I know the answer but just to have a lil fun, here's an interesting question brought up a long time ago while I was at work, and found out that since then, noone I've come across has the right impression of what that really means. I want to see how many people (assuming they're not meteorologists or in related fields) would actually know this, and NO, I'm not a meteorologist. Check back to see the answers folks... you'll be sruprised.
2006-11-10 04:12:00 · 19 answers · asked by mojo_1man_linecrew 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Weather
It means, if you look at billions of days with weather conditions just like this day, 20% of them would be days with rain.
I'm not a pro.
BTW, when they give people stats and predictions, wherein it rained 40 out of a hundred times that the weather person said there was a 40% chance of rain, people tend to think the weather person was a lousy predictor.
Even though the stats suggest they were a perfect predictor.
Folks just don't understand this stuff, do they?
2006-11-10 07:58:15 · answer #1 · answered by tehabwa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i wish people will stop trashing meteorologists. I would love to see them go on tv and forecast the weather and see how good they do. If they can predict the exact temp everyday and get the precip right and how much and what time, i will give them credit. As far as the question goes, it just means there is a 20 percent chance that you will see rain. So that means that it is an 80 percent chance of no rain meaning don't cancel your plans
2006-11-10 04:54:38 · answer #2 · answered by Aaron 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. It means there is a 20% chance that it will rain that day in the area the meteorologist is talking about. I am absolutely sure.
2016-05-22 02:54:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that if you have outdoor plans, say a wedding it will rain at that spot, if you hava a dreaded appointment, say for an angiogram it will not rain and the weather will be beautiful, at that area. It means that if you are planning a trip to the zoo, and you cancel because it's poring out the rain will stop and the sun will shine, 20 min after you notify everyone that the plans have been canceled.
2006-11-10 04:25:46 · answer #4 · answered by curious115 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that 20 percent of the area that that was predicted for will see rain.
2006-11-13 15:38:18 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
20 percent would mean that the weather system is small, and it has a 20 percent chance of hitting you area.....to where if it was a large weather system, meaning pretty much covering your intire state, would mean you have a 100 percent chance of rain, meaning it could rain all day if its a muti weather systems comming through........so really it could mean 2 things....it also could mean it could rain in your area 20 percent of the day, this is what i usually expect and go by>>>if they predict 50 percent rain i think of it as going to rain half of the day and i dont plan bbq....lol.....
2006-11-10 04:31:10 · answer #6 · answered by jdog44442003 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
it means that 20% of that geographical area will receive at least traces of rain. It does not necessarily mean that you have a 1 in 5 chance, as your whole area may be that 20% :)
2006-11-10 04:20:29 · answer #7 · answered by calcdffirefighter 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What i think it means is that 20% of the area you live in will probably get rain.
2006-11-10 04:15:08 · answer #8 · answered by simplyme 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Before technology, weathermen based their guess on that particular day in previous years, a.k.a the Farmers Almanac. (e.g.- it rained 20 out of 100 years, or 20%.)
Now with the advances we have in technology and radar and satellites and all, it is based on the cloud trajectory and speed and line of travel. But any % a weatherman gives you is still based on a little history.
2006-11-10 04:18:07 · answer #9 · answered by iamthegreatestinalltheland 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that 20% of the viewers will experience rain.
2006-11-10 04:16:09 · answer #10 · answered by jubilee1005 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