weather can affect decisions about travel, outdoor events and work schedules; forecasts help people prepare for severe weather conditions, such as storms, hurricanes or extreme temperatures, potentially saving lives and reducing injuries!

[surfingdino]

Armies, emergency services, farmers, pilots, and sailors can't do their job without it.

[nomel]

> pilots

Pilots usually need to fly regardless. They reroute based on present data, not future. Bad weather still usually cancels all flights at an airport since they can't afford to close down the x% of the time when the local forecast is wrong. I suppose the airport might get the de-icers out of the garage early, but prediction, rather than current state, seems less important for pilots.

> emergency services

Do you have an example? I believe staffing is almost constant for these, since most are union, until extra are needed. I would suspect the only difference would be "it's going to rain heavy next week. you guys on call should expect to be called".

[shaggie76]

I've never known someone so mindful of the weather forecast as my uncle the farmer: is it too soon to plant? Should I irrigate or wait just a few days longer? If I don't harvest now will my fields get too muddy for the tractor?

[_neil]

Agriculture is a big one. We have an independent forecaster locally that posts on Facebook. People tend to check in with him around hurricane and snow storm times. It seems like his paying clients are mainly farmers.

[SoftTalker]

Is the farmer's almanac no longer popular?