Panasonic weather model strives to outperform government forecasting centers

Ars Technica : A new model in the weather forecasting field is working to surpass the two current global contenders—the US Global Forecasting System and the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasting. Over the past several years, multinational electronics company Panasonic has been using weather information gathered by airplanes to develop its own global weather forecasting model. Sensors mounted on private aircraft have been collecting data on wind, temperature, and other weather parameters since the 1990s, when the Clinton administration instituted the policy to monitor potentially dangerous conditions during flight. Panasonic acquired that weather monitoring system, called TAMDAR, in 2013 and created its own weather forecasting unit, Panasonic Weather Solutions (PWS). Neil Jacobs, the company’s chief atmospheric scientist, claims that PWS has now surpassed its government competitors in accuracy, but experts say it is too soon to pass judgment. They say more forecasts will have to be made publicly available over the coming months before a just comparison can be made.