Wisconsin is notorious for over-hyping the weather, particularly in winter. It seems in the last few years that “the big one” has hit us six or seven times, with varied levels of terror predicted. Many times the predicted destruction amounts to ankle-high snow, slightly slippery roads and a mea culpa from the local TV stations which sounds like, “Well, it looks like the storm just missed us.”
Today is no different. We have an ice storm warning for pretty much the whole bottom half of the state and, while it is snowing pretty good outside and the roads are slick, we’re nowhere near needing to stock up on saran wrap and duct tape. All the local network affiliates sent out cub reporters this morning to stand in wet, heavy snowfall to remind drivers to “take it easy” and “allow extra time for getting wherever it is you have to go.” As if anyone will really listen to that (especially if they are already speeding to work in their cars at 50 mph in a 30 mph zone).
Tim Cuprisin, the TV/radio reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, posted this video as a tongue-in-cheek report of the conditions on his “weather deck.” It epitomizes perfectly my feelings about the “chicken little” attitude of local television weather coverage. When the actual “Big One” arrives, I fear no one is going to listen because the meteorologists have cried “wolf” one too many times.
Ring Out the Old, Ring in the New... 