FAQ

Basic Questions

Q: Is Weather Warrior free?
A: YES! Weather Warrior is, and always will be free!
Q: Do you share our emails with third-party services or sites?
A: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Your emails are for the admin’s eyes only, so they can be in contact with you, to answer your questions, for reminding purposes, or newsletters.
Q: How do I determine my level of experience?
A: It’s self-explanatory for Professional & Student categories. Weather Enthusiasts would be considered fans who have proficient knowledge of meteorology, or have been a weather geek for a long time. A Novice means that you barely know anything about weather, have some sort of basic background on it, or are new to the scene.
Q: How does one sign up for Weather Warrior?
A: Go to our website and make an account on our login page. All you need is a username, password, email, and come up with your own 4-digit code. Each player must have a different 4-digit code and password, and we will contact you if it is needed to change.
Q: Can I change my Weather Warrior username?
A: Yes! You can edit your username on the site. Please refrain from changing multiple times in a season, out of respect to your admins. Keep your usernames PG please. Any usernames that are NSFWW (Not Safe For Weather Warrior) will be subject to change. Administration will be in contact, if that’s the case.
Q: I want to promote the game to people. What is the best way to do it?
A: While administration mostly promotes the game to colleges, a handful of schools, and weather companies/firms, it is encouraged to promote however the heck you’d like! Social media works wonders. Word of mouth is always encouraged. Email your high school, if you’d like. Maybe they can make a Meteorology or Weather Warrior club.
Q: How much time do I need to put into doing well in Weather Warrior?
A: There’s no right answer, to be honest! Some players spend hours a week trying to perfect their picks! Meanwhile, some players take 10-15 minutes a week, or even a day. You are responsible for your performance.
Q: I barely know anything about weather, but want to give it a try. What should I do?
A: If you want to try, there is no reason not to sign up! You’ll learn as you go, like you would if you’re a student of meteorology! If you're on Twitter or Discord, ask to be added to the group chats. Current players will be more than happy to help you out.
Q: How can I request my personal weather station as a full-time location?
A: Contact administration with the link to your data, and we will guarantee it as a full-time location for future seasons.
Q: I’m playing another season of Weather Warrior. Do I need to re-register?
A: No need to, after the Beta Test & Season 2! Once you sign up, you’re in for life! The only way you “register” for a season, is to make your first pick for the next season.
Q: Can players who signed up after the season registration be involved in the forums and chats?
A: Absolutely! If you’re waiting for a “fresh start” to the season, you can use that time to be involved with the players and admins, ask them questions, and learn more about the game!

Participation

Q: Are there any chat outlets where I can have easier access to players and admins?
A: We have a twitter chat available. Just contact us on Twitter to tell us you’re interested. Spots are limited, as we can only have 50 in a chat. We also have a Discord. It is a good alternative, especially if you aren’t a fan of the website’s forums. Other than that, you can set up your own chats.
Q: I am playing, but have lots going on. Can I make picks far in advance?
A: Not only is it allowed, but it is always encouraged! Higher lock = higher risk = higher reward! While bonuses stop increasing after 6 days, you can pick as far in advance as you'd like. Just make sure you only have one pick for a specific day. Also make sure it’s a smart pick, as you don’t wanna regret going that far on a pick.
Q: I cannot access the sheet to physically make a pick. Any alternative?
A: Just email or DM administration, and we will be happy to put it in for you! We get that things get in the way, so have us as a backup. Please do NOT say “pick a location for me”. We aren’t allowed to do that for you. We can only submit what you were gonna pick!

Location Based

Q: What are the locations offered?
A: A good majority of the locations we offer are based off of NWS CLI reports, 3-day reports, and MesoWest stations. We do offer Wunderground & Personal Weather Stations (PWS) as options, too.

Points Related

Q: What is HDD/CDD, and how are they formatted?
They’re known as Heating/Cooling Degree days. These numbers are used to project energy values. For HDD, we take the average temperature and subtract from 65. For CDD, we do a linear scoring formula of the average over 65 subtract 65 then multiply by 2. For example an average of 80 would be (80-65) x 2 or 30 points
Q: My location has rain and snow totals for the day? How are these scored?
A: Any rain counts towards the precip column. Snow and sleet are counted under the snow column. In the event we cannot find snow totals on a CLI or snow report, we use CoCoRaHS estimates to help get your tentative score.
Q: What happens if a station doesn’t report?
A: Weather Warrior ALWAYS has a “Plan B”. If in the event of a location being down, we will find a station on Mesowest or Wunderground within the town’s boundaries, to get us what we need. In the event a nearby station cannot be found, we will turn to World Weather Online. We’d hate to say “Sorry, but we can’t count the pick because of an equipment error”.

Playoffs

Q: How many people make the playoffs?
A: The amount of players depends on how many people are signed up by the end of the registration period. We will try to make the playoff non-inclusive. The baseline is 16, but we are flexible. We could have playoffs with 24, 32, 36, 42, 48, 64, or 68 players. Want more people to be in the playoff? Then get more people to join us for the fun! We will try to cap the playoff with no more than the top 50-60% of the field.
Q: How are the playoffs formatted?
A: It is formatted in elimination of 4 participants per week, starting with 16, then 12, 8 and the finals having 4. These are subject to ties as well.
Q: Is there a recommended strategy to the playoffs?
A: Yes and no. We have seen many different strategies win rounds. The best advice we can give is to pick 1-day locks, as you won’t be able to take advantage of multipliers.
Q: Can I opt-out of the playoffs?
A: You could, but you made it this far into the season. Why would you quit? I could understand if there are circumstances surrounding it. In the event you opt-out before the playoffs start, the next-lowest seed will take your place.
Q: Is there anything I get for winning the Champion League?
A: Although the biggest prize is bragging rights, the only thing better is having some sort of incentive to work for! The winner of Champion League gets an automatic bid into that season's playoffs.