Thursday, December 13, 2007

We Know Snow

I have a Rochesterian's contempt for winter-weather TV snow hype. I think we can all agree it's gotten worse over the years.

They hype the forecasts, then the storm if it actually comes.

They grin foolish grins and talk about how complicated weathercasting is when they blow it.

TV weathermen are people who are comfortable solemnly intoning that there's a 50% chance of rain. Thanks, pal. I've got a shiny nickel that forecasts with a similar degree of usefulness.

Rush to the grocery stores, buy up all the milk and toilet paper. Close the schools, call out the National Guard. You know what's coming?! WEATHER!!!

Here's a great suggestion from a fellow who also grew up in the frozen tundra of Monroe County, New York.
How about a little truth in forecasting for the next update: "Snow is falling outside. It will continue to fall for much of the day. Total accumulation can be ascertained by waiting until the precipitation stops and then sticking a ruler in the snow outside your home."

7 comments:

Moonbeam said...

Yep...we do live on a planet, therefore there is gonna be WEATHER.

Hey, I wonder what in the heck we did before Doppler 400000.....guess we still had weather :)

I am in Oregon right now instead of home in California where we dont really have "weather". Now, Oregon, they DO have weather but I like it and enjoy getting up each morning not knowing how radical or cucummber cool its gonna be. I think all of it is cool....actually it really is cool outside 35-40ishy.

Without rambling :), I agree bout your post on Weather. As the Beatles would say..Let It Be.

Anonymous said...

Being from Cleveland we get quite the gruesome forecasts this time of year. They have actually started calling 2 stupid inches of snow a storm. This just happened last week...oh my, oh my Armageddon hath arrive.

Someone once told me that Major League hitters and weathermen both get paid a lot for doing their jobs correctly only about 30% of the time. The one saving grace for the baseball players is that they are actually entertaining.

Tara said...

I admit I'm very gullible about weather. I fall for the gloom and doom tone of a storm approaching (if it's winter, but if it's a regular thunderstorm, I'm all for it). We allegedly have one coming this weekend. I hope it does pass us by, because I'm really not in the mood.

Churlita said...

Amen. We get that in Iowa too. When there is an ice storm or a tornado, it's fine to get excited. But snow? Nah.

mielikki said...

I live in the part of Cali where we do get 'weather'. I ignore the weather-people. I do love the snow we get, though! But not so much the panic.

Jeremy Schiffres, City Editor said...

D: Thanks for the plug. -J

Bubblewench said...

I love all the hype that leads to nothing but the panic! Too much!

Your linky buddy says it best.. go get a ruler!