TV Station Weather Updates

[daleduke17]

Ok all, I know a few people here are actually chasers and go over a large area, so, this might be helpful to them, but also to travellers as summer is coming.

What TV stations in your area do a good job of providing timely weather updates (as timely as they can get for TV). I know a good WX Radio is key, but, sometimes TV can offer radar shots that a radio cannot.

NOTE: WLNS 6 from Lansing is exempt from all lists.

Springfield-Decatur-Champaign/Urbana-Danville

Roughly I-70 to US136 (South and North boundaries) and IN/IL Border to Illinois River (E/W). East/West split is roughly US-51.

Decatur: 1 Station
WAND-TV 17. Station Doppler, weather crawls, and some break-ins

Springfield: 1 Station
WICS-TV 20. Weather crawls and some break-ins. Western Half of Market.

Champaign: 2 Stations
WCIA-TV 3. NEXRAD from NWS-Lincoln (last I knew). weather crawls, warning map in corner of screen.
WICD-TV 15. Same as WICS (sister stations). Focused on East-Central IL part of market.

Peoria-Bloomington/Normal

Roughly US-136 to I-80 (N/S). About 10mi west of a line from Galesburg-to-Kewanee to about 20 miles east of a line from Bloomington-to-Pontiac.

Peoria: 3 stations
WHOI-TV 19. Station radar (don't know if it is doppler). Some cut-ins, crawls. Warning map that when telling warnings, it will flash a county with that county's name above the map.
WEEK-TV 25. Station radar (not doppler), weather crawls, cut-ins. Warning map on screen.
WMBD-TV 31. Station radar (not doppler), weather crawls, some cut-ins. Warning map in corner can be slow updating.

If I had to pick what ones to count on, I would say WHOI and WAND the most. WMBD is (last I knew) to be really slow. WEEK is decent. If you're in parts of Logan County, all of DeWitt or Mason County, you can watch probably wany of the stations and get decent information. Unfortunately none of these stations do live streaming on the internet during storms.


So, what about your area?

 

[DaveNF2G]

Storm chasers might also benefit from a device by Pinnacle Systems called a PC-HDTV Pro Stick. It plugs into a USB port. You attach the included mag-mount whip to it and run the included software, which allows the device to locate and show you any locally receivable analog or digital television station.

I have no connection with Pinnacle Systems beyond having purchased some products from them.

 

[rdale]

NOTE: WLNS 6 from Lansing is exempt from all lists.

If you're around Lansing, DON'T watch Ch10, 47 or 53 ;>

 

[SAR923]

In central Alabama, WSFA, channel 12 goes to full time updates whenever there are tornado warnings. They cover from about Mobile to just south of Brmingham. The meterologists are reasonably competent even if they do try to hype up every little echo as things start to wind down. They are the only station I've seen that suspends regular programming for hours to cover breaking weather.

 

[fireside]

Here in central Iowa, KCCI-TV 8 Des Moines will break in when severe weather is in the area. They will also stay on untill the threat has passed.

 

[kg4ojj]

Jim,

Rob, at WFSA, and I go back a few years. A great guy on- and off-camera.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/link.asp?L=178466&nav=menu33_18_2

 

[daleduke17]

If you're around Lansing, DON'T watch Ch10, 47 or 53 ;>

Thank you, rdale, I said that just to see if you'd see it.

 

[SAR923]

Jim,

Rob, at WFSA, and I go back a few years. A great guy on- and off-camera.

http://www.wsfa.com/Global/link.asp?L=178466&nav=menu33_18_2

Hi Jay,
Yes, indeed, Rob is really the best of the group at WSFA. He seems like a good guy as well as being a good meteorologist. I didn't know that he had a blog, thanks for the link. A rather sad story about his friend but it looks like he will soon be experiencing the joys of fatherhood.

 

[kg4ojj]

In the Atlanta GA area, try WSB-TV (they use a 3-D version of the Gibson Ridge software). Always a good group there.

In Tallahassee, FL: WCTV
In Albany, GA: WALB (almost the only game in SW Georgia)
In Macon, GA: WMAZ (my dad's the traffic reporter)


Jay

 

[K9GTJ]

Indianapolis its WTHR CHannel 13 (NBC) that does a very good job. Channel 8, WISH-TV (CBS) isn't far behind. Both have a digital based mulitcase of weather and channel 8 also has dedicated radar on 8.3 (excpet during March Madness).

 

[rdale]

WISH TV8 usually has meteorologists with no radar knowledge on air, they've given some HORRIBLY wrong information the times I've watched them.

 

[K9GTJ]

WISH TV8 usually has meteorologists with no radar knowledge on air, they've given some HORRIBLY wrong information the times I've watched them.

But Angela is so cute.