Messages

91

Everything Else TWC / Re: The Weather Channel | HD Discussion

« on: July 29, 2008, 12:40:25 PM »

I was not totally sure, but I believe this is the most appropriate spot for me to quickly give my thoughts of my first impression of The Weather Channel HD...

Just got it this morning as TWC HD was among 15 new HD channels added to my Cablevision lineup, bringing the HD total to 60. Now I can finally stop complaining my cable provider had failed to add this vital channel.

I was more than impressed with the picture quality. What a difference! I got up briefly at 4:00 AM to check out First Outlook as Kevin Robinson and the beautiful Jen Carfagno hosted the show.

Let me say this first. If your carrier provides TWC HD, then you must go get a HDTV. It's worth it. Besides the very sharp and much clearer picture which makes the new HD studio look even more impressive, the graphics from the projection wall jump at you. As I expected, those small labels in black font on the banner are clear to read now as opposed to it being harder to do so on the SD feed (and I have 20/20 vision, so my own eyesight isn't the problem).

The one map that must be adjusted is the temperature forecast map. It's the one where you see the labels for 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 100s, etc. The map banner is cut off at the top when it is shown on full screen instead of from the projection wall with an OCM in front of it.

Let's say that the HD shows are so tailored to just that, the HD feed. Bright vivid color and the OCMs look even better in HD.

Now I cannot wait to see the other shows such as Evening Edition. I didn't have time to put on Your Weather Today this morning, but I hope to tomorrow.

By the way, no HD STAR for my system yet.  All I have on is the satellite feed during the Local on the 8s segment. So I'll be switching to the SD during those times.

92

Your Local Weather / Re: Dallas-Fort Worth weather

« on: July 28, 2008, 05:55:47 PM »

To add to what Andy mentioned in his report, the very strong dome of high pressure continues to bake
the southern Great Plains region today and as a result, North Texas is expected to continue to see its hottest
temperatures of the entire year so far. Readings have already topped 100° across the majority of the Metroplex
this afternoon and possibly again for at least the next few days.



Here is some information on some vital statistics for the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area
regarding 100° temperatures.

100° Day Summary for Dallas/Fort Worth

Want to know how hot it got across the region yesterday?
Here they are, courtesy of the National Weather Service:

Today (Sunday) was another hot day across North Texas, but no records were broken...

It was the hottest day so far this summer. Every one of the regularly reporting sites in North Texas reached or
exceeded 100°. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport was 1° away from tying its record high for July 27th of 106°
set in 1944. Waco was 2° from tying its record high for July 27th of 105° which was set in 1960 and 1977.

The highest temperature reported today across North Texas was 106°. This occurred at 6 sites...
Bridgeport, Fort Worth's Alliance Airport, Fort Worth Naval Air Station, Graham, Granbury and Mineral Wells.
Just outside of North Texas... Shreveport, Louisiana tied their daily record high of 103° which was originally set
over 70 years ago in 1934.

NORTH TEXAS HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR JULY 27TH

Bridgeport, Texas... 106°
Fort Worth (Alliance Airport)... 106°
Fort Worth Naval Air Station... 106°
Granbury, Texas... 106°
Graham, Texas... 106°
Mineral Wells, Texas... 106°
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport... 105°
Denton, Texas... 105°
Fort Worth (Meacham International Airport)... 104°
Grand Prairie, Texas... 104°
Terrell, Texas... 104°
Dallas Executive Airport... 103°
Dallas (Love Field)... 103°
Waco, Texas... 103°
Arlington, Texas... 102°
Breckenridge, Texas... 102°
Burleson, Texas... 102°
Cleburne, Texas... 102°
Comanche, Texas... 102°
Gatesville, Texas... 102°
Greenville, Texas... 102°
Killeen, Texas (Killeen-Fort Hood Regional Airport)... 102°
Killeen, Texas (Skylark Field)... 102°
Lancaster, Texas... 102°
McGregor, Texas... 102°
McKinney, Texas... 102°
Temple, Texas... 102°
Corsicana, Texas... 101°
Addison, Texas... 100°
Decatur, Texas... 100°
Gainesville, Texas... 100°
Hamilton, Texas... 100°
Hillsboro, Texas... 100°
Mesquite, Texas... 100°
Palestine, Texas... 100°
Paris, Texas... 100°
Sherman, Texas... 100°
Stephenville, Texas... 100°
Sulphur Springs, Texas... 100°
Waxahachie, Texas... 100°

