Maritime vs landlocked forecasting

[crimsone]

I've recently been doing a lot of work on Wikipedia article (Extratropical cyclones - as in normal run-of-the-mill mid lattitude ones as it happens). I figured that reading and editing wikipedias meteorology and climate articles might be a good (though by no means perfect) way of learning a bit more.

I had pretty much thought with certainty that forecasting the weather for a maritime area/country would be a little more difficult than doing so for a landlocked nation. I was under the impression that forecasting for a more landlocked area could be done a little further out with a little more certainty. I was actually so sure that I added a short sentenece or two to the article saying as much. When somebodyy (quite rightly) suggested that the statement needed a citation though, I looked for one and could find nothing (looks like I shall be removing the statement then! lol).

The question is then, was my original view of maritime vs landlocked forecasting correct, or was I grossly mistaken? (and if I was - where the heck did I get th idea from in the first place! lol)

Edited October 11, 2006 by crimsone

[johnholmes]

We live in the Temperate zone of the world. The most difficult area to forecast day to day for. Within that area are two not totally distinct but rather different types. You referred to them as maritime and landlocked. Good enough for an explanation.

Maritime climates/weather is more difficult to forecast for than an inland area, say the west of the British Isles compared to eastern Europe. Partly due to the ineraction between ocean and land and partly, even now with satellites, byous etc, normally land has many more observations at the surface and in the upper air. But its the ineraction between sea and land that complicates matters. Hence you r idea is basically correct.

John

[crimsone]

Cool. Thanks John - I thought I was going crazy there for a minute. lol