The weather is often a favorite subject when we exchange small talk. But for some, the weather is nothing trivial: it’s a real passion. A few enthusiasts have even created groups where tens of thousands of subscribers rave about forecasts and other spectacular phenomena. We have met some.
This is the case of Saguenean Jimmy Desbiens, who is behind the Météo Chicoutimi website. Although he does not pride himself on being a reference for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region, his Facebook page is followed by 55,000 people.
The autodidact relays to his subscribers very local forecasts and observations, which often differ from those of the national networks. With good reason, since Jimmy Desbiens has many weather stations – 25 for now – covering a large area from Girardville to L’Anse-Saint-Jean.
PHOTO MICHAEL THIBEAULT, PROVIDED BY JIMMY DESBIENS
Jimmy Desbiens, who is behind Météo Chicoutimi
The region lacked data since it has only two public weather stations that broadcast information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
“We have Lac Saint-Jean which creates its own phenomena. We have the Parc des Laurentides, which is a monster of weather forecasts. There are the Monts Valin which are something else and there is the Saguenay Fjord which also creates other types of weather for us,” explains Jimmy Desbiens.
Fascinated by weather phenomena since his childhood, he began to make forecasts and observations that he published on his personal Facebook page. “At one point, I had too many friend requests. It got so big that I opened a public page, ”he says.
“I run on emotion and thrill, says Jimmy Desbiens. Let’s say there’s a week when nothing happens, I’m going to get tired. I want to have action. “If a winter week is too quiet, we can also see Jimmy Desbiens looking for storms. The enthusiast prides himself at least on having “micro-expertise in a microclimate that is the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region”.
Hyperlocal Weather
“Amateurs bring very local precision,” emphasizes Célini Ehret. The director of a web software development team owns his own weather stations at home, in the borough of Saint-Laurent, in Montreal. It disseminates its forecasts – and several other data – on its website and Twitter account.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Célini Ehret examines her weather station on the ground, which can record the temperature and humidity of the ambient air, but also the atmospheric pressure and the amount of precipitation. Data is sent in real time to the console.
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
“The weather console is the nerve center of the weather station,” says Célini Ehret. Data from the various sensors is transmitted to the console by radio waves every 2.5 seconds. The latter is connected to a computer for data processing, then for distribution to the website. »
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PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The “snow tube” is used to measure the depth of snow and to determine the density of the snowpack. “The readings are taken manually and daily,” says Célini Ehret.
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Several people ask him if these are better than MétéoMédia. “I always answer: ‟I let you look and compare my predictions with others.” It does, however, have some advantages, he says. “I refresh the data every 15 minutes and I only cover Montreal. »
It was with her father’s rain gauge that Célini Ehret developed her fascination for the weather. “I kept asking myself why the weather is nice today and why it’s raining tomorrow,” he says. And all possible variables are of interest to him, be it the wind and its directions, the temperature, the amount of precipitation or the solar intensity.
His motivation: “to have the most accurate forecasts,” he says. Meteorology is a science, but an inexact science. “We are unable to plan three weeks in advance, explains Célini Ehret. We are able to tell the weather in the next three hours, but it already requires two or three days of calculations. To have long-term forecasts, it is exponential. »
He shares his passion with other enthusiasts who find themselves in particular on discussion forums. “We can talk about observations, forecasts with supporting maps. It helps with knowledge. But “you have to stay humble,” he agrees.
Célini Ehret, who is originally from France, points out that interest in the weather is great in Quebec. “It’s part of everyday life, and here it’s so varied,” he explains.
A unifying interest
“Everyone finds their account” on the Facebook group Lovers of weather, believes its administrator Éric Tourangeau. Those who know little about it, but who are curious, just like meteorologists, he says.
Éric Tourangeau considers himself a weather photographer, “storm hunting comes with it”, he specifies. It was to share his pictures that he created a website in 2000. The latter quickly attracted the attention of other amateurs of meteorological phenomena.
They are now almost 37,000 members of the Facebook group to post mainly photos, but also videos or questions about the weather. When there are particular phenomena, Eric transmits a few observations, but he emphasizes each time that it is an amateur forecast.
“I simply explain the stuff, I think that’s what the world likes and I also put a little humor”, says Éric Tourangeau, who “does not want to take the place of a meteorologist”. And for more specific questions? “Several more knowledgeable people are answering questions,” he says.
The group administrator would like people to take the time to observe and appreciate the beauty of weather phenomena. No need to do like him and spend sleepless nights (or almost) to chase storms. “I just want people to look around,” he says.