CMX forecast messages

[TheBridge]

I have a new VP2 (replacing previous 20-year old VP).
I also use a Davis console in the house. The console is capable of about 150 different forecast messages.
1. Where does CMX store it forecast message strings from?
2. Is it possible for CMX to use Davis forecast strings?

Bridge

[mcrossley]

1. Internally, but you can override them if you create a strings.ini file from the samplestrings.ini file

2. Yes. Make sure that Station Settings | Forecast | Use Cumulus Forecast is disabled, and the Davis forecast will be used.

[TheBridge]

Thanks Mark,
I see forecast message lists of varying length in the sample strings file. What is the max number of messages allowed?
Bridge

[mcrossley]

There are two sets of forecast messages. One set for the CMX generated forecast, and one for the Davis forecast.

Each CMX message is a single forecast. The Davis messages are combined (up to three) to create the final message.

The number is fixed as is the meaning. I guess you could tweak the words so long as the meaning remains the same. I guess they are primarily there for translating to other languages.

[TheBridge]

This evening the MX forecast says:
“Mostly cloudy and cooler. Precipitation possible within 12 hours, possibly heavy at times. Windy.”
So these three sentences would, as you educated me on, have been pulled from the 3 lists of Davis forecast statements in my ‘strings.ini’ which was copied from ‘stringsamples.inI

However, actual weather and outlook….
-Really no clouds or partly cloudy today or tomorrow.
This is ok
-It is cool and same temps for tomorrow
This is ok
-No precipitation showing for the next 6-days according to NOAA.
This is no right
Light wind expected
This is sort of ok

So my wonderment is, are there internal MX settings that can be tweaked to offset the variables that are pulling from each of the three Davis forecast statement lists so as to cause MX to pull slightly high or lower values from the lists….to better match actual forecast?
So as an example, instead of pulling the statement ‘Precipitation possible within 12 hours, possibly heavy at times’, which is statement ‘forecast6’ for [DavisForecast2] list, the offset would redirect the precipitation variable to use ‘forecast1’ which is blank; which is correct as there is no precipitation in the next 6 days.

Bridge

[freddie]

The forecasts are generated by usage of a standard (Zambretti) algorithm. I should imagine the values could be tweaked but I don't think it would add much value.

You should bear in mind that the forecasts are based on algorithms that highlight the weather that typically occurs with a given set of parameters. The troposphere is a very complex fluid in motion and you should not expect too much from an algorithm that has just a set of readings from a single point in that fluid as its input parameters.

[water01]

If it is for the website you could always try this viewtopic.php?t=9901

[mcrossley]

So my wonderment is, are there internal MX settings that can be tweaked to offset the variables that are pulling from each of the three Davis forecast statement lists so as to cause MX to pull slightly high or lower values from the lists….to better match actual forecast?

No, the forecast is generated by your console. MX just converts the number provided to text. You should see the same message on the console itself.

If you want a more accurate forecast message you will have to pull it from a meteo provider.