It's snowing, oh no!

[pennsywoodburnr]

You've got a point, however over the last few years the NE weather reporters have gone from a message of "we could get some extreme weather so everyone should take caution" to a message of "OMFG the freakin world is going to end when we get 2' of snow". It's the 24/7 nonstop reports on every news channel about something that could happen. Well maybe I'm too toughened because I'm from the Midwest where we get real winter, but in reality people from the NE live in a climate that has the ability to dish out a bad storm or two every season and should be well aware and prepared that such a thing could happen. Totally different context than if say Georgia or Texas get a lot of snow.

This right here is what I was talking about Zogger, not the reports that went something along the lines of "look, it's going to be ugly out there. Do yourself a favor and stay inside and hunker down". Most people that see approaching storms usually do that anyways. The freak storm that caught Georgia off guard was something no one possibly could get ready for. No salt trucks or snow removal equipment, drivers that had no idea what to do once all the precipitation started falling, or anything like that. I was driving home from work late Monday night and the LED signs that New Jersey has said "statewide ban on driving in effect" or something along those lines. All that over a measly storm. The one I got caught up in last year crippled the state and they were only predicting a couple inches off of that one. I had to use my car like a battering ram to get into the trade zone where I work. My point being the only reason I was out there driving, was because I had to. Had it been on my day off, I never would've set foot outside of the door (except maybe to stack up more firewood, lol).

 

[stihly dan]

I love the big storms, breaks up the monotony of life. No work today as the state is pretty much shut down. I have around 30 inches of snow so far with a good cold wind. That's an average of 2 1/2 inches an hr for 12 hrs. It is miserable outside. The weather men hit it on the head for my area, Im ok with the grandstanding as it helped keep my teenagers close by, there work couldn't force them to come in. Amazing how the non important minimum wage jobs try to force people to go to work, when the rest of the world has it off for safety.

 

[Cerran]

You know if you stuck to posting things like the neat videos on this thread and dropped the constant attempts to stir up an argument things would go much smoother for you on this forum. Clearly the entire NE is getting some portion of the weather and I never said they weren't. But the nice folks in Maine put on their big boy/girl pants today and are just fine.

I agree it's asinine for them to issue travel bans because of the snow. How about you warn people of the weather and let them make the decision. A few years ago we got 26 inches in 24 hours, knew it was coming and for damn sure there were no travel bans.

 

[1project2many]

@slowp , people here live in cities all their lives and never get out to the mountains. Tuckerman is tough country... world class climbing. But avalanches there are nothing more than a news item most of the time. What happens there is hikers and climbers grossly underestimate how quickly conditions can change then they get lost or injured.

@svk , I have no problems with weathermen predicting big storms and being wrong. I get frustrated when the prediction causes panic. I feel like anyone with common sense can handle this. Then again, 20 people have been reported going off the road here due to excess speed and / or vehicles not properly equipped in this storm so it's obvious that common sense isn't the only factor to consider. I do get upset when the media goes off the deep end on a story like this because there's nothing more important to worry about. But on the up side, maybe this is the official end to the Pats low balls coverage.

You know, we could run a network that simply reports on the number of people who are tired of any given overplayed story during the day. That would generate a lifetime of stories.

As far as weather, we've got about 20" in Manchester right now, wind gusts are 30-50 mph. Driving into town was a little challenging but not too bad as I've got a 1 ton truck with a plow and service equipment to help. It's still snowing and blowing and I heard we're looking at 8" more. We may be the northeast but we don't usually get this much snow in one storm here. It is news that it's happening. But it doesn't need to be national news with 24/7 coverage and ridiculous stories.

Amazing how the non important minimum wage jobs try to force people to go to work, when the rest of the world has it off for safety.

That should be the story. "Retailers close doors due to weather and remain financially solvent."

