The Washington Post has created a map showing how many days out the weather forecasts for temperature are accurate in different parts of the United States, using data shared for the first time by the National Weather Service. The map shows that places closer to geographical features that help stabilize the weather, such as the ocean, are accurate further into the future. For instance, forecasts in Florida and the Southwest were accurate 5-7 days into the future while in the Great Plains, they were accurate only for the next 1-2 days. Paonia, a small town in Colorado had the least accurate forecasts of any city in the country: the town’s 24-hour forecast is off by 5.9 degrees Fahrenheit on average.
Mapping the Accuracy of Weather Forecasts in the United States
