Why do people react to weather the way they do?

[Calhoun07]

Well, it looks like Kansas City is in for it's first snow of the season tonight. We will get 3-6 inches of powdery snow, and likely in the area I live in it won't be that heavy. But yet people are acting like it's going to be the next ice storm, or a blizzard, or something horrible. And my question is: why do people act like total MORONS when it snows???

It's not just here. When I lived in Minnesota, people would rush to the stores and stock up whenever snow was forecasted, as if we were still living in the early 30's before the days of snow plows and road crews when people would be snowed in their homes for a week or more. But after every snow, even the worst storms, the roads were cleared by our good, and efficient, road crews and you were still able to get to the grocery store.

Of course, Kansas City had a bad ice storm last year, a storm that knocked out power in the entire metro area and most areas were without power for upwards to a month. And people are responding as if this new snow we are getting is the next ice storm. People are rushing to the grocery stores, stocking up on food, and going to get generators and flashlights and camping lights as if this fluffy powder that will fall later tonight is going to take down every friggin power line in the city.

And of course the media doesn't help at all. They broadcast stories about what to do in the event you can't get to work, and seem to suggest that people won't be able to drive for the next two days, even tho on the previous story they announce that all the road crews are poised and ready for action. So, if the road crews are so eager to get to work, that means the roads will be CLEARED by tomorrow morning, RIGHT? But they make it sound as if the entire city will shut down. And it doesn't help when they show stock footage from a previous horrible snow storm where the snow is all wet and packed high and cars and trucks are spinning around on the roads. Idiots, every last one of them.

It's times like this that I loose any faith I might have in the hewmon race. I mean, don't we learn from past winters? AT ALL??? I swear that sometimes the hewmon race is like a dog that keeps on barking at the same vaccum cleaner when it's turned on. People keep on panicing and fearing things that should not be feared at all. Drive carefully, yes, but don't alter your entire life because of this.

Oh, and my favorite quote of the day? "They didn't predict the ice storm last year." Uh, yes they did. I lived here then, they did predict it. In fact, it was in the 7 day forecast a full week before it hit. It was the only time the weather men got the forecast right the entire winter. How easilly people forget.

[Singin' Stray Cat]

It ain't just Kansas City. Memphians panic at the slightest mention of icy weather, too. Though this fear isn't totally unfounded...there was a pretty bad ice storm about 8 years ago that shut down most of the city for a few weeks. Not to mention most people around here don't know how to drive on a road in nice weather, much less wintry weather.

The weathermen on the news absolutely love this stuff. This, and severe weather, is what they live for. If there's any chance, no matter how remote, that it might snow or sleet anywhere within a 250-mile radius of the city, we'll hear about it on every single news program and see it on every single type of radar they own for the next few days. :rolleyes: What's really funny is watching the forecast change dramatically over that time span. What started out last week as 2-5 inches accumulation might drop down to possibly a quarter of an inch or less the night before the cold front comes through...if we're lucky. That way we're not too disappointed when we wake up the next morning. XD

[James]

England. It's our pastime to talk about the weather constantly. People do over react and the media loves to take advantage of this. Whether here on the coast is windy to say the least - no warnings though - it's the coast and the media know it's expected from time to time. In other words, there is no scare mongering to be made from it...

[Digu Volz]

People are cautious... and many wait until the last minute to act on said caution. Most people go shopping once a week anyway, so it doesn't change much save for what you'd purchase.

[Narfpinky]

Also with the news and sevre weather...
A few channels here have this habit of naming weather situations, i.e. "Snow Watch '03". Yes, we must make sure you're not confusing this sevre weather with anything else the last few years.

[ZorBrak]

Dunno about raiding grocery stores but I LOVE storms. Snow eh it's okay I don't gotta go to school, but thunder storms rock, I like to sit in a recliner and listen to rain, and thunder and just drift to sleep :). It's fun to run in too 'cuz no one is outside and I can be like whoo I'm standing drenched how fun.... I'm crazy weeeeeeeee :D

[Mitsuko]

Where I live, all they talk about for weather is another BIG storm that's coming. We had a fairly big storm come on Christmas, and I thought that was enough, but then there was talk about an even bigger winter storm on New Year's. It only snowed about an inch or two.

Earlier this week the only thing anyone could talk about was this winter storm that was coming. I learned never to trust the weather channel, so I didn't think much of it. They even closed some schools early around where I live because it was supposed to be bad. Of course are school has a reputation of staying open even in the worst conditions. We didn't get any snow. None. I just don't understand why people make such a big deal about the weather either. We never get what we're supposed to anyway.

-Mitsuko

[TimTwoFace]

I know what you mean, Calhoun. We in Vancouver are just the same way. You'd think that all places in Canada would be used to snowstorms; nope, not true. Vancouver gets one day of snow a year at best on average. Anyone that's grown up here does not know how to drive in the snow, and everyone is scared of accidents, clogged roads, etc; stores are always swarming with activity during that one day snowfall each winter (usually in February, if ever) and then it's over. Just like that. Poof.

Rain? We can handle terrential downpours. Wind? We've been to Oz and back. Earthquakes? We're not cowering in fear and the big one has yet to hit.

Yet, for some reason, snow freaks everyone out. Personally, I love the stuff, but everyone over the age of 30 HATES it. No one likes to have fun any more, it would seem.

-Tim

[Meson]

We here in Buffalo, NY had just come from 2 straight winters of disaster level, wrath-of-god storms, so it makes sense that we would panic. However, with every snow storm, most people take it in stride. Most people get their winter gear and supplies early.

[Magwheel]

Originally posted by Calhoun07
Well, it looks like Kansas City is in for it's first snow of the season tonight. We will get 3-6 inches of powdery snow, and likely in the area I live in it won't be that heavy. But yet people are acting like it's going to be the next ice storm, or a blizzard, or something horrible. And my question is: why do people act like total MORONS when it snows???

It's not just here. When I lived in Minnesota, people would rush to the stores and stock up whenever snow was forecasted, as if we were still living in the early 30's before the days of snow plows and road crews when people would be snowed in their homes for a week or more. But after every snow, even the worst storms, the roads were cleared by our good, and efficient, road crews and you were still able to get to the grocery store.

Of course, Kansas City had a bad ice storm last year, a storm that knocked out power in the entire metro area and most areas were without power for upwards to a month. And people are responding as if this new snow we are getting is the next ice storm. People are rushing to the grocery stores, stocking up on food, and going to get generators and flashlights and camping lights as if this fluffy powder that will fall later tonight is going to take down every friggin power line in the city.

And of course the media doesn't help at all. They broadcast stories about what to do in the event you can't get to work, and seem to suggest that people won't be able to drive for the next two days, even tho on the previous story they announce that all the road crews are poised and ready for action. So, if the road crews are so eager to get to work, that means the roads will be CLEARED by tomorrow morning, RIGHT? But they make it sound as if the entire city will shut down. And it doesn't help when they show stock footage from a previous horrible snow storm where the snow is all wet and packed high and cars and trucks are spinning around on the roads. Idiots, every last one of them.

It's times like this that I loose any faith I might have in the hewmon race. I mean, don't we learn from past winters? AT ALL??? I swear that sometimes the hewmon race is like a dog that keeps on barking at the same vaccum cleaner when it's turned on. People keep on panicing and fearing things that should not be feared at all. Drive carefully, yes, but don't alter your entire life because of this.

Oh, and my favorite quote of the day? "They didn't predict the ice storm last year." Uh, yes they did. I lived here then, they did predict it. In fact, it was in the 7 day forecast a full week before it hit. It was the only time the weather men got the forecast right the entire winter. How easilly people forget.


One word: "sensationalism." The media loves to make people freak out and give them another reason to go spend as much money as they will, and NOW.

One more word: "over-kill." As to the people's reaction, besides the media's influence, yeah, "the masses" are pretty much like terrified dogs that don't know (haven't learned) how to react to the big bad scary vaccuum cleaner. I guess it makes them feel good that they're doing SOMETHING to *protect themselves*. I think this is part of it, at least in some cases, anyway.

Kansas City is getting snow?! I'd better go buy a few snow-blowers and a bomb-shelter and hire a crew to use the snowblowers. yeah, I live billions of miles away, in Canada, but surely that's a sign winter is here! :eek:


I also want to ech ZorBrak comments. Nothin' better than a good thunder storm to drench ya to the marrow :D

[Outlander00]

Man... I know exactly what all of you go through (especially my NY bretheren :D)... People in this town fear the worst whenever snow falls (or even is reported from the channels down in the city). And when it does snow in the slightest (especially the first snow of the year), they drive like theres a sheet of ice on the ground (not that it isnt wise to be cautious... but overly cautious?) and clean out the local stores of food and water. The funniest part is when there is a real heavy snowfall, the people in SUV's, thinking they are okay, drive 80 mph and pass people... Only for them to end up in a ditch a mile away (I have seen it 4 times this year, so far). You'd think people in the Northeastern United States would get used to snow by now :p

And Mag hit it right on the head... The weather is news so they will treat it like all the other news... sensationally. There was an article in the Times recently about this issue, and they interviewed (with the promise of anonymity :rolleyes: ) a local stations meteorologist about how the weather is broadcast, with those words being his exact response. He said that it's better for them to report inclimate weather and have it not happen than not to and have it happen.

