SNOWMA–ALMOST

SNOWMA-ALMOST: THE ALMOST SNOWMAGEDDON II

So you scrambled to your car, sped to the grocery store, mauled an employee, and snatched up enough food and supplies to fill a fallout shelter upon the rumor of a possible blizzard, did you?

Well I sure did. I know I’m not alone. For months I’d listened to my elders go on with these “signs”—one would think Armageddon was on its way. This being a questionable form of weather prediction, I didn’t pay too much mind to it until news stations started predicting feet of snow (as I heard on the radio from a National Weather Service announcement, “…snow that will likely take out many power-lines…”). I was convinced that was it from that moment on.

The day arrived when the all-powerful-mighty-blizzard was due to check in to town. I’d gotten a billion logs stacked up beside my fireplace, anxiously stared at the window for hours, and repeatedly begged my grandmother to come stay with us—safe from the big bad storm.

Hour and hour passed–nothing. Finally some precipitation fell from the sky and I KNEW it was here. Alas, I woke up in the morning to a mere inch and a half, and full use of all my electricity.

I felt bamboozled, cheated, swindled! What exactly happened to our promised catastrophe?!

Well, nature happened. If you noticed, each prediction each hour changed (as the weather changes). Our snowfall amounts dwindled down hour by hour, why? It’s because the main storm was directed more north to us and formed sort of a horse shoe, giving Rockwood and Crossville (about an hour away from us, mind you) twice the amount we received and south east Kentucky quadruple the amount we received.

I’ve casually observed the numerous complaints online about how angry people are over their expectations not being met with a blizzard. I, too, was disappointed; however these emotions sparked hostility to meteorologists. Many people joking that they lied to us about inches, don’t know what they’re talking about, etc.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but it can’t be they don’t know what they’re talking about. All news stations, even the National Weather Service predicted we’d receive far more than we did. They didn’t lie, because, well, WHY WOULD THEY?

The storm was STILL a major weather event this winter. A number of deaths were actually reported from the storm—diminishing the excitement and happiness we pair with this sort of weather and revealing the harsh reality that this weather is DANGEROUS. Just because you’re getting a lazy day due to school being closed doesn’t mean that there are other people who have to brave the storm to risk their lives to keep everyone safe. The Loudon County Highway Department worked tirelessly to ensure that Loudon County was as safe as possible in this winter weather.

The moral of this story is that you cannot control nature; you can’t expect it to meet your snow day expectations. You aren’t in control here. Weather changes and that does not mean that our meteorologists flunked out of meteor school. So as you’re scrolling and you see ill comments directed towards the lack of snow Lenoir City received, keep these points in mind. It will make you a far superior, mature human being.

*Disclaimer: I am aware there is no such thing as meteor school.