[David Morton]

There is often a big difference between Forecast weather shown on the METARS (actual 1/2 hourly reports) The TAFs (Terminal Air Forecasts) and the prevailing conditions. A good example would be Jersey in the Channel Islands here in the U.K. where they advertise Fog below limits and cross winds out of limits for days on end, but life at the airport continues unabated and the commercial flights are largely unaffected. The prevailing conditions are the ones that count, especially in the subsequent accident reports when a snapshot of the conditions is taken.
As usual, the press only latch on to the extremes and never let the truth get in the way of their story - good or bad.