South Bend Tribune

South Bend, Mishawaka pay for weather forecasts

Cities say free resources like TV and Internet aren't specific enough.

By ERIN BLASKO, SUE LOWE and JEFF PARROTT Tribune Staff Writers

When severe weather is on the horizon, many of us turn to local TV meteorologists and the National Weather Service for up-to-date information.

But those charged with keeping local roads cleared also contract with private companies they say offer more detailed weather information specifically to South Bend and Mishawaka.

Sam Hensley, South Bend streets commissioner, said the city for years has subscribed to a commercial weather service called Telvent DTN/Meteorologix. He said the city pays $60 a month, $720 a year.

Hensley said the city also monitors weather forecasts on the three local TV stations, and free Web-based information from Accuweather and the Weather Channel.

But he said the Telvent DTN service, which includes a satellite dish installed at the street department, provides more timely information, in five-minute increments, tailored to South Bend. If rain starts falling while crews are laying asphalt, that asphalt is ruined, at a cost of $675 per five-ton load, Hensley said.

Saving just one load justifies the annual cost of the service, he said.

"With Meteorologix, we can track a storm in central Illinois. Say in an hour and 20 minutes we're going to get rain. Your (local TV) station won't show that."

Asked whether his employees could just monitor free National Weather Service Web sites across the country, Hensley replied that he's not "very knowledgeable about computers."

Hensley's boss, city Public Works director Gary Gilot, seemed to acknowledge it might be time to explore whether the city still needs to be paying for weather forecasting.

"They've had it for years and grown accustomed to that constant source of five-minute information," Gilot said. "We do have better information on the Internet today that just wasn't in existence when they installed the equipment."

In Mishawaka, street commissioner Mike Watson said the city pays Telvent DTN $2,028 a year for weather predictions.

He said the city has used the service for several years because it is able to track storms and other weather systems specifically for Mishawaka.

"The TV stations cover a broader area," he said.

Watson said the Telvent DTN information is "pretty accurate."

The St. Joseph County Highway Department does not subscribe to a private forecasting service. According to commissioner Roger Mathia, the department receives its weather information from a number of free sources, including intellicast.com, an online service, and local television stations.

"We just look outside and listen to forecasts," Mathia said. "I see no reason to spend money on (a contracted service) when what we have is just as good and it's free."

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Mike Sabones, the forecasts provided by private companies are no more accurate than what his agency provides for free. The difference, he said, is that they are tailored to the needs of specific clients.

"You know it's not so much a question of accuracy as it is the level of individual service you can get from a private company," he said. "We're more in the business of providing information to the masses."

Staff writer Erin Blasko: eblasko@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6187

©2010 South Bend Tribune. Original Article