Read this to see if it actually snowed in Modesto last week | Opinion

On a tepid search for people who enjoyed themselves at Modesto’s Snow Magedon on Friday morning, I’m afraid the trail has gone cold.

A lot of people saw the same iPhone weather app showing 45 degrees and “snow for the next hour” that my family did, and lasted at least 90 minutes on February 3rd. In an online column, I reported a wet fog outside my home in Salida, but no sign of snow or anything approaching.

Did you see snow in Modesto on Friday morning, February 3, 2023? The iPhone Weather app showed snow flurries, but Bee Opinions editor Garth Stapley saw none.

Without much trust, I asked readers to let me know if they actually saw snow here that day. Brace yourself for the terrifying results:

A reader of Modesto Bee says that on Friday February 3, 2023, snow fell on her windshield.

• A Facebook reader posted photos of what might resemble some snowflakes on a windshield, taken from inside the vehicle. She has yet to respond to a direct message for more information, and that’s not exactly what self-respecting journalists consider reliable evidence. But I think it’s something. Or maybe the windshield was a little dirty. It’s difficult to say.

• A trusted source noticed comments posted on social media by someone we both know reporting that someone she knows said they saw snow.

• Someone thought that the app must have confused us with Salida, Colo.

People thought it was funny that my wife blamed it on the Chinese spy balloon, which hadn’t been launched at the time.

Weather app explainer

I’m leaning more towards Apple Explained’s short video titled “Why the iPhone’s Weather App Is So Inaccurate.” YouTuber Greg Wyatt Jr. notes that the app compiles weather data “from a variety of sources, with the weather channel being one of the largest.” Although this source is in the top three with an 82% accuracy rating, that still means it’s down 18% of the time, or more than one day a week, says Wyatt.

His verdict: The iPhone weather app is pretty good if you want temperature readings, but if you’re looking for storm forecasts, stick to your local TV news station’s weather forecaster.

Incidentally, no trace of snowfall was subsequently reported in Modesto. Or Salida. Or anywhere near here.

During Friday’s snow scare, I had checked three other reputable forecast sources, including the Weather Channel, and all showed rain in Modesto that day, no snow. Still, Wyatt’s explanation makes sense.

Another reader wryly suggested this solution: “Upgrade your phone – to an Android. lol It was an iPhone phenomenon, not a weather event.”

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