Writer decodes the frontier of weather forecasting

Author Thomas E. Weber, left, was in conversation with John Coston at Scoville Memorial Library Sunday, Sept. 7, to discuss the changing field of meteorology.
Patrick L. Sullivan

Author Thomas E. Weber, left, was in conversation with John Coston at Scoville Memorial Library Sunday, Sept. 7, to discuss the changing field of meteorology.
SALISBURY— Technological advances make it possible for people to get more information about what’s happening with the weather. It’s up to those individuals what they do with it.
That was one takeaway from a discussion between Thomas E. Weber, author of “Cloud Warriors: Deadly Storms, Climate Chaos—and the Pioneers Creating a Revolution in Weather Forecasting” and his former colleague at The Wall Street Journal (and current editor of The Lakeville Journal) John Coston at the Scoville Memorial Library Sunday, Sept. 7.
Coston asked about the personal safety aspect of weather forecasting.
Weber said when he started the book he expected to get a lot of material about computer models.
But he soon met a social scientist from the University of Oklahoma who was interested in why people keep getting killed in natural disasters when the warnings keep getting better.
“It’s about how people process warnings,” Weber said, noting that the library talk was originally scheduled in August but postponed because of flash flood warnings.
Weber, who lives in New York City but was at his second home in Columbia County, New York, said that on Saturday, Sept. 6, he started getting ominous weather reports, including a tornado warning.
“Here we go again,” he said. “Every time I go near this library…”
Coston asked about advances in forecasting, with time frames expanded from a few days to a few years.
“We are getting much better information,” Weber replied, with longer time scales that make it possible to advise about the possibility of drought, for instance.
“We’re starting to see that information change lives, especially in developing countries.” Better information allows for relief supplies to be brought into affected areas in advance, not after the “bad thing” happens.
Closer to home, Weber was enthusiastic about his home weather station, a device called a Tempest.
“It’s not the fancy one,” he added.
But it’s advanced enough to detect lighting when it is still 30 miles away.
So on Saturday, Sept. 6, he was at his Columbia County home watching the storm getting closer, until he could see it with his eyes.
“It gives us a little extra awareness.”
Such devices are also connected to the internet, and data from them is added to the overall flow of information. “All of this local data feeds into forecasting.”
He also advised buying a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration radio, which is not dependent on the internet at all and provides constant updates and warnings from the national Weather Service.
Weber said that the danger of unusual or extreme heat needs to be more widely understood.
“A day or two of unusually high temperatures causes tremendous stress on the human body,” he said.
People who take common medications for conditions such as high blood pressure should be aware of the dangers of heat and dehydration.
He said the common measures of heat — the projected daily high temperature and the “heat index” — are now joined by measurements taken with a device called a wet bulb globe thermometer, which factors in not just temperature and humidity but the effect of direct sunlight.
He said that school administrators are starting to set limits on high school sports practices, for example, using the wet bulb globe thermometer readings.
Weber spent considerable time discussing “optimism bias,” which gets back to the question of how people react to warnings.
He said people often get used to emergency sirens, with a common observation being “that thing goes off all the time and nothing bad happens.”
“A siren is a pretty blunt instrument,” he said. The siren covers a large area and doesn’t offer any information other than there is a potential problem.
But there is more information about weather conditions than ever — and more ways to get it.
Weber said he was introduced to a phone app called “Radarscope” by stormchasers, who swore by it.
“Never have we had more direct access to information.”
The HVRHS boys rejoice around Jackson McAvoy after he scored the game-winning goal against Shepaug with just two minutes left to play.
WASHINGTON — Housatonic Valley Regional High School’s boys varsity soccer team advanced to the Berkshire League tournament final after a 1-0 win over Shepaug Valley High School in the semifinal game on Friday, Oct. 24.
Jackson McAvoy scored the game-winning goal with just two minutes remaining.
The victory marked HVRHS boys soccer’s first victory over Shepaug since 2020.
“Finally,” said HVRHS Coach Adolfo Portillo after the game.
HVRHS will play top-ranked Nonnewaug High School in the BL final. Nonnewaug advanced to the title game by beating Northwestern Regional High School in penalty kicks (4-3) after a 2-2 draw in regulation time.
The championship game will be played at Nonnewaug beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28.

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Students dressed in neon lined the soccer field for senior night under the lights on Thursday, Oct. 16. The game against Lakeview was the last in a series of competitions Thursday night in celebration of Homecoming 2025.
As homecoming week reaches its end and fall sports finish out the season, an air of school spirit and student participation seems to be on the rise across Housatonic Valley Regional High School.
But what can be attributed to this sudden peak of student interest? That’s largely due to SGA. Also known as the Student Government Association, SGA has dedicated itself to creating events to bring the entire student body together. This year, they decided to change some traditions.
Spirit week from Oct. 14-17 was unlike those of the previous years. From wearing Housatonic merch to Boomer vs Baby day, this year’s spirit week held a little friendly competition to see which grade could participate the most.
“I think that students are bored of the same old activities and events, so it’s good to switch things up even slightly to incentivize interest within students,” said SGA president and senior Mollie Ford. “Plus the point system is super beneficial because it gives students a reason to participate.”
The school spirit sentiment can be seen outside of just the school. Senior Simon Markow is known for his photography throughout the community, and has dedicated time to help Housy sports teams’ social media posts.
“Since I’ve started photography, I think school attendance [at sports games] has gone up,” Markow said. “I feel this year, students will be more aware of games and are more likely to be at the games.”
Whether it’s a pink-out volleyball game or an under the lights soccer match, it’s likely you’ll see some familiar faces.
Social media has played a large role in this over the years. Almost every student organization at Housatonic has an Instagram account, and it’s helped reach students more efficiently than a poster or email would.
“The increase of social media use, with the help from me but as well as the teams themselves has definitely increased student interest,” Markow said. “With Housy teams posting more about their upcoming games, and my help showing the cool goals, spikes, or touchdowns, it’s enlightened students to watch the games themselves.”
In a small school, promoting pride has proven to be a challenge. But this year’s senior class has made some adjustments in the hopes to change that.
“The SGA community has spent the last few years really focusing on student participation, because we think it’s the students who contribute to a better climate,” Ford said. While Housatonic’s student body may be small in size, it seems they certainly aren’t small in spirit.