sans comic sans

I’m really interested in meterology and information design, and especially interested in how meteorlogists communicate weather information. The graphic above makes me very sad.

The goal is to communicate two simple facts: 1) it’s really cold today, and 2) tomorrow will be warmer. So, really, the designer only needs to represent two variables: time and temperature.

Easy enough, right? We see this all the time in the form of the extended forecast (or, if you’re an Eastern Iowa early riser or a fan of amusement park metaphors, Joe Winters’s weekly Weather Coaster). The problem is that the designer decided to represent a spatial variable in addition to time and temperature. In other words, the designer is trying to tell us when it is cold, how cold it is, and where it is cold, all in one static image.

What we get is the confused graphic above, in which the designer combined space and time (perhaps a fan of relativity?). Is “not as harsh Saturday” coming from Missouri? Does that mean it’s not as harsh in Missouri today? Or is it Saturday in Missouri right now?

Motion and animation are frequently used to represent time in the weather biz. I am well aware that whoever put this graphic together probably had neither the time nor the tools to use animation to communicate such a simple point. In that case, my recommendation would be to either a) not use a graphic at all, or b) just show us what’s going on tomorrow. My frostbite is enough of a reminder that it’s cold today.

Image spotted on Gothamist, and I have to echo the editorial comment that the graphic, despite itself, manages to be "oddly informative." Maybe that’s the more interesting point of discussion!