Last week we had a snow emergency: schools and offices were closed, and across the state residents hunkered down in preparation for a snowstorm.
And, after all that waiting, hoping, and wishing for snow flurries: all we saw was a light dusting of snow, some rain here and there, nothing to get excited about.
As Washington, DC continued to dig itself out I childishly hoped that maybe the metro-Boston area would see five inches of snow, maybe six? (How many inches do you need to go sledding?) My sled was ready, the weatherman was building up my hopes, and alas…he got it wrong.
Tie this in with Jamieson’s The Press Effect and ponder these questions: What is the obligation of the weather service? And how do they work in collaboration with regular newscasters? Last week we hunkered down and prepared for the worst. When it didn’t happen, criticism was reported on the news because schools and offices prematurely closed in anticipation of a snowstorm that never showed its face.
Fast-forward to today – barely any school closings, offices were opened – and there were about four inches of snow on my doorstep when I got home this evening. But this week the weatherman and newscasters weren’t amping up the expected storm. And after it hit, and continues to snows, no criticism was reported. No safety issues seem to be of concern.
At work, there was heavy wind, snow blowing in all directions and I couldn’t help but think – why was no snow day called? What dangers are commuters going to face this evening?
The Boston Globe reported that snowfall outpaced the weather predictions, and still continues, however, “today’s snowstorm hit a little harder than meteorologists had predicted, but it’s still your ‘typical’ February snowstorm, according to the National Weather Service.”
Why do you think last week’s storm was reported with such a sense of severity, while this week it is a “typical” snowstorm?
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