 

[fixit1960]

From my point of view I am frustrated the American society has gotten to the point it has to let the Government or weather bureau tell them how to dress, drive and think. Give us the facts and let us make up our mind how to survive. Don't close roads. Don't broadcast the end of the world is coming and put everybody in a panic. Let people think it through and if they fail??? (shrug) it's part of the process of natural selection. I know 50 year old's here in Iowa that leave to drive to town in 15 degree weather with a light jacket on. I say hey, what if you have car trouble or a flat tire? Oh "I have a cell phone".....great, don't call me for your emergency because you didn't plan accordingly.

 

[1project2many]

Oh "I have a cell phone".....great, don't call me for your emergency because you didn't plan accordingly.

I might make that my new sig. "It's ok. I have a cell phone."

 

[Mad Professor]

Ok, here's a challenge! Want to get filthy stinking rich, way beyond the dreams of avarice? Easey peasey. If you, or anyone else here criticizing the weather predictions can consistently do a better job, here's your ticket! Let's see what ya got. Should be a cakewalk, right?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weather_derivative

Or, just start your own prediction service, tons of companies will buy your product over the NOAA/NWS efforts.

Johnny Carson predicted the weather the old fashion way with a barometer and looking at the cloud types (anybody remember how to do this?).

His results beat the meterologists.

 

[Mad Professor]

Massachusetts still has a driving ban in effect...that's ALL of Massachusetts...half of the state got less than 4 inches! why issue things like that for the ENTIRE state when only less than 1/2 of the state is really being affected???
lately decisions have been made off of what COULD happen, you even say it yourself that their model changes CONSTANTLY, how can you base your decision off of something that's always changing?...that's just retarded!

you shouldn't need a weather man to tell you to be cautious during certain conditions...if its snowing out I keep an eye on it and clear it as needed, or if I have to go out I'm cautious...not that difficult to be observant and take the proper precautions...just LOOK OUTSIDE!

Because there is a bunch of mASSholes running the show in Basstun. West of Rt 128 is the wilderness and they think west of Rt 495 is real close to New York

 

[Cheese Whiz]

Hurricanes are a total different story though and nothing to mess with. Nobody dies from 2' of snow UNLESS they have a medical emergency and are unable to get help OR they do something stupid that causes them to be subject to the elements.

Actually they do. Get 2 feet of snow on top of existing, crusty snow in the mountains and you get avalanches. 4 or 5 "experts" were killed 2 winters ago skiing out of bounds. They were caught in an avalanche at the Stevens Pass area.

Mighta been stupid?

 

[blacklocst]

I know 50 year old's here in Iowa that leave to drive to town in 15 degree weather with a light jacket on. I say hey, what if you have car trouble or a flat tire? Oh "I have a cell phone".....great, don't call me for your emergency because you didn't plan accordingly.

Didn't you know Whitespider has bias plys and he doesn't get flats?

 

[slowp]

Mighta been stupid?

That's the easy way out. It seems as though they all knew what they were doing so well that nobody wanted to challenge any members of the group. One of the least experienced folks decided not to go, maybe saving his life.

Unlike other places, our region is big on outdoor recreation. We always have been. Skis have evolved, like everything else, so you don't have to be as skilled to ski off the groomed trails. The new designs also make it easier to learn to ski and allow you to progress more quickly. Our burgeoning population doesn't help--more people are skiing the back country (where cell phones are dead weight) than ever before. More people skiing the back country means more chances for avalanche fatalities.

It isn't just the skiers either. I believe our state had an all time high for mountain rescues and searches last year. We had more fatalities to hikers and climbers than avalanche deaths. We'll see how this year goes. We are expecting more hikers because of the movie, Wild.

 

[Mad Professor]

The Yankees get by just fine thank you very much. Those folks bannin' travel and closin' the state ain't Yankees.




It's also a slow news day so of course the storm is getting top billing. Maybe a volcano will erupt in the PNW so they have something exciting to talk about.

