Weather Reporters

[Karried]

"Extended Coverage in Preparation for the Possible Upcoming ICE Storm!"

Not a drop in sight but the weathermen are practically foaming at the mouth in anticipation. Can't they at least wait for an icicle to form? lol

I realize they love this stuff but come on.. I want to see anything other than the anticipated 'ice storm' every single minute of today..

I've already heard about it all week and now it's on every news cast superseding all other programs.

I know we'll have 48 hours running straight of pics of freezing reporters on overpasses and bridges. We get it. We don't need to have a minute by minute update on the condition of every county across the state.. sigh..

I appreciate the coverage.. to a certain extent. 24 hours a day is a little overkill in my opinion.

What was interesting is that yesterday at Sam's club I saw at least 10 people buying those giant Generators.. at about $600 or more depending on the model. This was on Memorial where I doubt we will be having a problem with long periods of no electricity..
On our topic of merchant policy, a clerk there said they changed the return policy on the generators because people had been buying them, using them and returning them after the storm..

[Jack Wonder]

I'm so frustrated about the prospect of having no electricity this weekend!

I don't want to miss any of the NFL PLAYOFFS!!?!?!!?!

Will OG+E even make an effort during the weekend to restore power???

[drumsncode]

Actually, this may be the best TV viewing we will get until American Idol comes on in a week. Sadly, you are going to see that many Oklahomans don't "get it" when it comes to weather and safety. There will be car wrecks galore with, of course, those wonderful shots of a cute reporter shivering in the cold.

Kudos to Rick Mitchell for being on KOCO this morning while Gary England is home asleep. It's the kind of dedication I've noticed from the whole KOCO team over the past year. They also brought their weather information up to the forefront on their website.

You watched the Fiesta Bowl. Now it's time to watch the Ice Bowl. It's early in the first quarter and the score is:
Rick Mitchell 3
Gary England 0

[PUGalicious]

And it turns out that Rick Mitchell was right about the timing while Gary England and Mike Morgan were wrong.

[Karried]

Yeah, I have to stand corrected... we weren't expecting this until the afternoon! I can't even get a call into the kid's schools to find out if they are closing early.. I'm going to go get them.. I won't drive in the ice.. thankfully, hubby has a 4x4 so we can go pick them up early.

Deadly wreck on NW 10 and 44 ... everyone, be careful out there. .

SLOW DOWN!! Nothing is that important, nothing.

[Jack Wonder]

I'm so upset. We have PRIMO tickets to the Red Hot Chili Peppers' concert tonight!

I just heard on the radio that the concert's still a go, but I've already been out and about for work today, and the roads are HORRIBLE!

These tickets are too expensive to just let pass by, but I think it's gonna be a rough one tonight and this weekend.

[Karried]

Yeah, my nephews and neices have tickets also. I think they should reschedule:

"The Red Hot Chili Peppers/Gnarls Barkley concert scheduled for 7:30 p.m. today at the Cox Business Services Convention Center is still on schedule despite icy conditions. According to Kim Ransford, communications manager for the convention center, the bands are in town and the event is expected to begin as planned.

For more information, call 602-8700."

[drumsncode]

Boos and hisses to the school systems for having school today at all. They let everyone go to school, then it hits the fan and all the parents have to risk life and limb (and expensive automobiles) to "rescue" their kids from school.

Extra kudos again to KOCO. They had their prime-time anchors in, broadcasting by 1pm. Gary England finally went on-air about 1pm.

That makes the score at the end of the first quarter:
KOCO 10
KWTV 3

Game summary so far:

Rick Mitchell scores a field goal by showing up early.
Jessica and Tyler on the air by 1pm, touchdown and the extra point is good.

Gary England scores a field goal by going on-air at 1pm.

Now we'll see if the KOCO offense can stay on the field all day. I suspect they can. We're talking about the same team that comes in on Sunday nights during sweeps, while competing teams are sitting at home.

[ksearls]

Yep, we have Chili Peppers tickets too. I paid too much to miss this show! Hope we can make it. Also, tonight the Hornets play live on ESPN from the Ford Center. Hate for those empty seats to show up in national TV.