[Elven Moon]

It isn't any better in Michigan. People still fret, the radio DJs and suits on TV always say "Drive carefully, because blah blah blah," "Road accidents everywhere," etc. I don't know of people going mad and rushing to the store and stocking up on supplies yet. The snow hasn't been all that bad yet.

[ButteredToast]

Originally posted by Singin' Stray Cat
[B]It ain't just Kansas City. Memphians panic at the slightest mention of icy weather, too. Though this fear isn't totally unfounded...there was a pretty bad ice storm about 8 years ago that shut down most of the city for a few weeks. Not to mention most people around here don't know how to drive on a road in nice weather, much less wintry weather.

I remember that... it got pretty bad out here in MidTenn too. Trees snapping in two, power lines down everywhere. Couldn't even go anywhere because ALL the roads were covered in a slick sheet of pure ice. I only remember the power being out for about 3-4 days... I also remember losing my prized 1-foot Oscar due to not being able to keep the water temp up high enough. :(

I hate driving in snow. It makes me very nervous, especially when other vehicles are nearby (when you're right, you're right... I wonder just how many driver's licenses around here come out of Cracker Jack boxes.)

Speaking of which, it's snowing right NOW... Boy, coming home from work is going to be a real treat... :(

[Patrick Bateman]

Well, it looks like Kansas City is in for it's first snow of the season tonight. We will get 3-6 inches of powdery snow, and likely in the area I live in it won't be that heavy. But yet people are acting like it's going to be the next ice storm, or a blizzard, or something horrible. And my question is: why do people act like total MORONS when it snows???
I totally hear where you're coming from, Cal. I live just a few hours down the road in Wichita, and everybody's whining talking about the "winter storm". Oh yeah, it was some storm. :rolleyes: We have a bit of powdery snow, and there was a hint of ice on the cars in the morning. It's the end of the world, I tell you! :p



-@

[Calhoun07]

Well, here I am almost 24 hours since my last post, and guess what? I am still alive!! The side roads were not plowed when I left for work this morning (I live near a school, but they only plow it when they don't call school off, and they gave the kiddies a snow day today, so it wasn't one of the first roads to be plowed). Was it slick? Yes, I felt like my car could spin out on me at any time. I wasn't nervous before I left for work, I even did a test in my apartment parking lot where I tried to stop fast and I came to a complete stop, no sliding, but the roads were a different story. Thankfully, nobody was on the road with me so I could coast at my own speed and not worry about it.

We got about 4 inches here, and some areas got much more. And the roads are all cleared by now, and mostly dry. And, Magwheel, you make it sound like a surprise we got snow. We normally have our first snow before now. We don't get a lot of snow, but we get on average 13 inches per year. Thankfully, this winter has been mercifully dry for Kansas City, which is something I can't say for just south of us.

And they have earthquakes in Vancouver? I can handle snow, not the idea that any day my house may fall in on me.

[Magwheel]

Originally posted by Calhoun07
And, Magwheel, you make it sound like a surprise we got snow. We normally have our first snow before now. We don't get a lot of snow, but we get on average 13 inches per year. Thankfully, this winter has been mercifully dry for Kansas City, which is something I can't say for just south of us.

Heh, sorry. That was my failed attempt to over-react to your weather report, hence going along with the theme, and sensationalism, and the link ;) I should have used an tag or something. I understood from your opening post that you indeed get snow, as the norm. Actually, we've had several snow storms where I am. I'll try to be clearer next time.

Though a snow-blower-race might be fun :p

[Good Ol' Batmanuel!]

Originally posted by Magwheel
Though a snow-blower-race might be fun :p
Whatever, Ulus. Anyway, the point is, I think snow is beautiful, but I don't do anything in it other than shovel it and hurt my back, so I have mixed emotions about it.

Semi-seriously, though, if I had a snow blower (we're currently looking into that situation, actually), I'd race ya! I'd modify the drivetrain to accept a standard V8 engine and add a seat of some kind. Oh, and a roll bar, of course! :D

[William C. Maune]

[indent]Woo hoo! A weather topic! We only got about inches here East of Kansas City, but they still shut down all the schools. While the rest of the news may blow things out of proportion, the people there shouldn't be complaining about the forecasting. As Calhoun mentioned, they were forecasting the ice storm for days last year and between Busby, Thompson, Lezak and etc. you have some of the best weather coverage around on TV.

