Bogus Weather Hype

Is it just me, or does it seem like weather forecasting has gone off the
deep end?

Once again, we've been deluged with "Winter Storm Warnings" in the Midwest
that have turned out to produce a few inches of snow. As one station
(primarily the Weather Channel) starts to hype the coming "huge storm" all
the local stations feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon. They, in turn,
start running live segments of "Doppler Radar" and serious talking heads
showing all of us that it is -- *gasp!* -- actually SNOWING outside!

Imagine! In Iowa! In January!

Then, the inevitable school closings follow, as the head of the school board
is showed wringing his hands on live TV, pining for the "safety of the
kids." This is followed by dire warnings not to travel unless "absolutely
necessary"...

Meanwhile, the storm peters out after a few inches of snow, the kids play
outside all day, the malls are packed, and the adults laugh it off as just
another screwed up weather forecast.

Sorry, but this situation seems to have NOTHING to do with meteorology. I
took weather classes in college, and have been a keen observer of it all my
life. I was able to take one look at the radar and satellite pictures, and
knew immediately that they were blowing sunshine up our butts yet again.

I think it's all about ratings, and the public is being misled on a grand
scale, at an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars in lost
productivity. Worst of all, NO ONE is taking their warnings seriously
anymore (except the schools, who love the paid time off), so when we really
DO get hit with a blizzard, no one will be prepared.

When I was a kid in Wisconsin, if they had closed school every time we got 3
inches of snow, we'd have had the whole winter off!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

Slow News Week. The tsunami story is getting old (and expensive to cover),
the Iraqi elections are still three weeks away, and things are pretty quiet
in Washington.

To be fair, traffic is worse and people's commutes are longer than they used
to be. OK, I think the TV weathermen are nuts too, but are you just
beginning to notice this?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:CgZCd.620242$wV.514014@attbi_s54...
Is it just me, or does it seem like weather forecasting has gone off the
deep end?

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:CgZCd.620242$wV.514014@attbi_s54...
Is it just me, or does it seem like weather forecasting has gone off the
deep end?

Once again, we've been deluged with "Winter Storm Warnings" in the Midwest
that have turned out to produce a few inches of snow. As one station
(primarily the Weather Channel) starts to hype the coming "huge storm" all
the local stations feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon. They, in
turn,
start running live segments of "Doppler Radar" and serious talking heads
showing all of us that it is -- *gasp!* -- actually SNOWING outside!

Imagine! In Iowa! In January!

Then, the inevitable school closings follow, as the head of the school
board
is showed wringing his hands on live TV, pining for the "safety of the
kids." This is followed by dire warnings not to travel unless "absolutely
necessary"...

Meanwhile, the storm peters out after a few inches of snow, the kids play
outside all day, the malls are packed, and the adults laugh it off as just
another screwed up weather forecast.

Sorry, but this situation seems to have NOTHING to do with meteorology.
I
took weather classes in college, and have been a keen observer of it all
my
life. I was able to take one look at the radar and satellite pictures,
and
knew immediately that they were blowing sunshine up our butts yet again.

I think it's all about ratings, and the public is being misled on a grand
scale, at an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars in lost
productivity. Worst of all, NO ONE is taking their warnings seriously
anymore (except the schools, who love the paid time off), so when we
really
DO get hit with a blizzard, no one will be prepared.

When I was a kid in Wisconsin, if they had closed school every time we got
3
inches of snow, we'd have had the whole winter off!
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"


Don't forget the "deadly" wind chill that will freeze exposed flesh in 30
seconds. It's pure BS as are the "winter storm warnings" which get
broadcast if it looks like a half inch of snow might fall. Our one foot if
snow today has amounted to 3 inches. Maybe they use a different ruler.

I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks without
the benefit of modern media warnings.

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message om...
snip

I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks without
the benefit of modern media warnings.



They didn't!

"Blueskies" wrote in message
om...

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...
snip

I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks
without
the benefit of modern media warnings.



They didn't!

So how did YOU get here?

"Matt Barrow" wrote in message ...

"Blueskies" wrote in message
om...

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...
snip

I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks
without
the benefit of modern media warnings.



They didn't!

So how did YOU get here?



I'm here...Where?


;-)

"Blueskies" wrote in message
om...

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...
snip

I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks
without
the benefit of modern media warnings.



They didn't!


Sure they did....

When it was winter, they *dressed* for winter... all of the time.... and not
in fancy topcoats, low shoes and thin gloves, with no hat.

They travelled by a means and at a speed that were suitable to the
conditions.

And they knew enough that there was nothing so urgent that it could not wait
for a day or two and be done later... so they stayed put until the weather
improved.

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...
I wonder how our ancestors survived all these deadly weather attacks
without
the benefit of modern media warnings.
Right there you hit it pretty much on the head.

If all they said is "Kinda crappy weather...no big deal" they could not sell
subscriptions and their subsequent advertising revenue would plummet.
Hysterics sells!!

Matt
---------------------
Matthew W. Barrow
Site-Fill Homes, LLC.
Montrose, CO

On Wed, 05 Jan 2005 21:48:18 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

Is it just me, or does it seem like weather forecasting has gone off the
deep end?

Once again, we've been deluged with "Winter Storm Warnings" in the Midwest
that have turned out to produce a few inches of snow. As one station
(primarily the Weather Channel) starts to hype the coming "huge storm" all
the local stations feel compelled to jump on the bandwagon. They, in turn,
start running live segments of "Doppler Radar" and serious talking heads
showing all of us that it is -- *gasp!* -- actually SNOWING outside!

Imagine! In Iowa! In January!

Then, the inevitable school closings follow, as the head of the school board
is showed wringing his hands on live TV, pining for the "safety of the
kids." This is followed by dire warnings not to travel unless "absolutely
necessary"...

Meanwhile, the storm peters out after a few inches of snow, the kids play
outside all day, the malls are packed, and the adults laugh it off as just
another screwed up weather forecast.

Sorry, but this situation seems to have NOTHING to do with meteorology. I
took weather classes in college, and have been a keen observer of it all my
life. I was able to take one look at the radar and satellite pictures, and
knew immediately that they were blowing sunshine up our butts yet again.

I think it's all about ratings, and the public is being misled on a grand
scale, at an annual cost of hundreds of millions of dollars in lost
productivity. Worst of all, NO ONE is taking their warnings seriously
anymore (except the schools, who love the paid time off), so when we really
DO get hit with a blizzard, no one will be prepared.

When I was a kid in Wisconsin, if they had closed school every time we got 3
inches of snow, we'd have had the whole winter off!

You've addressed one of my pet peeves. The weather
reporting/forcasting in the Philadelphia area (and everywhere else,
probably) is enough to make you sick. Hey, maybe that's what happened
to you!

At the risk of sounding even older than I am, I don't remember getting
very many days off from school in New England when I was a kid. And
we got a lot of snow. We walked to school, uphill both ways.

When we get a "big" storm now, they have all day coverage. You can
actually sit there all day, if you want to, and watch the storm on TV.
It's not only the weather either. I can no longer stomach the local
news shows at all.
Rich Russell

Richard Russell wrote:

At the risk of sounding even older than I am, I don't remember getting
very many days off from school in New England when I was a kid. And
we got a lot of snow. We walked to school, uphill both ways.

I went to elementary school in the midwest (ND) in the late '50s -
early '60s and I don't think the system for school closings was
any better then.

We had a rather predictable alternating-storm ritual. The first
storm would be forecast but no schools would close despite
limited visibility in the morning and rapidly growing drifts.
Finally around noon the storm would be at its peak and the
schools would be declared closed. The town had few school busses
so parents were asked to come pick up their kids, but most fathers
were stuck at work with the only family car. So most of us were
shuttled into the auditorium or gym and watched old movies
while waiting hours for a ride home. Naturally the school
officials were deluged by irate phone calls.

Then there would be a forecast for another possible snowstorm.
Schools closures were announced as soon as a few flakes fell
early in the morning. By 10 am or so the clouds dissipated,
the sun came out, kids had snowball fights on the school
grounds. School officials are again deluged by irate
phone calls.

Repeat until spring.