Then and Now: Weather reports

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Meteorologists have a thankless job. Accurate predictions are taken for granted, and incorrect ones face a torrent of scorn.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, when asked about the weather conditions for an upcoming game, once quipped, “I’m just telling you — if I did my job the way they do theirs, I’d be here about a week.”

Truth is, though, Belichick is wrong. Weather is tricky to predict, but technological advances in meteorology have upped the percentages. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, meteorologists get seven-day forecasts right about 80% of the time and 5-day forecasts correct 90% of the time.

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