Listening to the weather this evening and got me thinking about the different words they use. Like Breezy or Windy? Mostly or Partly? Just wonder if they have certain guidelines to go by as to calling certain conditions what they are?

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), October 15, 2001

Answers

Hi Tom, I had the same question as you and as it was explained to me... Partly sunny means that the day will be mostly cloudy with a bit of sun, and Partly cloudy means that the day will be mostly sunny with a bit of clouds. HEHEHEHE I guess it's like the glass being half full/half empty. Depends on you outlook. I personally think it's whatever the weather person thinks will make them more popular with the public that day. Kim :-D

-- Kim in Indiana (kwcountrygirl@aol.com), October 15, 2001.

The weather service defines PARTLY CLOUDY: The state of the weather when the clouds are conspicuously present, but do not completely dull the sky or the day at any moment. The National Weather Service does not have an amount of sky cover for this condition. Related terms: clear, few, scattered, broken, and overcast

-- Joe (CactusJoe001@AOL.com), October 15, 2001.

Tom, When I lived in Hawaii, it was partly sunny(even at night!). In Kansas, it is partly cloudy. "And the skies are not cloudy all day" Have a greatt sunny day!

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), October 15, 2001.

Good question. I've also wondered when does a breezy become windy?

-- Tom S. (trdsshepard@yahoo.com), October 15, 2001.

Depends on how the day starts out. Just like the glass of water,it is half full if you are filling it and half empty if you are emptying it.

-- Mary (marwel@microserve.net), October 15, 2001.

I think the weather people come up with ambiguous terms like that so when they are wrong 50% of the time, it looks as though they know what they were talking about, so even though they spew rhetoric they can bullshit on and on and still keep their jobs. I can forcast the weather by the dog, if she's begging to go out at 5 it's nice, if you have to drag her out at 7 it's raining.

-- Kathy (catfish201@hotmail.com), October 15, 2001.

I was trying to think of a smart ass answer to Tom ----until I read Kathy's---gee you sure got that right *spewing rhetoric & BS*---gal you shure hit the head on the nail!..what about *job justification*...come to think of it Wash.DC is full of that also...nuff said............

-- Jim-mi (hartalteng@voyager.net), October 15, 2001.

Looks like it partly depends on who you are listening to :) tang

-- tang (tang@mtaonline.net), October 15, 2001.

What do you say we ask the "Hippy dippy weather man". "Tonights forcast-DARK, with some scattered-LIGHT, in the morning".

-- r.h. in okla. (rhays@sstelco.com), October 15, 2001.

Yeah.... and the long range forecast is SPRING!

-- Cheryl in KS (cherylmccoy@rocketmail.com), October 15, 2001.

I like the old "Indian Stick" weather forecaster..

If stick is wet, it's raining. If stick is dry, it's sunny.

If stick is white, it's snowing.

If stick is hard to hold, it's windy.

If you can't see the stick, it's night.

-- Jason in S. Tenn. (AJAMA5@netscape.net), October 16, 2001.

I am always telling my kids that they should be a weatherperson, because then when they smile and lie to me at least they be getting paid to do it instead of being sent to their room.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), October 16, 2001.

The day will be partly cloudy when it is winter and there is a need for snow for the skiing and snowmobiling tourist trade, so the powers- that-pay request that wording to denote the possibility of good speinding days. The day will be partly sunny in the summer when there is a need for beach-going and mountain-hiking tourist trade, so the powers-that-pay request that wording to denote the possibility of good spending days. The powers-that-pay always like their cup to be half full!

-- Sheryl in Me (radams@sacoriver.net), October 17, 2001.

It's just a matter of whether your an optomist or pessimist. Russ

-- Russ (rwhitworth@sprint.ca), October 18, 2001.