Truth and the Forecast

My favorite story involving weather forecasting and big public events is the one about the radio weather guy who got fired for correctly predicting rain at a Rush Limbaugh dittohead gathering in the San Joaquin Valley. This is true. Walter Brasch reported the story back in 1995:

KMJ, which carries the Rush Limbaugh talk show, was sponsoring the Second Annual Dittohead Barbecue and Politically Incorrect Picnic, Saturday, April 15. Since it was already politically incorrect, it was apparently no big deal that it was also Easter and Passover weekend.

Four days before the Dittoheads were to meet, (Sean) Boyd forecast a chance of showers, based upon reports of the National Weather Service. (Program Director John) Broeske possibly didn't think that anyone, including the clouds, had a right to rain upon his plumped-up sizzling raucous barbecued hotdogs. After all, the station, which sends 5,000 screaming watts of conservative thinking into one of the state's biggest media markets, had something of an investment in making sure thousands showed up to celebrate the Biggest Mouth That Roars, even if the Chief Dittohead himself had no plans to attend. So, Broeske strongly suggested that Boyd revise the forecast. After all, you never know with California weather. It could have been a wonderful day in the neighborhood.

"Do you want me to change all the forecasts?" Boyd asked, then sarcastically suggested that the program director could just write down what he thought the weather should be, "and I'll tell it just the way you have asked." The program director might have thought about the temptation to move a few clouds but declined. Boyd stuck with his weather report. About 3 p.m. that Sunday, rain began falling upon the char-smoked Dittoheads....

Ten days later, Broeske canned Boyd, although he denied it was because of the weather guy's unwillingness to shade a forecast.