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Classics - The Weather Channel from 1982-1999 => Local Forecast => Topic started by: Lightning on March 07, 2011, 06:35:10 PM

Title: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: Lightning on March 07, 2011, 06:35:10 PM

On the WeatherSTAR III, later 3000 after the 4000 came out, how would they select the specific locations on the "Latest Observations", "Conditions Across the Region" and Forecast Across the Region" pages, relative to the location you were watching the local forecast from?

Title: Re: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: twcclassics on March 07, 2011, 08:02:00 PM

That's something I've often wondered myself. I assume it's based on a combination of population and climate.

Title: Re: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: Nick on March 07, 2011, 10:39:45 PM

My guess is proximity, but I've seen some latest observation pages that left me scratching my head. I've noticed that the latest observation and regional conditions pages were ordered from north to south before they were changed to alphabetical order in 1993. On the 4000's regional maps, it sounds like a select number of cities are entered into a database and from looking at recordings, a select number of map "snapshots" are used (locations in a given area share the same map).

Title: Re: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: Lightning on March 09, 2011, 10:28:10 PM

Quote from: Nick on March 07, 2011, 10:39:45 PM

My guess is proximity, but I've seen some latest observation pages that left me scratching my head. I've noticed that the latest observation and regional conditions pages were ordered from north to south before they were changed to alphabetical order in 1993. On the 4000's regional maps, it sounds like a select number of cities are entered into a database and from looking at recordings, a select number of map "snapshots" are used (locations in a given area share the same map).

I am really  talking mainly about the text-based 3000, before the 4000 with maps and icons came out.

Title: Re: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: Nick on March 10, 2011, 02:05:14 PM

They shared the same location/city tables for the latest observations and regional conditions for any given location. Keep in mind several people have have been tasked with working on those lists over the years, so I'm not sure that there was any specific system for selecting the locations.

Title: Re: Different pages on the III/3000
Post by: Pop Light Brown on March 18, 2011, 01:58:08 AM

I'm betting that the RC list of popular nearby sites (vacation, festivals, etc).

The RF list has always thrown me for a loop because some of the locations has you scratching your head going "What's THAT city doing on the list?"