"It's been snowing since 8:30. Why, there's about a half-inch here on this car." -- TVNews 11:03pm

[Bozita]

Reporter on the scene gave that report on the impending doom moving in on Detroit's population.

I can't believe it. Local TV news has adopted the well-documented Bushco "Fear, more fear, and even more fear" programming concept.

I guess that trumps the ads from different shops and local malls disguised as actual news.

[hedgehog]

1. This kind of reporting is getting to be dangerous.

I understand that a half inch of wet snow is a problem for Atlanta. But when broadcasters start going nuts every time a flake is sighted up here in the snow belt, we have no idea how to tell when REAL bad weather is coming! I didn't pay any attention to this storm until after my dad explained to me that several fronts were coming together this week-end. As near as I can make out, we may actually see blizzard conditions tomorrow in Upstate New York - wind + snow + cold.

FWIW - my dad went to the grocery store in Buffalo today and the entire parking lot was filled by people who came in early to stock up. It was standing room only at 4:40 Mass this afternoon. Normally that only happens at the evening and midnight Masses Christmas Eve.

[aquart]

2. Everybody figures to be trapped inside on Sunday.

I'm impressed that they made sure to get the praying taken care of, too.

[hedgehog]

4. My dad's parish was ground zero for the snow storm October 2006

that took down so many trees. Maybe after that, people decided that they needed to do some praying before this storm hits!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

3. Have you seen "Bowling for Columbine"?

Moore nails Corporate Media and the climate of fear it perpetuates in a rather humorous montage. Fear! Terror! Death! Mattresses that catch fire!

And Godspeed in surviving that blizzard.

[hedgehog]

5. The problem is that every little storm gets treated as a blizzard so

there is no panache any more to having gone though a blizzard.

If the power stays on, it's a matter of knowing the storm is coming and getting home ahead of it. IN Buffalo 1977, the storm hit during lunch hour Friday when everyone was out cashing their check. (Saturday banking was a rarity then!) People were stranded all over the city. I knew a guy who spent the night in a fried chicken place and he swore never to eat chicken again!

A year or so back, a freak storm hit Buffalo just as schools let out. The bus drivers caught out in the storm were alerted to activate the snow plan, so a lot of kids were hauled to the nearest fire station and spent the night there!

We won't know until tomorrow how bad this storm is going to be. The power better stay on though - I have work to do for my job and two daughters have to write papers to e-mail back to college by Tuesday!

[WorseBeforeBetter]

21. And every little raindrop is treated like a hurricane.

I have freak storm stories from my DC days (I know Buffalo trumps all). :-) I tended to ride it out in my office and let everyone else hit the roads and Metro (I didn't have kids to deal with), then head out when the panic was over. Doesn't always work, though. I definitely remember one particularly popsicle-y walk from DC to my apartment in Arlington.

I need to turn on the Weather Channel and see what's going on... good luck!

[rockymountaindem]

12. I think that was the best part of that movie

You're absolutely right though. The news where I live has taken to acting like the regular afternoon thunderstorm is some kind of catastrophic event. It's deranged.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

22. It is!

And since I tend to tune them out (Chicken Little comes to mind), I'll be screwed when something big actually does happen.

[TahitiNut]

6. Well, it's already about 2" on the ground here in Royal Oak.

And it's getting heavier. :grr:

Damned white sjit! Water ain't supposed to be solid. It ain't natchurel!

[Bozita]

10. Reporter on Ch7 was standing in front of Cobo Hall. She had to LOOK for accumulated snow.

They had a guy out front of Cobo shoveling this <0.5in of calamity. Amazing.

I don't make light of the coming night. Just don't let those power lines fall.

And, how will the various shops and malls attract credit-laden shoppers if not for local teevee news?

Just let the dogs out. There's about 1.5 in. in Dearborn at this time.

[catnhatnh]

11. Scotch, Rocks....

..it don't get more natural than that.
Edit to add: Great storm stress renoval tool!

