The Post’s Snow Lover Hates Me

Does seeing what he wrote upset me? Of course it does.

I got a mention in Jim Shay’s blog from the Connecticut Post&#185. The entry is called, “Weathering the anti-snow people.”

I tried to respond there, but the website fired off an error message saying it couldn’t connect to its database.

“[A] promising period of snow and cold temperatures are in the forecast.

No you won’t get that from the snow haters on Connecticut television stations. At the top of the list is Geoff Fox on WTNH whose anti-snow bias is enough to turn off the channel as soon as you see him. Sorry, Geoff, I’m tired of hearing that B.S. of the time you spent in snowy Buffalo. Why don’t you just tell the forecast instead of your shaking your head and have that condensending smug on your face when there’s snow in the forecast.”

fluffy-snow-deck-chairs.jpgWe’ve got to get Jim a spell checker. Actually, even if it was spelled right, what’s a condescending smug?

He’s mostly right though. I’m not exactly anti-snow (can one actually be anti-snow?), but I am a snow hater. Not Jim. His blog is named “Snow Zone.” Duh.

He’s unhappy with me. I suspect he thinks my admitted bias affects my forecast.

If it were only that simple.

He probably prefers those who predicted 100 of the last 25 inches of snow! To them hope springs eternal. All potential Nor’easters become Nor’easters. That’s not real life. That’s not me.

My forecast doesn’t make the snow come. As Dr. Mel says, “We’re in prediction, not production.” The snow is a passive observer. It does what it wants.

My job is to be as accurate as possible. Bias be damned. There’s no upside to being wrong. I’ve been wrong enough times over 25 years to know I want to avoid it (and to avoid humanity in general after I’ve been wrong).

Does seeing what he wrote upset me? Of course it does. No one wants to read along as the author tries to put you down (though, as hinted at earlier, it would be more effective if the Assistant Managing Editor of the Connecticut Post properly spelled his words and structured his sentences).

Stuff like this comes with the territory. I do a better job dealing with it than I once did. Anyway, the posting is not as bad as it looks because he wrote enough specifics to realize he does watch!

The blogger doth protest too much.

&#185 – The Connecticut Post was the Bridgeport Post. Like many papers attached to a downtrodden urban center with wealthier suburbs (Newark Star-Ledger, Camden Courier-Post to name two) it changed its name. That might be good for the paper while simultaneously demoralizing for the formerly named city.

5 thoughts on “The Post’s Snow Lover Hates Me”

  1. As the old adage goes, Geoff, you can’t please all of the people all of the time. Jim Shea needs a warm cup of cocoa and a hug. If he doesn’t like the snow, he has a right to feel that way. But as the other old adage goes:

    Don’t shoot the messenger…

  2. I am a snow lover. I remember the wonderful winters of 92-93 and 95-96 when we had storms week after week. I yearn again for those winters. However I do agree with you Geoff on the “wishcasters” who see monster storms everytime a low makes it off the coast. Accuweather and the entertaining Henry Margusity are “hypecasters”. Henry, although I love him, puts too much faith in the models. Everytime the models show a huge storm 8-10 days out he starts hyping the storms. Haven’t we learned by now that the models are simply not that accurate that far out? I know you hate snow Geoff but I know when you predict it there is no hype or pro-snow bias in your forecast.

  3. Consider the source. The Post and their writers are marginal at best. I totally enjoy any and all references to Buffalo since much of my family still lives there. When we have a bad weather day here, I think at least we are in Connecticut and don’t have to worry if the skyway’s closed or the 90 shut down. Yes, it’s New England, and some people do like snow, but going to work at 6:30 in the morning with winds at 40 mph and white out conditions, you can keep the snow…

Leave a Reply to Bob Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *