Bogus Weather Hype

"Morgans" wrote in message
...

I drove for many years in Ohio snow with little problems in the snow, but
I
have discovered that "all snow is not created equal". It is really
wicked,
most of the time, around here.

Amen. Forgive me while I get something off my chest....

I get irritated with folks who move here (NC) from more snow ridden areas
and make fun of the local population's ability to cope with the "wintery
mix". They make fun until we get snow and they realize that the roads don't
get plowed around here. They don't get salted in a timely manner either.
Then the snow turns to ice and, I don't care where you came from, you can't
drive safely on ice. Winter storms in NC really are something to take
seriously. Many times, we only get the ice. Ice storms REALLY suck because
we usually lose power and the roads are simply impassable.

Admittedly, lots of times, we don't get a lot of snow and it is really easy
to get around in what does fall. But you would be amazed at how many people
wreck around here in light snow and ice. Most of the wrecks are
multi-vehicle accidents so you have to reason that if you go driving, you
stand a chance of getting nailed through no fault of your own. That's the
point that I try to drive home to the folks who like to make fun. *You* may
be able to drive in the snow, but it's not much help when your on-coming
traffic is a conversion van that's careening out of control (personal
experience here).

Many of my friends, neighbors, and co-workers are from up north. After a
couple of winters here, NONE of them make fun anymore.

The key to dealing with winter in NC is to treat snow as a good thing. We
don't get it often, it's pretty, and it doesn't stay long. If work isn't
cancelled, I tell my boss that I'll be in late (after all the wrecks are
cleared out).

A good snow in NC is God's way of telling everyone to chill, sit by the fire
and have a hot chocolate.

-Trent
PP-ASEL

P.S. Ice storms come from Satan

Reporting from the northern reaches of California's Mojave Desert,
35°48' N by 117°41' W. Local airport is IYK (Inyokern).
The snow started about 7AM local, this morning. It is 10:30 and we have
accumulated 1.75 inches, as measured on my courtyard. Temperature has risen
from 33.2F (at 7AM) to 35.4F just now. Visibility is more than two miles.
So far, the schools have closed and the children all sent home. The
Naval Air Warfare Center has declared administrative leave for all but
critical infrastructure personnel. My cat absolutely refuses to go outside.
The weather forecasters are predicting perhaps five inches. And, I just
watched one intrepid motorist rumbling by with chains on all four tires.

I understand and agree with Trent's trepidation -- for his area. But I also
think the people who express hyper-anxiety need to get a grip. Chains, for
crying out loud! By mid-afternoon here, the streets will be clear. The sun
will be shining. The kids will have had a great time. The government
employees can kick back and watch the soaps. Me, I'm gonna brew another pot
of coffee.

"Corky Scott" wrote

It takes a lot of time to install them because if you don't do it
properly, they can rip off things like your brake caliper bleed screw.
Ask me how I know this...

Corky Scott

The chains' best friends are 4 (per wheel) heavy short black rubber bungee
cords. Added to properly adjusted chains, they make all the difference.
--
Jim in NC

Trent Moorehead wrote:

I get irritated with folks who move here (NC) from more snow ridden areas
and make fun of the local population's ability to cope with the "wintery
mix".

Agree. I grew up in East Tennessee and learned to drive there. I drove more in
snow when I lived there than a typical New Jersey native will drive in his
entire life. If the plows aren't on the road shortly after the first flake hits
up here, everybody starts complaining.

George Patterson
The desire for safety stands against every great and noble enterprise.

"Dave Stadt" wrote in message
om...

This article from CBS is what you use to defend yourself? You have got to
be kidding. The article is a joke. I live in the Midwest and heard of no
power outages.

vincent p. norris posting to an earlier subthread of this, would disagree
with you.

It was simply a winter snow that dropped less than a foot of
snow in 24 hours. There was no widespread disruption. Of course O'Hare
gets screwed up. What airline in their right mind would pick a Midwest
airport as a hub?



That may be true, but given that they did, they still require a forecast of
disruptive weather conditions.

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
news:XKoDd.28256$3m6.21111@attbi_s51...
The storm may have taken pity on Iowa City, Jay, but a few states east
of there, we've had trees down, floods, thousands of homes in this
area without power and most probably will not get it restored for
another day or so.

Oh, it was a fun storm all right. I spent four hours clearing snow at the
hotel today, and another hour at the hangar. We got about 9 inches of the
white stuff.

But, sheesh, it's January. That's what is *supposed* to happen at this
time of year.

Does this mean that you don't want to have any prior warning of the next one
coming? (The NWS budget of about a Billion could be saved???....)

But, sheesh, it's January. That's what is *supposed* to happen at this
time of year.

Does this mean that you don't want to have any prior warning of the next
one coming? (The NWS budget of about a Billion could be saved???....)

Warnings are appropriate. But false warnings are worse than no warnings at
all.

We're talking about local TV stations placing cold, miserable-looking
reporters on street corners with rulers, measuring snowflakes as they fall,
followed by dire warnings to "stay inside or die!" It's absurd, and leads
to people actually ignoring the warnings, so that when we *do* eventually
get a major winter storm, no one will be paying attention.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

"Jay Honeck" wrote in message
newsPaEd.30782$wu4.8068@attbi_s52...
But, sheesh, it's January. That's what is *supposed* to happen at this
time of year.

Does this mean that you don't want to have any prior warning of the next
one coming? (The NWS budget of about a Billion could be saved???....)

Warnings are appropriate. But false warnings are worse than no warnings
at all.

We're talking about local TV stations placing cold, miserable-looking
reporters on street corners with rulers, measuring snowflakes as they
fall, followed by dire warnings to "stay inside or die!" It's absurd,
and leads to people actually ignoring the warnings, so that when we *do*
eventually get a major winter storm, no one will be paying attention.
--


You will not get any argument from me there... I *DO* agree that reporters
over-hype the weather, as they do many other things. Or add nothing to the
information.... for what informational purpose, exactly, were those
endlessly-repeated night shots of Anderson Cooper getting rain-soaked and
windblown in a Florida Hurricane???

Let's face it. In today's world 9 inches of snow is going to tie up
populated centres. Even 2 inches at rush hour will be disruptive. Does
that warrant some sort of *warning*? Probably. Does it warrant hyped-up
"terrible conditions being braved endlessly by our fearless reporters". I
agree with you: certainly useless!


The Midwest weather-system in question *WAS* significant (although not
exceptional) for a portion of the population to the south and east of Iowa,
(including O'Hare). It is always a little scary for forecasters where there
is a rain-snow boundary involved... because of the freezing rain factor, but
also because if they judge the location of the boundary incorrectly.... then
somebody's 2.0 inches of rain (forecast), can become 2 feet of snow
(reality), a much different disruptive effect. If unsure, they may hedge
their bets toward calling for snow.

This particular system also moved fairly rapidly. I expect that they
under-estimated the speed, anticipating a slower system which would also
have produced greater amounts locally. So only southwest Missouri got the
brunt of the water:
http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/product...105.precip.gif

Apparently most of it in the form of flooding rains, up to 6 inches.
http://joplinglobe.joplinglobe.com/s...id=153868&c=87

That could have been really interesting, had it been snow.

Even so, *they* may believe that hype was justified....