Classics - The Weather Channel from 1982-1999 > Programming

Tropical Update maps

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Eric:
Back in the day, before all the maps on TWC were more or less standardized, there was greater variety in the maps used in programming.  One example of this was in the Tropical Update.

I'm talking specifically about the late 1980s-mid 1990s, when two types of maps were used: tracking maps that showed the weather icon of the tropical system, its track in yellow dots, and the NHC bulletin information superimposed; and a still satellite view with the tropical system circled (the rest of the satellite image being slightly dimmed) and the bulletin information superimposed in a somewhat jagged computerized-looking font.

I wasn't even a teenager back then, so, being so young, I had some very strong preferences.  I greatly preferred the tracking maps, since I found it fascinating to be able to look at the track of the storm and see its progression across the ocean.  I found the satellite-only presentation to be a bit "second-hand."  Not only did white text seem harder to read against the backdrop of white clouds, some of the weaker storms seemed so sorry-looking that one wondered why we were tracking them at all, but you were guaranteed to see an animated satellite view of the storm after the tracking map, anyway, so why start with a still image, dimmed, with text all over it?

For Atlantic storms, the satellite map was generally used only for unnamed tropical depressions and for dying storms, usually in the northeastern Atlantic graveyard.  Otherwise, the tracking map was almost exclusively used.  I remember one morning watching the "Good Morning Forecast" (or whatever it was called back in the early 1990s) with two tropical depressions in the eastern Atlantic, rather close to each other, so John Hope had the same still satellite image for both - first one storm was circled, and then the other.  Even though I wasn't a big fan of the satellite maps versus the tracking maps, I found this to be a rather interesting presentation.  However, there was one year (very rough guess would be either 1990 or 1993, or maybe a mix of the two) when even established storms were presented with the satellite maps only.  As a naive little guy, I even wrote TWC a letter asking what happened to my beloved tracking maps.  I just got a small card thanking me for writing, without ever actually getting a response to my question.

In the Eastern Pacific, the satellite maps were used 99% of the time.  It was truly an extremely rare occasion when a tracking map was used, and then, the storm had to be relatively powerful and about to make landfall in Mexico.

Thanks for allowing me to take this stroll down memory lane, and I'm sure there will be more. :)

Mike:
Below are screenshots of a tracking map, satellite and radar imagery used during tropical coverage in 1989 & 1992. Included are hurricane Hugo (Sept 1989) and hurricanes Andrew & Lester (Aug 1992).

Eric:
Wow - you're brilliant!  Excellent visual aids to go along with my story!

I loved the color scheme for infrared satellite views in the 1980s - soft, yet informative.  They changed them sometime in the early 1990s, and I was actually upset for a while, even trying to picture what the image would look like with the old colors. :)

And the radar... Marny Stanier even commented about the radars including county boundaries the first day that happened, and then when the three-letter labels were replaced with actual names... that was a big day! :)

lionwxgirl10:
Those were some incredible pics to go with the narrative! I absolutely loved the 1990s programming being that there was better music, maps, and radars. Now I will admit...I do like the 3D satellite thing they've been doing lately, but I loved their old maps for hurricane season. Those noodle diagram things don't seem accurate to me, and I wonder if I'm the only one who feels that way about them. The 1990s were the good ol' days though *sigh*.

Star4000 Fan:
I remember way back when the radars were "action radars" - for the time, that was interesting.
I like the dotted track, too.  Even the lins is okay, as long as there are dots.  Centers of cyclones do wobble - Earl did that in the Caribbean. 

I liked the wind field maps, too - orange was tropical storm force, red was hurricane force, and white was major hurricane force.

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