Weather forecasts conflicting.

[veracocha]

Poised for another tour of Scotland so just watching the weather forecasts for next week. BBC says snowy conditions until Friday and Metcheck says mostly sunny/cloudy with only one suspect day (Tuesday). How can they be so at odds with each other? I know it's very changeable in that part of the country but even so, completely different forecasts. It was exactly this time last year I went for my first tour and I was blessed with fine weather although much cooler than what is predicted for next week. Any other sites worth an opinion?

[S-Westerly]

I find that any forecast further away than 24 hours is barely better than a wild assed guess. Forecasting seems to have got worse now its all being done by high powered computers. GIGO I guess.

[Capt Sisko]

On of the problems I find with the BBC weather forecast in particular is that they tend to predict worse weather than actually happens. My theory is that is they forecast average or bad weather and it turns out good everyone thinks, hey that was lucky, the bad weather must have missed me and you've forgotten about it in an instant. Forecast good and it p*sses down and tell everyone about it at work on Monday morning. Bloody BBC and all that.

[Bender]

3 hours ago, S-Westerly said:

I find that any forecast further away than 24 hours is barely better than a wild assed guess. Forecasting seems to have got worse now its all being done by high powered computers. GIGO I guess.

Yup and even then its still not to be trusted, we booked into a hotel in Glencoe on the morning we were setting off to go camping, severe weather warning, rain, gale force winds, bridges closed to high sided etc etc.

 

Glorious weekend, no wind and not a drop of rain....

[curlylegend]

If you're going to Scotland, it WILL rain and possibly snow.  ANY month of the year.  

So be prepared and go.

f**k the forecasts, you might just be lucky ?

[Nick the wanderer]

As above, it's Scotland so wrap up and take your best waterproofs.

As well as the BBC who use Meteo there is the good old Met Office also Accuweather. They are all much the same. I like to use the live radar apps like MyRadar and Weather24 there are loads out there. With the live radar apps you can get an idea of where and when it's blowing in from. Gives you a chance of picking out a weather window for getting out and about.

Good luck, enjoy!

[geofferz]

I checked the current weather on the app the other day, said 0% chance or rain so I put the top down and drove off. 5 minutes later is started hammering down. 

 

Forecasts - in sales organisations, mystic meg's ball, and the weather - are absolutely pointless. 

[Nick the wanderer]

That's why I like the radar apps, you can see (roughly) what's coming your way.

[geofferz]

7 minutes ago, Nick the wanderer said:

That's why I like the radar apps, you can see (roughly) what's coming your way.

Does it tell you whether the raincloud is gonna dump its load all over you though?! 

[RideWithStyles]

Nature is a miracle, myth and a mystery: miracle we have it, myth it can predicted all the time and a mystery we still have it.

[Nick the wanderer]

9 minutes ago, geofferz said:

Does it tell you whether the raincloud is gonna dump its load all over you though?! 

Yes, as much as they can. Have a look, by using more than one app you get a better overall picture. Rain radar, shows where it has come from and where it is going. 

[keith1200rs]

34 minutes ago, geofferz said:

Does it tell you whether the raincloud is gonna dump its load all over you though?! 

I find that with two almost identical radar maps, on two weather sites, one can say it's going to rain and the other that it's going to be dry.

[husoi]

If you're waiting for decent weather to ride the bike in Scotland I will wish you the best of luck

It's a lottery getting amazing warm weather when you ride up here.

I remember going to the beach in Durness with amazing weather and pouring down later that day in thurso

 

 

[veracocha]

This being my third tour of Scotland on a motorcycle I'm no stranger to the changeable conditions. I don't mind cold, I just hate claggy days where mist spoils the views. I guess there's no forecast that's reliable enough to tell us that. I would rather put up with poor weather than the busier roads that summer guarantees. 

Edited March 19, 2024 by veracocha

[Capt Sisko]

Over the years I've seen several variations on a theme, but:-

[veracocha]

On 18/03/2024 at 22:04, curlylegend said:

f**k the forecasts, you might just be lucky ?

I'm taking Curley's advice and tomorrow its "haaway to the hills". First stopover at Moffat before taking in the west coast.

[mealexme]

Let us know which forecast is the most accurate

[husoi]

Good thing about Scotland.

Weather is always crap

[S-Westerly]

Not true. There's at least 5 days a year when it doesn't rain and the temperature gets above 15 C. Then the billion midges come out to play.

[Bender]

Weather here has been dire.

[veracocha]

What 3 words. Rat. Drowned. Misery. 

 

 

[Bender]

It was a lot deeper than expected, I got through it but only just, I stopped an old couple at the other side were about to attempt it in a c1, I said your driving in but you will be walking out, I seen the reverse light come on as I drove off.

[veracocha]

It beat me. The weather that is. I returned home today quite deflated but alive. The rain, although persistent wasn't the problem; it was the excessively high winds that tried their hardest to have me off the single track roads too many times. Even returning on the motorways had me crunching my torso battling to keep the bike in a straight line. You can't enjoy the views when it's like that so will have another go later in the year.