As I had discussed in the recent past, Dallas routinely sees temperatures in the 90s during the summer months.
The highest average daily high temperature usually peaks in the mid 90s during the hottest week of the season.
For Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, its normal high for this date is 96°.

For example, one difference between Dallas and New York City during heat waves is that New York deals with
significantly higher humidity levels. New York's 90°+ is very much equivalent to Dallas' 100° in regards to the heat
due to North Texas seeing lower humidity and dew point levels during the summer. Houston is much more
comparable to New York when it comes to hazy, hot and especially humid conditions during the season.

High temperatures between today and mid-week could threaten record high levels (today's is 105° at
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport set in 1995), but at this point, it is expected to be around 100° each day
through possibly as late as Friday in Dallas.  Here is the latest National Weather Service statement:

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT by the National Weather Service in Fort Worth, Texas on July 28, 2008
A HEAT ADVISORY is in effect until 7:00 PM Central Daylight Time.

A heat advisory is in effect for parts of North Texas until 7:00 PM Central Daylight Time this evening.

Temperatures will range between 100° to 105° this afternoon and contribute to a dangerous heat situation.

Be sure to check on persons with health problems and the elderly as they are the most susceptible to
heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Persons involved in outdoor activities are urged to take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water.
Wear loose fitting and light-colored clothing.

Never leave young children or pets in an enclosed vehicle even for a short time as temperatures can quickly rise
to life threatening levels.






































METROPOLITAN AREA MAP WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Fort Worth (Meacham International Airport)... south-southeast at 14 MPH, gusting to 22 MPH
Fort Worth (Alliance Airport)... south-southeast at 14 MPH, gusting to 20 MPH
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport... south-southeast at 14 MPH
Arlington, Texas... south at 10 MPH

METROPOLITAN AREA NON-MAP WIND GUSTS
Denton, Texas... 25 MPH
Burleson, Texas... 20 MPH
McKinney, Texas... 20 MPH
Terrell, Texas... 20 MPH
Carrollton, Texas... 18 MPH
Dallas Executive Airport... 18 MPH
Mansfield, Texas... 18 MPH
Grand Prairie, Texas... 17 MPH
Richardson, Texas... 17 MPH
Addison, Texas... 16 MPH
Bedford, Texas... 13 MPH
Weatherford, Texas... 13 MPH
Irving, Texas... 12 MPH

NORTHERN TEXAS AND SURROUNDING REGIONAL WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS (at least 10 MPH sustained)
Amarillo, Texas... south at 18 MPH, gusting to 26 MPH
Lubbock, Texas... south at 17 MPH, gusting to 28 MPH
Abilene, Texas... southwest at 16 MPH
Midland, Texas... south-southwest at 15 MPH, gusting to 24 MPH
Waco, Texas... south at 14 MPH
Wichita Falls, Texas... south-southeast at 13 MPH, gusting to 25 MPH
Oklahoma City... south at 13 MPH, gusting to 22 MPH

LATEST NON-MAP HEAT INDEX READINGS
Mansfield, Texas... 109°
Bedford, Texas... 105°
The Colony, Texas... 105°
Carrollton, Texas... 104°
Fort Worth Naval Air Station... 104°
Terrell, Texas... 104°
Denton, Texas... 103°
Lancaster, Texas... 103°
Dallas Executive Airport... 102°
Grand Prairie, Texas... 102°
McKinney, Texas... 102°
Richardson, Texas... 102°
Weatherford, Texas... 102°
Addison, Texas... 101°
Burleson, Texas... 101°
Irving, Texas... 101°

