No one does weather coverage like the Minnesotans. No one. I was reminded of this yesterday while nasty thunderstorms were creeping east toward the Twin Cities on radar images that blazed red and orange. By 6 pm all of the local affiliates had completely dumped out of their regular programming and it was all storm, all the time. And it was a big one - in some places up to 70 mph winds, multiple tornadoes, and some very ominous-looking clouds as it all approached the western Twin Cities.
Storms like this give the local news stations the opportunity to show off all their supermodernhightech weather tools, with manly names like "Viper" and "NexRad." They also cause weather people to be really, really stupid. Meteorologists are all about the safety, but contemporary local television news is all about the images and the interactivity. Not the best combination. More than once last night we got mixed messages. On the one hand, we were told to run for cover, head for our basements, find a windowless room, go into a ditch rather than under an underpass. On the other hand, we were also instructed to wander outside during a tornado and lightning storm with our digital cameras and cellphones to take pictures of all the devastating devastation. Then, we were exhorted to go back inside (during a lightning storm, remember) and fire up the computer to e-mail said photos to the local news, so they can put them all on the air.
Safety first!
(image credit: J. Nokleby, Willmar, MN)
My favorite part about watching the weather coverage is the weather person who was "on call" and has to serve as the head weather person's gopher. "Pull up the NexRad image." "Show the viewers where the storm will reach the neighboring cities." And then all of a sudden, the head meteorologist suddenly needs a break so, "Why don't you tell the viewers where they should go in circumstances like this?" Then "On Call Meteorologist" starts studdering and stammering about basements while the other catches his/her breath. The "On Call" person always sounds like a moron. Good TV.
Posted by: Scott Springman | 14 July 2008 at 04:05 PM