Comment by ethbr0
3 years ago
Okay, so Antarctica, Chicago, and Cleveland.
But the broader point is that the utility of an overnight temperature is that it happens while most people are sleeping, and thus unable to respond to it.
Fluctuations while one is awake can be coped with.
IMHO, the most reasonable intuitive measures would be: overnight low, rain during the midnight-to-midnight day
> Okay, so Antarctica, Chicago, and Cleveland.
Really anywhere where temperatures change frequently for reasons other than the time of day. Probably the vast majority of people who use temperature forecasts in consumer weather apps.
> But the broader point is that the utility of an overnight temperature is that it happens while most people are sleeping, and thus unable to respond to it.
> Fluctuations while one is awake can be coped with.
I couldn't disagree more. Surely the most common use case by far for quick checks of the daily forecast is simply to decide what to wear when you leave the house in the morning. If you're unhoused, or camping, or you work at night, or you're a gardener, then of course overnight temperature forecasts are also vital.
> Okay, so Antarctica, Chicago, and Cleveland.
And the entire state of Colorado. It is not that uncommon for our daily high to be at 12am, or for the temperature to drop 30F between a midday high and dusk as a front moves in.
These aren't conditions you can describe with just two temperature points, no matter where they are anchored.
For overnight temperatures, many people just want badging to know if there is a frost/freeze condition - e.g., is there a weather condition they need to deal with while they would otherwise be sleeping.