NBC4 Earns Most Accurate Forecast Certification in the Market

Forecast verification experts WeatheRate certified NBC4 Southern California and its award-winning First Alert weather team as the most accurate forecast in the market for the second year in a row.

WeatheRate verifies high and low temperatures, sky cover, precipitation, wind and fog. Accuracy in forecasting severe weather and timing of precipitation is also considered. At the end of each year-long research period, the company offers its seal of approval only to the most accurate station in each television market. WeatheRate currently certifies stations in seven of the 10 largest markets and nearly 60 stations in the 85 markets where research is conducted.

“Weather forecasting in Southern California can be tricky business. Viewers in the market can count on the experienced NBC4 weather team for the most accurate forecast; the team has earned our top honor five of the past seven years,” said Bruce Fixman, president of WeatheRate.

“The award-winning NBC4 weather team outperforms any other station in the region, and WeatheRate’s certification further validates that point,” said Todd Mokhtari, vice president of news at NBC4 Southern California. “NBC4 has invested extensively in weather technology to ensure our viewers receive the most precise forecasting day-to-day across several micro-climates in the region, and we take pride in being recognized for that accuracy.”

The station has invested in the weather unit including deploying the StormRanger4 Mobile Doppler, a first-of-its-kind mobile Doppler weather radar truck. This unique technology roams the Southern California region gathering real-time meteorological data the existing network of fixed radars can miss.

It features an X-band, dual polarization, Doppler weather radar with a 75-mile range, allowing the meteorologists to position trucks in locations to see around terrain that has previously been unreachable. In addition to scanning storms and other conditions, it allows the station to fill in gaps in the National Weather Service’s coverage and detect fire winds, smoke and other debris particularly critical in this market.

The NBC4 weather team includes veteran Weathercaster Fritz Coleman, who has been with the station for more than 35 years. Coleman reports the weather during the NBC4 News at 5 and 11 p.m. and is part of the longest-running evening news team in the market.

The team is also comprised of Meteorologists David Biggar, Belen De LeonShanna Mendiola  and Anthony Yanez. Mendiola is part of the award-winning Today in LA news team from 4-7 a.m. and Yanez reports during the NBC4 News at 4 and 6 p.m. De Leon is part of the weekend morning news team and Biggar reports in the evening on weekends.

The station provides hourly and week-long forecasts daily during its newscasts starting with Today in LA from 4-7 a.m. and all day through the last newscast at 11 p.m. It also has a robust app, NBCLA, viewers can use 24/7.

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