Looks like another storm slid on by Western North Carolina today despite calls of gloom and doom by the Mike Cuervo-led weather-guessing crew at WLOS.
Yes, there are some icy spots on roads that have caused a few car wrecks. I’m sure the local TV news crews will be all over them to try and save some face. Yes, a few tree limbs cracked.
But all your predictions for this storm absolutely, totally missed the mark. And again, this is no small thing. People look to the WLOSer weather guessers to help make decisions that affect travel, business and school. Hyping a storm that never materializes can do as much damage as a real storm that hits.
So Cuervo and Jay Seltzer and the rest said the storm was supposed to hit about noon on Thursday. Well, noon came and Seltzer said the storm was lazy, that it wouldn’t actually come to town until Thursday evening. And while Cuervo was predicting some serious sleet and freezing rain and a coating of ice, Seltzer followed suit.
So Thursday night, it started to rain. People stayed indoors. Shoppers rushed to gas stations and grocery stores to stock up. WLOSers kept up the distress call, posting Cherub Charu out in the rain somewhere to tell us it still could get nasty.
But nothing happened. This morning is clear and sunny. There is no ice widely covering trees and streets and cars. No snow.
Bottom line – Cuervo and company missed it again.
ADDENDUM
To beavis and others who take me to task for only criticizing the WLOS media outlet on weather, let’s get one thing clear. beavis, you’re denser than an English bread pudding. No, that’s not it.
Here’s the thing: WLOS is the only, the only, local media outlet that claims expertise in the area of weather. It has (sound it out with me, beavis and the rest) “meteorologists” on staff. Weathermen. Those that pose as so-called experts. We know this is a false front. But they claim to set themselves apart with that distinction, as well as their “neighborhood radar doppler” bullshit and “Leicester Carpet cam.” So they should be held accountable.
Other media outlets only claim to report what the experts are saying. Hopefully that reportage is done with context and a critical eye.
So the argument that “nobody else got it right, either,” does not wash.
Snow on the soapbox
WLOSers took Larry “Old Glory” Blunt’s soapbox over to UNCA to ask the kids there what they thought about tv weather forecasters.
It was a good mix of reaction. One kid said the forecasters do the best they can because hey, we all know it’s hard to call the weather in the mountains. One kid said he didn’t really care, they’re right about half the time. Another kid said the tv folks hype the weather and they can’t be trusted.
Back at the anchor desk, Blunt stood up for Cuervo, saying he does a damn good job. Tallahasee Tammy Watford, joking on Blunt, looked over to Cuervo and said, “Hey, your ten bucks paid off!”
Blunt sighting
Not in Ashevegas, but on “The Discovery Times” channel. They were doing a profile of a Denver, Colorado TV news staff, and there he was, out on the street working on a story. The story was on at 8pm on 12/8.
Regards,
John in Hendersonville
7 Comments
Y’all back off of Ash. He said 3,000 feet, not 2,500, billybox. And I live in North Asheville and there wasn’t even frost on my car Friday morning. Yes, some spots did get ice, not nowhere near the severity that WLOS forecasted. Buncombe County Schools were not cancelled, and they typically cancel if puddles ice over on a back roads.
Ash,
Asheville is at 2500 feet, and most everywhere in WNC is at this or above. FYI
Actually, outside of my house here in South Asheville you can still see the ice hanging from the trees. I didn’t make it downtown today, so maybe they didn’t get anything there. But damn is it beautiful down here. All around it was glistening white.
Oh, and about the statement about WLOS being "the only, local media outlet that claims expertise in the area of weather," I am assuming you mean just here in WNC, cause I was watching NBC the other day and they have meteorologist and AMS seals slapped all over Cessarach (however you spell his name) and talk about how their Super Doppler 4 is the shit and how you can see their expert weather forcasts 24/7 on some cable channel. But then again, maybe you just meant here in WNC. And Mike Cuevas and Julie Wunder are the only certified meteorologists at WLOS I believe. Check with your inside people, but I think that is true.
billyboy and MountainLife, I live in a house, in a city. Where do you hayseeds live?
billyboy, if you’ll actually READ what I wrote, you’ll see that in fact I never said it didn’t happen. It just didn’t happen to the degree or severity that WLOS predicted. Sure, if you live 3,000 feet above sea level, you had ice. But that’s not what the forecast said.
doofus. Try looking out the window. All the trees are STILL covered with ice. You saying this didn’t happen?
I don’t know where you live, probably in a hole if you didn’t get any ice. There was about a half an inch of ice covering everything where I live! Wrecks all over the place. I think the forecast was right on. 1/4 to 1 inch if I recall correctly.
Sure he said it would start from 10 to 2 and it started at 2 or something. I think that’s pretty good in my book. Much better than the Weather Channel.
He may get it wrong sometimes, but this time was quite accurate. If a meteorologist is not an expert, who is? Surely not I.
Feisty this morning. Go get ’em, guy. This is why we’re all addicted to Ashvegas!