[TahitiNut]

13. There was a day I surely enjoyed a single malt on the rocks. (Heresy, I know.)

I "graduated" from Cutty Sark College. :evilgrin:

Can't do that anymore - bad for depression and doesn't 'mix' with meds. A glass of merlot is good, though.

[nickinSTL]

7. a half-inch? in Detroit?

yeah, that's a reason to panic :eyes:

We've got a good 4 inches in the St. Louis area (up to 7 in some areas, with something like 4-5 hours of snow still to come).

[kestrel91316]

8. You think that's bad. Ever since we had that really biblical rain in 2-92,

the media has their frickin' "STORM WATCH!!!!!!!" 24/7 every time a cloud passes over (which, granted, isn't very often except in the winter when it is only slightly more often). They get this city in a royal panic over amounts of rainfall too small to measure.

[ThoughtCriminal]

9. What if it's really "Albino Brain Chiggers"?!

I think I'll stay inside, just to be safe.

[KharmaTrain]

14. Here's Sorta What's Coming...

We've had about 4-5 inches here in suburban Chicago. It started around noon and is still flaking on and off. Nothing anyone whose lived in this area hasn't dealt with before. No real wind and the temp is around 28. Hopefully this is what you'll get, too...I know it's worse to the north, but then isn't that what Wisconsin was made for? :rofl:

I long ago tuned out much of the local commercial media news...I catch what I need online, the local PBS and Public Radio station. I love it when they have to send their minicam truck 100 miles to find some flakes coming down...as if none of us here have ever seen snow before. Sheesh.

In our area, we really haven't had a heavy snow in many years...one of those 10-inch plus crunchers that turn the expressways into parking lots. I'm concerned about the fact it's been so long and that so many people drive SUVs and MiniVans that are skid monsters even with an inch snowfall...a large one may gridlock this city for days.

Best of luck...welcome to winter in the great Midwest...

[notadmblnd]

15. Salt truck and plows are out.

just got back from the casino, the roads were a mess, but I don't see a disaster out there. there was one car in the ditch at I75 and Big Beaver. It's supposed to be 6 - 8 inches? Somehow, I think we'll survive.

[TahitiNut]

16. Only 2" to 4" is expected tonight. 75% of the snowfall is expected tomorrow.

# Tonight: Snow likely. Low 23F. Winds NE at 15 to 25 mph. 2 to 4 inches of snow expected.
# Tomorrow: Periods of snow and windy. Blowing snow with local ground blizzards. High 27F. Winds N at 25 to 35 mph. 6 to 10 inches of snow expected.
# Tomorrow night: Windy with snow showers early becoming more scattered later. Low 24F. Winds WNW at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.

[notadmblnd]

17. Tomorrow is house cleaning day

and I lost my bank card tonight so I cant spend any money anyway. Yep, it's just house cleaning and cooking for me tomorrow; maybe a nice pot of chili?

[orleans]

18. oh, that sounds good--i was thinking of stew but chili sounds good too

we've got several inches here tonight (chicago suburbs) and it's so freakin gorgeous--i was standing in the backyard about an hour ago, looking around. i love snowy winter nights.

(and i really should clean the house tomorrow too)

[radfringe]

19. just sleet here, around an inch...

according to the local weather report last evening - the storm was suppose to start around 7pm on Saturday. By 9pm still nothing.

the forcast called for it to start out as sleet, change over to snow, then back to a sleet/freezing rain/slushy mix.

when I took the dogs out this morning it was sleeting, maybe a litle over an inch of stuff on the ground. suppose to get 6", but forcast says it will be over by 11am - so if we do get 6" it will need to snow an inch an hour...

I live about 15 miles northwest of Wilkes-Barre

[NorthernSpy]

20. 1/2 inch of snow in 2 1/2 hours? WE'RE DOOOOOOMED!!!11!

:eyes:

If she thinks that's impressive, she should see what we're getting today in Maine. This one storm could drop two more feet of snow down on our heads.