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Capital Weather Gang: Interactive Weather Blog in Washington, DC

Experience an interactive and innovative way of receiving useful and entertaining weather information for Washington, DC. Stay informed with forecasts, local climate analysis, storm coverage, and more.

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Capital Weather Gang: Interactive Weather Blog in Washington, DC

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  1. Blogging the Weather An interactive and innovative way of communicating useful and entertaining Washington, DC weather information online Jason Samenow, Chief Meteorologist Washington Academy of Sciences Meeting March 29, 2008

  2. History • Established in 2003 • Washington, DC focus • Interactive, Blog-Style Format launched in 2004 • Absorbed by washingtonpost.com January 2008

  3. Overview • The Team (volunteers) • 4 Degreed meteorologists • 2 Photographers • 2 Weather hobbyists • 1 Journalist • 1 Computer programmer • Focus: Forecast Commentary + • Local climate analysis • National weather news • Special event forecast coverage • In-depth extreme event/storm coverage • Weather/climate policy commentary • Photography • Features (local media, scientists, seasonal forecasts, custom forecasts) • Technology • Target Audiences: • Washington, DC residents • Out of town visitors • Weather enthusiasts SO HOW IS THE CAPITAL WEATHER GANG DIFFERENT?

  4. Interactive Format • User comments – they often feature: • Reports of local conditions • Weather history, storm stories • Forecast discussion • What are different forecast outlets saying? • How good/bad are the forecasts? • Weather psychology, e.g. • I want snow! • It’s too hot • Questions (specific to forecast, climate, etc.) • Capital Weather Gang responds to user questions/comments within a couple hours • User comments average 15-20/day summer, 30-40/day winter, hundreds during extreme events • Additional interactivity: • User photo submissions • Snow accumulation mapping/reporting • Polls • Contests

  5. Commitment to Communicating Uncertainty Commentary and Scenarios Confidence Bars Answers to Frequently Asked Questions Probability Graphics Timeframe for starting? Could it underperform? Overperform? What is the range of forecasts? Where will conditions be worst?

  6. Additional Unique Site Features Winter Storm Coverage, Impact Scales Event Forecasts

  7. Additional Unique Site Features Kevin Ambrose photography Ian Livingston photography

  8. Where We’re Going and How to Find us? • Goal is to become THE place Washingtonians get their weather info online with the most useful/entertaining information • We want to keep growing the site by • Improving the content, look and feel, and site useability • More frequent updates • More expert commentary • Continued experimentation into effective ways of communicating uncertainty • Implementation of user feedback blog.washingtonpost.com/capitalweathergangcapitalweathergang.comcapitalweather.com Email: weathergang@wpni.com Chief Meteorologist: Jason Samenow Lead Meteorologist: Dan Stillman Technology Lead: Jamie Jones

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