No More Long Rangers In AccuWeather's Forecast

I couldn't think of a better headline to describe the end of Joe Bastardi's 32 year run at AccuWeather than to reference the "Long Ranger" videos he would do for the AccuWeather pro subscribers.   Now with Henry Margusity taking over some of those long range forecast videos, will Accu's pay-for-service continue to draw the snow starved, snow gorged, and those in between?

Reaction to Bastardi's exit is passionate, with a number of folks promising to cancel their subscriptions to AccuWeather's premium service.

Bastardi cashed out of AccuWeather on Monday, his call to leave and not AccuWeather's, with his future unknown at this point.  His twitter feed has no mention of his departure from AccuWeather and has spent the better part of the last 24 hours talking about hurricane season, his snowfall forecast for Monday night for the Mid Atlantic, and the upcoming spring severe weather season.

Speculation as to why Bastardi left ranges from workload and economic reasons (Bastardi can make more money on his own or working for an energy company) to perhaps Bastardi looking for bigger and better things.    Some have suggested a potential TV deal (Fox News) and others have suggested Bastardi may go completely on his own and be an independent forecaster.   One thing it is not due to, however, is his stance on climate change.

One place we probably won't see Bastardi at is the National Weather Service, an organization he has been highly critical of over the years.

Love him, loathe him, or amused by him -- Bastardi has his share of followers and detractors.   I'm neutral on Bastardi's forecasting skills myself -- he, like any other forecaster, has his share of hits and misses.  He is incredibly passionate about the science and that's something that is refreshing to see for someone who has been in the biz for 32 years.   That's what makes Bastardi an interesting character -- he's extremely passionate about the weather and can explain it in a way that's easy enough to understand...regardless of whether he ends up right or wrong.   I'm pretty certain Bastardi will be heard from again, probably sooner rather than later.