1) My Grandparents were those Yankees and never had electricity for the farm until the 1940s. They got along fine with oil lamps, woodstoves..........

If it snowed the animals still got watered and fed. Road might not get plowed out for a week. I enjoyed living there and a good storm was an excuse to use the snowshoes.

2) The media is all over this as Bergdahl is about to be charged with treason and they are running a distraction for King Sotero

 

[Cerran]

From my point of view I am frustrated the American society has gotten to the point it has to let the Government or weather bureau tell them how to dress, drive and think. Give us the facts and let us make up our mind how to survive. Don't close roads. Don't broadcast the end of the world is coming and put everybody in a panic. Let people think it through and if they fail??? (shrug) it's part of the process of natural selection. I know 50 year old's here in Iowa that leave to drive to town in 15 degree weather with a light jacket on. I say hey, what if you have car trouble or a flat tire? Oh "I have a cell phone".....great, don't call me for your emergency because you didn't plan accordingly.

Yep, it's amazing to me how many people don't have an emergency car kit with supplies food and water. I always have my winter coat, hat, gloves, boots in the trunk since I drive for work and am generally wearing business casual attire. When I drive in MT for work I carry even more.

 

[Chris-PA]

We are a virtual society now, and the physical world is not supposed to intrude - when it does it's a crisis. Can you imagine what it will be like when everyone is walking around with VR goggles on? Also, in a Facebook world everything that happens to you is very important (you know special stuff like inhaling and exhaling), so all the trivial little things that used to be just normal life are amplified into significant events. We are all soooo special now.

Last, as the climate and typical weather changes (leaving out discussion of why), the predictions become less reliable (too much no longer relevant historical data), and people are no longer used to what was once normal. Here in PA what used to be common driving and coping skills for snow are now rare. People assume you must have a 4wd for a couple inches of snow, and even with them many are clearly almost paralyzed with fear.

 

[svk]

Yep, it's amazing to me how many people don't have an emergency car kit with supplies food and water. I always have my winter coat, hat, gloves, boots in the trunk since I drive for work and am generally wearing business casual attire. When I drive in MT for work I carry even more.

I try to carry a wool coat, wool bibs, and boots with me all winter. Saved me two years ago when I had a flat and would have needed to change it in a slushy ramp in a suit if I wasn't prepared.

 

[X-S-FLA]

Hah, all I've gotta carry in South FL is a raincoat and the 9mm

 

[farmer steve]

We are a virtual society now, and the physical world is not supposed to intrude - when it does it's a crisis. Can you imagine what it will be like when everyone is walking around with VR goggles on? Also, in a Facebook world everything that happens to you is very important (you know special stuff like inhaling and exhaling), so all the trivial little things that used to be just normal life are amplified into significant events. We are all soooo special now.

Last, as the climate and typical weather changes (leaving out discussion of why), the predictions become less reliable (too much no longer relevant historical data), and people are no longer used to what was once normal. Here in PA what used to be common driving and coping skills for snow are now rare. People assume you must have a 4wd for a couple inches of snow, and even with them many are clearly almost paralyzed with fear.

 

[X-S-FLA]

Oop! See Yahoo's page...'Meteorologist apologizes for snowstorm forecast'
Imaging that...

 

[philoshop]

FUD! Run away, run away.
If you can't handle it, you deserve what you get.

 

[taskswap]

I agree it's asinine for them to issue travel bans because of the snow. How about you warn people of the weather and let them make the decision. A few years ago we got 26 inches in 24 hours, knew it was coming and for damn sure there were no travel bans.

The travel ban wasn't because of the snow quantity expected. It was because we also got 60+mph winds (and here in Western CT it's still gusting that high). Blizzard conditions aren't about quantity, they're about visibility, and I don't think it was stupid to advise people not to get on the highway when you couldn't see 3' in front of your face last night.

We got about 7" here - no biggie. Just saying, there's more to size than meets the eyes.