hi, I'm quite sympathetic to your concern. I would rather ride in snow than in heavy rain. heavy rain obscures visibility (esp. for us glasses-wearers), turns gaping potholes into innocent-looking puddles, and reduces the effectiveness of rim brakes. I don't blame you if you want to avoid it - ignore what people say.

This is one reason i ride a folding bike - so I can just jump on the train and come home that way if it looks lousy outside.

My favorite weather website BY FAR is the following because it gives you a clear picture of temperature and precipitation hour by hour:

http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick...-127&BackDay=0

to get a forecast for your city, just type it in at the top and then click on the link for "Hourly Weather Graph" at the bottom. nothing else even comes close in my experience