8 New Year’s Resolutions Meteorologists Hope You Make

The weather is still a part of the conversation. When people find out I’m a meteorologist, the conversation usually turns to questions about the forecast, whether I’m on TV or not, or thoughts on climate change. During my tenure writing at Forbes.comI’ve been thinking about common misperceptions. As 2025 approaches, I’m reflecting on some that still pop up in conversations, on social media, or within personal interactions. If you’re looking for New Year’s resolutions for 2025, here are eight weather or climate aspirations worth considering.

I will keep the weather apps in perspective

Weather apps are as much a part of everyday life as GPS navigation systems, drones, and college football playoff debates. While apps provide useful weather information, it is important to understand that the data does not come from the “weather fairy.” A significant amount of observational and modeling data is provided by the National Weather Service, NOAA, other federal agencies, and even private companies.

Applications may not be optimal, in some cases, for rapidly evolving weather scenarios, such as tornado warnings or landfalling hurricanes. Trusted sources and voices are still critical in such scenarios. Additionally, I find that many people misconstrue the simplicity and convenience of apps. Weather application forecasts may not be applicable at certain times of the day or in certain locations in the forecast area. I’m often here, “But my app said 80% chance of rain, so I changed my plans in the afternoon.” My next question is usually, “Did you consider that the rain could only be predicted for the morning hours?”

I will not immediately share or react to snowfall forecast maps until the source is verified

This time of year, there’s usually a flurry of complaints from fellow weathermen about social media forecasters sharing long-range snow forecasts. It’s the epitome of the click-bait or follow me now mentality. However, there are some problems. These “choose your favorite mode scenarios” often disappear in the next model. Most reliable meteorologists should not convey information based on a single model. Furthermore, when these forecasts are not verified, people question the credibility of the weather community. Meteorologist Brad Panovich recently addressed this issue in a thread on the X platform.

Most weather experts understand the limitations of long-range or single-model runs. However, a shadow ecosystem has emerged that is characterized by sharing such information without proper context and with the desire to be “social media famous” or the first. Unfortunately, many people cannot tell the difference between information from the National Weather Service and less reliable sources. To make matters worse, people will often adhere to such forecasts because they are “wishing” for snow or other desired outcomes. Please check sources and verify model integrity or time frames before drawing conclusions.

I will not be afraid of HIM

The recent hysteria about drones, which are increasingly part of society, reminds me that people fear things that are unfamiliar in their daily routine. Drones and artificial intelligence are important aspects of scientific research these days, so I don’t have an aversion to them. They are also integral to all of our lives, but in less obvious ways. Your Weather or Search app on your device is probably already using it. AI is increasingly a part of the weather landscape. University of Oklahoma professor Amy McGovern, in a discussion for the National Academies, gave an excellent overview of how AI is improving the broadcasting, forecasting, verification and observation of weather.

HE will move my field forward. of New York Times recently covered of Google new AI agent that showed impressive skills for a two-week forecast. Houston meteorologist Matt Lanza also recently documented the effectiveness of AI modeling regarding a predicted “bust” in Minnesota.

However, there are still issues to be addressed regarding ethics, computational resources and skilled technical manpower. McGovern is director of the NSF AI Institute for Research on Trusted Artificial Intelligence in Weather, Climate, and Coastal Oceanography at the University of Oklahoma and is the Lloyd G. and Joyce Austin Presidential Professor in the Schools of Computer Science and Meteorology, respectively. She said, “AI is being used mostly by private industry right now. NOAA is getting there, but they’re necessarily cautious about adopting new technologies because they’re the government agency charged with operational forecasting and they don’t want to lose the public’s trust.”

I will not allow my belief systems to influence my understanding of science

2024 was a strange year. Some people thought that hurricanes were created and controlled by the government. Meteorologists were threatened for simply doing their job. of Good year Aircraft planes landing at major airports were inexplicably called drones. Increasingly, it seems that ideological beliefs based on political, cultural, religious or other marinades are shaping certain views of science. Just yesterday, I saw a woman on Facebook lecturing legendary broadcast meteorologist James Spann because he challenged someone she claimed “had a different point of view.” No, No, No. That’s not how any of this works. James was calling out someone claiming the Earth is flat. What I saw was a scientist who defended the facts rather than allowing opinions or conspiracy theories to have equal standing. Hello to James.

I will not react to weather conditions

It seems like every year people hear a term they don’t recognize and assume it’s new. Social media has likely fueled this trend. Words like derecho, atmospheric river, bomb cyclone, polar vortex and heat dome are not new to us in the meteorology community. In addition to social media, the growth of weather journalism and blogs has exposed more people to these terms. With such new exposure, it is inevitable that misuse or misinterpretation is likely. It adds even more to the risk communication table of meteorology and emergency management professionals.

I will do my part to help with climate change

Believe it or not, the effects of climate change are here and likely to get worse. Yes, the climate has always changed, but the impact of anthropogenic activities has been placed on top of natural variability. Trees fall naturally in the forest, AND we can speed up that process with a chainsaw. While transformative actions involving reducing carbon emissions or adapting to the inevitable changes will be required, recent studies continue to show that individual actions can help. of New York Times He recently posed the question, “What if everyone did something to slow climate change? Brookings also laid out some ideas about personal actions we can all take.

of the last two resolutions it’s just my caresses. I hope everyone decides to write “lightning” without the “e” when describing the optical phenomenon that causes thunder. And if it’s still around, resist the urge to add the “s” to the time of day.

Happy New Year.