Perhaps you could start a poll, TATC, on how many pilots have
ever used a SIGMET
I never have.
Also, a forecast of turbulence over the entire northern hemisphere (which is the type of "forecasting" we often get) is not going to be taken seriously by many.
The horrid weather was obvious, that I agree, and continues as I write this. But there were also perfectly flyable gaps within it. Something fairly basic went wrong here, and I don't think it was the pilot just really wanting to fly somewhere.