[Nightflower]

Us Ottawans are made of tougher stuff than that! We don't freak out over 2 feet of snow.... unlike the city of Toronto, who called the army. ;)

[Steve Jester]

Syracuse, Phoenix, Fulton, Baldwinsville Oswego, Tug Hill Plateu, all of these locations are prime for the worst kind of snow, lake effect. You know why? We have Lake Ontario as our neighbor to the northwest. It takes a lot to close schools here. (Speaking of which...)

[Sir Gatts]

Originally posted by Nightflower
Us Ottawans are made of tougher stuff than that! We don't freak out over 2 feet of snow.... unlike the city of Toronto, who called the army. ;)
Hehe. Picking a war with the snow I see. :p Thankfully I didn't get hit by the storm just north from my location. The snow piles now reach over 6 feet in height there.

[Magwheel]

Originally posted by Good Ol' Batmanuel!
Whatever, Ulus. Anyway, the point is, I think snow is beautiful, but I don't do anything in it other than shovel it and hurt my back, so I have mixed emotions about it.

Semi-seriously, though, if I had a snow blower (we're currently looking into that situation, actually), I'd race ya! I'd modify the drivetrain to accept a standard V8 engine and add a seat of some kind. Oh, and a roll bar, of course! :D

You're a jerk. I'd have roll barS. That's right. Plural! And I'd paint mine purple, 'cause purlpe's the fastest color! And I'd use tacheon emissions, and point the thing that throws the snow and tacheon emissions behind me, as thrusters, but I'd turn it into a dual-exhaust-styled system. Woohoo! :D

And yes, snow is beautiful, in that I don't have to shovel it. Wait a minute, what am I talking about? Shoveling snow is fun, but we've got a snowblower, and someone to run it, and so on. I'm jealous, Batmanuel. Though, it is your fault. Isn't it. ;)

Back to the topic, it's currently snowing here, and I'm starting to worry about how the roads will be this evening. ;) I think I should go home now before it's too late

[Oh, and that's ULYSSE, not Ulus. Sounds like you're saying I'm a luser. ;)]

I just noticed I said "and the link" in a previous post. Supposed to be "and the like." :p

[jeffrey 228]

Well some of us can be in bad moods or tired moods if there is like eaither Rain or it is cloudy and all, and I my self have had that happened and all.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by William C. Maune
_____Woo hoo! A weather topic! We only got about inches here East of Kansas City, but they still shut down all the schools. While the rest of the news may blow things out of proportion, the people there shouldn't be complaining about the forecasting. As Calhoun mentioned, they were forecasting the ice storm for days last year and between Busby, Thompson, Lezak and etc. you have some of the best weather coverage around on TV.

I can't stand Mike Thompson. Here is his pic:
http://www.wdaftv4.com/images/biopics/Thompson.jpg

The reason I can't stand him is the worse the weather gets, the more he smiles and looks like a total dumb ass (in the absolute worst weather, he looks like the freaking Joker!). I am upset the weather is getting bad and he is virtually LAUGHING about it. And that whole "Working for you" line they use makes me mad too. If you're working for me, YOU drive in that ice and snow and go to work for me, Thompson! Let's see you smile like a fool then!

Yeah, I know, I got nothing better to do if the Fox 4 news team makes me so mad, but sometimes those personalities on that channel drive me nuts. Don Harman is also annoying, his lame jokes are not funny. Lauria is all right, tho.

BTW, Mike Thompson predicted 1-2 inches for most of the metro and we got 4-6 for most of the metro, which is what every other weather man predicted. How could he have been so far off?

[Steve Jester]

Originally posted by Sir Gatts
Hehe. Picking a war with the snow I see. :p Thankfully I didn't get hit by the storm just north from my location. The snow piles now reach over 6 feet in height there.

I think you mean the one that hit Oswego, Fulton, Mexico but yet missed Phoenix which closed school the earliest?

I had fun on that day! :D

[William C. Maune]

[indent]Mike Thompson is a nice guy in real life at least. I spent an afternoon with him at the station back in high school. He actually makes most of his own graphics instead of using canned stuff from some company. As for blowing the forecast, snow totals are one of the hardest things to predict. There are a lot more variables than with rain. I never really liked the rest of Fox 4 news myself. It's as if they have been trying to ignore the fact that they are indeed a Fox station. I stick to Channel 9 for most all of my local news when I am in town nowadays. Plus, Busby is on there and you can't beat him for accurate forecasts!