Partly cloudy vs. partly sunny

[snopes]

Comment: While I was active duty in the Air Force, I heard this from more
than one person working in the field of meteorology, but I'm afraid it's
one of those stories that does not come with any specific identifying
information that might be of use to you. I very much do believe this to be
true if only because I encountered people like this fairly frequently. The
story:

An overseas base commander ordered the meteorologist who did the local
television weather broadcast to announce that the weekend weather was
going to be "partly sunny" instead of "partly cloudy" which is what the
actual forecast called for. The reason for this order was that he wanted
to encourage maximum participation in a base-wide picnic-like function he
was hosting. The meteorologist explained that "partly sunny" meant "mostly
cloudy" and that the actual forcast of "partly cloudy" was the favorable
of the two since it meant, in fact, "mostly sunny."

The base commander insisted that "partly sunny" SOUNDED better and that
that is what would be announced on the TV forecast. Obliged by his
position to not lie about the weather, the TV weatherman used the correct
"partly cloudy" terminology that was a requirement of his job, but then
went to great lengths to explain just what "partly cloudy" meant, ending
with his personal guarantee that the weather was going to be great for the
picnic and that everyone should come on out and have a great time.

For his efforts, the meteorologist was fired by the base commander.

As urban legends go, this one is quite widespread throughout the military
weather community.

[Judecat]

A US base comander does not have the authority to tell a local civilian what to do when not actually on the army base, Especially in a foreign country. And unless it was an English speaking country the local new would not be in English so it wouldn't really matter what the local metiorologist reported.
Now if it was Armed Forces network, I guess it who be up to who ever was the actual commanding officer of the metiorologist. At least when I was in the army I didn't have to take stupid orders from anyone not in my imediate chain of command.

[llewtrah]

I very much doubt a base commander would have the power to fire the meteorologist either. The meteorologist would be employed by the TV station.

[Troberg]

Even if the meteorologist was under military command, I suspect a more pressing reason than "correctly reporting the weather" would be needed to fire him. If anything, the commander was out of line for using his position to further the social picnic he was hosting. What's next, ordering the meteorologist to do his laundry?

Job descriptions exist for a reason.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by Troberg

Even if the meteorologist was under military command, I suspect a more pressing reason than "correctly reporting the weather" would be needed to fire him. If anything, the commander was out of line for using his position to further the social picnic he was hosting. What's next, ordering the meteorologist to do his laundry?

Job descriptions exist for a reason.

If cause and effect were poorly understood, he might order the meteorologist to produce a good drying day so he could hang his laundry out on the line!

[UEL]

For the record, there are meteorologists under military authority. We have them here, and they produce forecasts etc.

We need them for flying, ballistics and down wind calculations amongst other things.

As for the OP, I don't think it happened as listed. Something as minor as attendance at a function would not trigger a firing. If it was in the days where something like that could trigger a firing, it would also be in the days where the commander could order people to the event.

Mandatory fun under partly sunny skies. Yay.

[llewtrah]

Originally Posted by UEL

For the record, there are meteorologists under military authority. We have them here, and they produce forecasts etc.

We need them for flying, ballistics and down wind calculations amongst other things.

Though the OP was clear that the meteorologist was the one who produced TV forecasts.

[CannonFodder]

Originally Posted by llewtrah

Though the OP was clear that the meteorologist was the one who produced TV forecasts.

Those are military meteorologists. At least if it was on a post in Europe.

http://www.afneurope.net/Weather/tabid/86/Default.aspx

[Floater]

Originally Posted by snopes

An overseas base commander ordered the meteorologist who did the local television weather broadcast to announce that the weekend weather was going to be "partly sunny" instead of "partly cloudy" which is what the actual forecast called for. The reason for this order was that he wanted to encourage maximum participation in a base-wide picnic-like function he was hosting. The meteorologist explained that "partly sunny" meant "mostly cloudy" and that the actual forcast of "partly cloudy" was the favorable of the two since it meant, in fact, "mostly sunny."

We have a very handy word in Scandinavian, "uppehållsväder", roughly translated as "pause weather". It sort of implies that there is a momentary pause in the otherwise perpetual rain.

[Dactyl]

Originally Posted by snopes

An overseas base commander ordered the meteorologist who did the local
television weather broadcast to announce that the weekend weather was
going to be "partly sunny" instead of "partly cloudy" which is what the
actual forecast called for. The reason for this order was that he wanted
to encourage maximum participation in a base-wide picnic-like function he
was hosting. The meteorologist explained that "partly sunny" meant "mostly
cloudy" and that the actual forcast of "partly cloudy" was the favorable
of the two since it meant, in fact, "mostly sunny."

So why not just say the weather would be "mostly sunny" which is not only accurate but also sounds better than both "partly sunny" and "partly cloudy"?

[Judecat]

I was thinking about the part where the OP says the "local TV weather forcast" and AFN IMO is not the "local TV" chanel. Back in the 70's I don't remember AFN having weather reports -- but back then the only place we could watch it was either on post or in the houses directly behind the post. All I ever saw was Bonanza and Mash Reruns.

[Electrotiger]

This story, minus the military details but otherwise similar--a TV station manager instructed a meteorologist to falsify a rainy forecast in lieu of a good outlook, in order to ostensibly boost attendance numbers to a station-sponsored event--was told in a media ethics class I took in college, but I honestly don't remember if it was an apocryphal example or a real-life happening. We did review and discuss numerous fictional but true-to-life case studies, so it's very possible that it was just a dramatic story meant to stir debate and straddle gray area.

I did a precursory google, but didn't turn anything up about it.

[PointySextant]

I think the larger problem with this story is that assuming that this story happened in the military, military firings don't happen that quickly. You can't just snap fire someone, especially if you're just a base commander.

Assuming this happened in the private sector, it would probably lead to a lawsuit if it actually happened as I can't imagine a meteorologist, or anyone in a news team, taking something like that quietly.