In fact, several teachers have incorporated the products into their basic and advanced courses on meteorology and atmospheric phenomena. Users of the model soundings need to know ahead of time the exact location of the model-sounding site. This influence is especially significant if the model sounding site is located over water while the forecast site is over land, or vice-versa. Despite the increased accuracy, there remain significant biases associated with the Eta and Mesoscale Eta Models. The bias produces excessive false-alarm rates for freezing rain.
Critical success indices for freezing rain and sleet remain very low.
During the first 18 months of research, a parameterization error in the Eta and Mesoscale Eta models produced an excess of net radiation at the surface. This produced, on average, higher afternoon temperatures than observed a deeper boundary layer, and lower surface dew points than observed. Fortunately, this bias was fixed in early 1997. However, researchers using archived past data sets prior to this date should be aware of this bias. During times of easterly flow, the model often veers the low-level wind too greatly, often producing a forecast for too strong a southerly or westerly component.