Businesses not using AccuWeather's exclusive early alerts and most accurate forecasts lost billions by not being fully prepared for the Christmas storm
Summary
Businesses lost billions of dollars, airlines were in chaos, and travelers were left stranded during the Christmas storm that swept the nation. Those who didn't utilize AccuWeather's exclusive alerts and warnings weren't as fully prepared as they could have been.
Key Highlights
AccuWeather provided two weeks of advance notice – more than other sources - that a devastating storm with record breaking cold would impact the week leading up to Christmas.
AccuWeather For Business issued a Storm Potential Outlook that correctly predicted the threat of a winter storm from the Midwest to the Northeast from Dec 22 – 23.
On December 15, before all competitors, AccuWeather accurately forecasted "increasing confidence of a major winter storm later next week…causing significant travel troubles" and "the coldest lead up to the Christmas holiday in decades."
ACCUWEATHER SAVES LIVES AND HELPS BUSINESSES BETTER PREPARE WITH ADVANCE NOTICE AND THE MOST ACCURATE FORECASTS BACKED BY SUPERIOR ACCURACY™
AccuWeather's expert meteorologists warned first and more accurately about a significant storm that paralyzed cities and travelers over the Christmas holiday. AccuWeather helped businesses be better prepared to handle disruptions and logistical issues ahead of the storm. AccuWeather's severe weather warnings protect life, safety, and property better than competitors. Those who are not AccuWeather For Business clients suffered significant business disruptions, resulting in billions of dollars lost. If you didn't have AccuWeather, your business may not have been fully prepared in every way possible.
AccuWeather gave ten days advance notice that this significant winter storm would be dramatic and affect most of the nation. Many areas experienced severe weather, extreme winds, and powerful blizzards, resulting in disruptive travel delays and power failures. The storm turned deadly in Buffalo, with more than 50 fatalities.
- On December 8, two weeks before the storm, AccuWeather's Long Range Forecast Team accurately identified the risk for a significant winter storm the week of Christmas.
- On December 14, a week before the storm, AccuWeather accurately predicted a large, arctic outbreak and snow potential across the Plains, Midwest, and interior Northeast.
- Airlines weren't prepared, but AccuWeather knew the storm would impact flights. On December 19, AccuWeather correctly predicted the major travel impacts better than competitors by saying: "Two-thirds of the nation's flights on Thursday and Friday could be impacted…5,000 flights can be delayed or canceled," and that "the entire air system may take days to recover." One major airline canceled 80% of its flights on December 26.
- AccuWeather accurately forecasted that historic blizzard conditions in Buffalo would last over 36 hours, while our competitors didn't even mention a blizzard. AccuWeather also accurately predicted over 3 feet of snow.
- AccuWeather was the only source to predict a low temperature below accurately -20F for Denver on the morning of December 22, while our competitors inaccurately predicted warmer temperatures.
Protect your business and team members by making the best weather-impacted decisions with AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service, backed by forecasts and warnings with Superior Accuracy™. AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service offers location-specific forecasts and 24x7x365 meteorological consulting services for snow, ice, blizzards, and other winter-hazard events.
AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service features include:
- Precise weather event start and end times
- Total expected snow and ice accumulations
- Specific changeover times for snow, ice, and rain
- Hourly temperatures and wind conditions before, during, and after the storm
- Post-storm weather conditions, including verified precipitation amounts.
THE MOST TRUSTED AND RECOGNIZED NAME IN WEATHER
You can reduce liability, increase safety, and substantially reduce the risk of injury to your employees and customers by subscribing to AccuWeather's Snow Warning Service. Our service is the most accurate such service available, with more lead time on average than all other sources.
We have saved over 10,000 lives and prevented injuries to over 100,000 people. As a business, our unique and proven service will allow you to reduce your risk of reputational harm from many perils and even reduce your insurance premiums.
Serving more than half of Fortune 500 companies and thousands of businesses globally, AccuWeather is recognized as the most accurate source of weather forecasts, warnings, and data in the world.
