I love this time of year in Columbus. As the first major snowfall of the season approaches, the media outlets go nuts trying to out do each other with their hyperbolic weather forecasting.
The weather forecast for last night into this morning called for 1-3 inches of snow, followed by about one more inch throughout the day today for a grand total of 2-4 inches.
Having grown up in Michigan, and having lived in northern Ohio for most of my adult life, including nearly 5 years in Cleveland, I am used to the snow and don’t really consider 2-4 inches of snow (or anything else for that matter) is something to get excited over. Not so with our local meteorologists!
For the last 24 hours, almost every TV weather man here has been blathering on about the “Major Snow Event!” that is approaching our area. You would think that white death is raining down on our heads over night. It’s gotten so bad, that even the folks at the Columbus Dispatch did a front page story on the over top forecasting:
As snow returns, so does hyperbole
Wednesday, December 5, 2007 3:18 AM
My favorite quote:
“Destruction was supposed to fall from the sky last night. A beautiful blanket of terror. White death.
The meteorologists predicted 1 to 3 inches of snow, which might as well have been 1 to 3 inches of rattlesnakes. One to 3 inches of boiling tar.”
This all reminds me of the episode of 3rd Rock From the Sun where Harry sees snow for the first time and runs around screaming: “Albino Brain Chiggers!!! Cover your ears!!!!”
People in this city lose their freaking heads at the mention of snow. There were even people talking about calling off from work at the nursing home because they didn’t want to drive in “all that snow”. The DON reminded them that they are health care workers and are expected to be at work come hell or high water. You give up the idea of taking a snow day when you work in health care.
I’ve always wondered why the first major snow of the year comes as a surprise to people. We live in Ohio, and it’s winter. In the winter in Ohio, it snows. Always has, probably always will. If you don’t want to worry about snow, MOVE SOUTH!
Oh well. Enough ranting. Here are a couple of pictures:
The view out our back door
Dakota in the snow. He tries to attack it... Then eat it.
A frosted pine tree