LATEST HUMIDITY LEVELS
Abilene, Texas... 14%
Garland, Texas... 14%
Wichita Falls, Texas... 15%
Irving, Texas... 19%
Lewisville, Texas... 20%
Weatherford, Texas... 20%
Burleson, Texas... 21%
Richardson, Texas... 21%
Fort Smith, Arkansas... 22%
Fort Worth Naval Air Station... 22%
Oklahoma City... 22%
Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport... 23%
Fort Worth (Alliance Airport)... 23%
Texarkana, Arkansas... 23%
Waco, Texas... 23%
Grand Prairie, Texas... 24%
Lancaster, Texas... 25%
Arlington, Texas... 26%
Denton, Texas... 26%
Fort Worth (Meacham International Airport)... 26%
Addison, Texas... 27%
Bedford, Texas... 27%
Dallas Executive Airport... 27%
Midland, Texas... 28%
Lubbock, Texas... 29%
The Colony, Texas... 29%
Terrell, Texas... 30%
Amarillo, Texas... 31%
Mesquite, Texas... 31%
Carrollton, Texas... 32%
Mansfield, Texas... 32%
McKinney, Texas... 32%
Plano, Texas... 32%
Duncanville, Texas... 34%

93

TWC and your Cable Company / Re: Verizon Fios to come to New York City

« on: July 28, 2008, 11:40:25 AM »

Victor, if you're in Atlantic City, how can you say you're in the New York City metropolitan area?
In my mind, the farthest south in consideration is basically Ocean County (based on TV market).
You're actually closer to Philadelphia than New York City anyway.

I wish Verizon FiOS customers a lot of luck that they deliver what they're promising. I seriously do.
But given my experience with Cablevision, I don't trust any provider with such lofty promises.

Here's their latest update for New York City customers. I find it interesting that this coincides with Cablevision adding 15 HD channels this week.

TV Predictions' news page (July 28):
Verizon FiOS: 100 HD Channels In NY

94

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Jen Carfagno - Your new First Outlook co-anchor

« on: July 14, 2008, 04:42:29 AM »

What did I tell ya.   

I'll put my money on it that Jen is pregnant. That outfit she is wearing is pretty much concealing a baby bump. It's more obvious when you see her in a side profile.

95

General Discussion / Re: What have you eaten today?

« on: July 11, 2008, 06:48:01 PM »

I just had some pasta for dinner. Nothing really fancy, but something to get rid of my hunger.

96

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Jen Carfagno - Your new First Outlook co-anchor

« on: July 11, 2008, 06:43:45 PM »

I knew someone would miss the intentionally small text at the bottom of my last post...

I also noticed that Jen managed to match the yellow of the set with two separate outfits on Monday and Wednesday.

Do you think I was going to pay close attention to an area of the post where typically the signature is located? You did a nice deceptive job in confusing me though, but hey, it's my own fault for not spotting it.









(I'm 65 years old and qualify for Social Security)

97

General Discussion / Re: TWC YouTube Stream

« on: July 11, 2008, 06:40:49 PM »

There are a number of us that already have YouTube accounts and post videos from The Weather Channel. Even The Weather Channel has their own YouTube page.

You can always register your own account and upload the videos you have, as long as they don't violate copyright rules.

98

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Jen Carfagno - Your new First Outlook co-anchor

« on: July 11, 2008, 02:25:15 PM »

In response to what you said Tyler: Jen has NEVER seemed lively to me whatsoever, she seems very quiet, calm, laid-back, and she sometimes seems as if she doesn't enjoy her job. I am convinced the only reason TWC is holding on to her and promoting her is because she is one of the cutest (if not the most) anchors on TWC these days.

Yeah, I don't hear her laugh much if she does and is on the quiet side. Yet Jen is very pleasant and easy to listen to as far as her providing information on the latest weather topics. As I said previously, I think she really knows what she's talking about and doesn't get enough notoriety for her weather knowledge and expertise.

On an off note, loved Jen's outfit today. I don't think those were short shorts at all. They looked like they were knee high at most. And my God, she looked fabulous, too. And of course she's cute, Jae!   

