Been in Pittsburgh radio since the early '80's.
Very difficult market to predict.
Waiting to retire I can say today it's all smoke and mirrors, Has been for a long time.
I have my own modest PWS and it is more accurate than TV/radio forecasts.
One problem is radio now relies on TV forecasts (branding/cross promo) which typically covers a larger area. So we forecast snow in our "local" area when in reality it can be a hundred miles away or a thousand feet higher in elevation.
One year to retire...not that it means much in radio...but I don't want to make waves, LOL! My company has gone from 30+ markets to less than 20 in a few years. Tulsa, OK City and west of the Mississippi are all sold.
Outside of Pittsburgh and a couple of FL stations the company is done.
I’m also a broadcast vet, though I left the business three decades ago to pursue a military career. I completely understand the economics of radio, but I don’t agree with the idea that “the weather” is best left up to TV, or something your voice-track DJ throws in a couple of times an hour.
On the other hand, there are some stations that have created their own weather brand, with their own, in-house capabilities. One reason WSB rules the roost in Atlanta is they hired their own met (Kirk Mellish) decades ago, realizing that during a severe weather situation, many people won’t be able to watch TV, but they can still tune a battery-powered or crank radio to 750 AM or 95.5 FM.
And, when you couple that with a first-rate traffic team, you give thousands of commuters a reason to turn in. If you’re simulcasting TV coverage, the last thing the TV mets are worried about is motorists in their cars; they’re more concerned with playing with their SuperDopplerStormTracker 3000 and showing off its velocity mode.
WCBS-AM in New York has had similar success with Craig Allen, who has been a market icon since the 80s. When bad weather strikes, listeners know where to turn to get accurate information. Having an in-house met can be a great investment—if stations are willing to make it, and properly utilize the resource.