[BC] TV Weather

[Sid Schweiger]

Weather forecasting on TV, particularly here in New England (where it is
statistically the least accurate of anywhere in the country), has
degenerated into sensationalist circulation-building.  The
weatherman/woman, regardless of his/her credentials (i.e., the AMS logo
on-screen with the person's name), is just another air personality.

In Boston, the only thing the TV weather forecasts are good for lately
is panic.  Most people over a certain age remember the Blizzard of 1978,
when the Boston area got 31 inches of heavy, wet snow in 24 hours,
resulting in an order from then-Governor Michael Dukakis that
effectively shut down all non-emergency use of public roads.  All but
one of the TV weather folks got the forecast wrong, and many people
ended up unable to get food or water because they were prohibited from
driving for the better part of five days.  However, any meterologist
worth his/her salt knows that was what they call a 100-year storm.  But
nowadays anytime any snow is forecast, even a "dusting," and the TV
weather folks open their yaps about it, the grocery stores are besieged.
 You'd think Armageddon was on the way, instead of a little snow. 
People load their carts with ten gallons of milk and ten gallons of
water, because the TV weather types have become so good at scaring
people.  Watching otherwise sane people being thown into a panic by a
natural event like less than one inch of snow has become a source of
endless amusement.



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom New England
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WKAF
WMKK - WRKO - WVEI AM/FM
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid at wrko.com