Oh, and I had noticed that Jen had completely colored her hair to a rich chocolate brown.  No more of those pesky streaks around her bangs.

Not that I really pay serious or close attention to what people wear or how the appear, but I have to say I like the way she's looked since First Outlook went to HD.  Maybe she purposely did that now that she's in vivid HD besides regular SD.

99

Everything Else TWC / Re: Al Roker on A&B

« on: July 09, 2008, 12:40:30 PM »

I think it was really cool to see Al Roker on The Weather Channel. You can tell he gets along VERY nicely with Stephanie and Mike.  And who wouldn't want to hug Stephanie either!

I don't know if he still does, but Roker had been living in Westchester County since he was at WNBC-TV. Trying to remember if his car accident many years ago was here or not.

100

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Jen Carfagno - Your new First Outlook co-anchor

« on: July 09, 2008, 12:20:00 PM »

The only reason why I even thought of bringing the question up is that I saw her in full view at the projection wall during First Outlook and I could not help but wonder.

I normally don't want to jump the gun and start suspecting the OCMs for pregnancy every time I don't see flat abs, ya know?

101

OCMs & Personalities / Re: Jen Carfagno - Your new First Outlook co-anchor

« on: July 09, 2008, 04:28:00 AM »

I got it right the first time and caught it much earlier than most had noticed.

But is it me or does Jen look like she might be pregnant again?

The outfit she's wearing this morning has me suspicious. Then again, she may not have shed all her weight yet from her pregnancy from last year, who knows.

102

General Discussion / Re: Happy birthday, Kyle (wxmancanada)!

« on: July 07, 2008, 02:35:10 AM »

Happy belated Birthday, Kyle!  I hope it was a great one for you!

And on an unrelated note, your KSMI Weather Service site kicks ass!   

103

Everything Else TWC / Re: NBC Buys TWC!!!

« on: July 07, 2008, 02:27:15 AM »

You have a good and valid point there with Weather Plus' LDL. Holy crap, Mike... that's a live emulator feed you have going there?

104

Your Local Weather / Re: Bay Area/Central Coast Weather!

« on: July 07, 2008, 02:17:40 AM »

I will just focus on the Central CA coast if there is an San Francisco/Bay Area thread already.

I will do a wildfire update very soon. I am working on graphics and may be finished in the coming days.

Awesome! And hey, please by all means, feel completely free to post weather reports for the San Francisco Bay Area thread, too... anytime you like!

Maybe we can ask Gary if we could have this thread merged with Victor's "Santa Cruz, CA" thread and possibly renamed under your header. Would this be an idea worthwhile in exploring? I'll remove this paragraph in this post if there is a merger as it wouldn't make sense for me to keep this part of the post up.

105

Everything Else TWC / Re: NBC Buys TWC!!!

« on: July 07, 2008, 02:15:00 AM »

For all of those who have been biting your nails (and toe nails) over the past few months:

(via NYTimes): "Under the terms of the deal, the Weather Channel will be run as an independent operation, rather than being merged into NBC’s own meteorological offering, NBC Weather Plus. Built as a competitor to the Weather Channel, Weather Plus has long been seen as an also-ran, with fewer viewers and generally higher placement on the channel dial."
EDIT: Billy clearly posted something similar above. Damn him.

That's a relief. If there was anything (and I mean ANYTHING) I could approve NBC doing with The Weather Channel is merging Weather Plus with WeatherScan. The graphics could be improved and the information could still be useful. Visually, what WeatherScan turned into is a monstrosity to watch. I like what WeatherScan had a few years ago. Add the local weather video segments that Weather Plus has and there's an improved and merged "NBC WeatherScan" hybrid.  Okay, I'm sure there would be plenty of tweaking to make a great sister channel for The Weather Channel, but you get my point.

As long as for The Weather Channel itself, NBC doesn't mess with the most important elements that identify what TWC has been. Then I'll be okay with NBC now owning TWC. DON'T TOUCH THE LOCAL ON THE 8s!