When Did Local News Become Obsessed with the Weather?

[oladub]

I read a European's take on the, to him, obsession with weather in America. He was surprised at spending so much evening news time covering the weather. After being here for awhile, he realized that the weather was a lot more changeable from day to day than in whichever country he was from.

Having lived in Santa Cruz for a couple of years, the weather there was a lot more consistent from day to day than in the midwest. In January, every day seemed to have a good chance of drizzle without ever being cold enough for a frost. Summers, in town, had morning fog but otherwise were dry and sunny but it seldom exceeded the low eighties. I presume that is what that European meant by the weather being more consistent. I was in a Der Wienerschnitzel restaurant in July when it rained. Some of the customers went outside to stand in the brief rain. They must have been former midwesterners.

Back in the midwest [[SW WI), after a couple of weeks of 80 degree weather, we now have some light snow in the forecast tonight. All the weather reporting alerts us how to dress on a given day for 'there is no bad weather, only bad clothes'.

[Vitalis]

People who watch local television news simply love the weather. They love the different maps, the footage from around town and out of town, the long term forecasts. This is born out in the marketing that is done by all of the locals. And recall how weather phenomena is an ever-increasing storyline world wide. There is often an Old Testament-like wrath of God feeling about these weather stories raging across our planet. Perhaps the favorite movie of many of these weather fans is: The Day After Tomorrow.

[royce]

So, my new gripe with local news weather is the fact that at the 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock newscasts, they won't even tell you what the high temperature for the day was. You may get one of the stations at the six o'clock hour giving you the high and the record temperatures for that date, but you're out of luck looking for that information at 10 or 11. I guess they want me to look at both newscasts. Go figure.

[Jimaz]

So, my new gripe with local news weather is the fact that at the 10 o'clock or 11 o'clock newscasts, they won't even tell you what the high temperature for the day was.... I guess they want me to look at both newscasts. Go figure.

Or go to the internet where you can enjoy advertisements interrupted by advertisements interrupted by advertisements culminating in the absence of whatever you wanted to see in the first place.

[royce]

^Exactly, Jimaz:[[.

[MikeM]

Why does Help Me Hank have to stand outside in a parking lot to tell me about the fake Ozempic pen scam? Why can't he be inside? Why can't Devin Scillian tell me instead?

[jcole]

For the same reason some poor usually woman has to stand outside in the snow, sleet and freezing rain to tell you it's snowing, sleeting or freezing out. If it "bleeds" it ledes

Why does Help Me Hank have to stand outside in a parking lot to tell me about the fake Ozempic pen scam? Why can't he be inside? Why can't Devin Scillian tell me instead?

[Richard]

Like the video floating around of the reporter standing chest deep in flood waters,while a passerby in the background walks by in water that did not reach his knees.

In China they jailed the weatherman that predicted no rain on parade day, and it rained.

[coracle]

Whether the weather is cold, or whether the weather is hot: we’ll weather the weather, whatever the weather; whether we like it or not!

[Ray1936]

Weather forecast for Las Vegas in summer: Hot and dry
Weather forecast for Las Vegas in winter: Mild and dry.

I think we had some sprinkles back last May, but I can't really remember. Sorry, gang, but I don't miss Michigan weather one friggin' bit.

Take your shots.