Preferences, perceptions, and usage of forecast information by members of the Canadian public

Much of the existing research on the production and communication of weather information focuses on the way(s) that end-users obtain, interpret, and respond to severe weather alerts. In contrast, there has been much less research published on the way(s) that end-users perceive, comprehend, and utilize daily weather information. This paper presents the results of an exploratory study that examines Canadian residents' preferences, perceptions, and usage of weather information. As part of this research project, semi-structured interviews (n=32) and close-ended questionnaires (n=268) were conducted to examine issues relating to general weather knowledge, weather salience, and trust in authority. In terms of general weather knowledge, it was found that most respondents were able to generally differentiate between a weather watch and a weather warning. Individuals who were unable to differentiate between these two products often attributed their misunderstanding to the similarity between the two terms—both in terms of phonetics and in context. It was also found that individuals obtain weather information both actively (i.e., when individuals seek information out themselves) and passively (i.e., when information is delivered to them). When asked how individuals would prefer to obtain weather information, a strong consensus emerged for automatically delivered information, particularly for weather watches and warnings. The results of this study suggest that many respondents were generally weather salient. This salience influenced whether and how individuals accessed weather information, as well as individuals' general weather knowledge.