Kim

[Luke]

KOCO definitely winning the Ice war.

[Karried]

Boos and hisses to the school systems for having school today at all.

I have to agree with you. It was pretty hectic. I picked mine up early but was on pins and needles wondering if I should pick them up or not! The only reason I didn't go earlier is because I knew they had big tests. But, when I got there, my oldest was the last one left in his class and my youngest only had 4 kids left.

All day it said School's Open but Parents are welcome to pick up anytime.

If I had known it was going to be like this, I would never have sent them in the first place.

all the parents have to risk life and limb (and expensive automobiles) to "rescue" their kids from school.

You are right, it is dangerous for parents picking up in these conditions.
I was seeing some cars slipping and sliding around.. very scary. We have a huge truck (4x4 Ford F350 Lifted Extended Cab Longbed Deisel Lariat lol.. whatever all that means I don't know! ).. and we were sliding a bit too so I feel sorry for the cars with no traction help. If hubby wasn't home to go get them and I had to drive myself they would still be at school, ha,ha! I never would have sent them initially. I'm scared to drive on the ice.

I know my vehicle wouldn't do well on the ice and I don't trust the other people sliding around either.

Yeah, Rick said it would! and he's not letting us forget it either ..lol

[metro]

Karried, keep in mind that the storm hits other parts of the state, Western and the Panhandle hours before it hits here. Several of those towns are in our TV viewing market. Plus, as someone said, many people are just ignorant and idiots in this weather. I had 2 cars cut me off today at the last second but they had a few hundred yards before I got to them. They decided to pull out into traffic in front of me right as I approached. Go figure. But I understand your frustration though.

[windowphobe]

I left work between 11 and 12; I had no travel problems other than those caused by Those Other Idiots On The Road, and my commute is a little over ten and a half miles.

Apparently this first round was a lot less freezing rain and a lot more sleet, which is not that much of an improvement for motorists; your power lines, though, will appreciate it.

[drumsncode]

Though it pains me to say so, KWTV made a nice comeback starting at 4pm. They brought in the big guns, and put Melissa Maynarich into the role of "Snow Bunny" which believe me, she fills very well. Now that I think of it, they kicked Alex Cameron out into the cold too. It was as if Kelly and Amy were saying "Scoot over guys, let the pros handle it." By doing that, they had two more reporters out in the field, and got their A-team on the air.

Thankfully, after 14 hours on air, everyone took a break.
It took 14 hours to tell us: The weather is really bad, try to stay inside.

As Karried said "We get it". :-)

[bandnerd]

Okay, here's the deal with the schools.

We have already missed two days for weather. Most schools are looking at going until after Memorial Day if any more days are added.

If school is in session, and they serve a lunch, then they are considered open "all day" even if they close right after. So no snow day is counted.

I know it's hard, but really, this morning it was fine. You're griping about the weathermen foaming at the mouth when nothing has happened....we can't close schools just because of the possibility of ice. It could have done nothing at all, and you all know that. It would have been a wasted snow day.

Just my 2cents. I know it's not worth much around here, but it's a teacher's perspective. WE have to drive in this crap, too, you know. And the principals. It's not just about YOU.

[Luke]

As a fellow teacher, well said, Bandnerd!

[dirtrider73068]

Actually, this may be the best TV viewing we will get until American Idol comes on in a week. Sadly, you are going to see that many Oklahomans don't "get it" when it comes to weather and safety. There will be car wrecks galore with, of course, those wonderful shots of a cute reporter shivering in the cold.

Kudos to Rick Mitchell for being on KOCO this morning while Gary England is home asleep. It's the kind of dedication I've noticed from the whole KOCO team over the past year. They also brought their weather information up to the forefront on their website.

You watched the Fiesta Bowl. Now it's time to watch the Ice Bowl. It's early in the first quarter and the score is:
Rick Mitchell 3
Gary England 0

And where is Rick mitchell at 10 or 12 midnight when a storm comes rolling in? Gary England is up and going at it keeping us up to date. KOCO in my opion sucks, I won't watch anythign but CH9 there news is better I think. And do keep in mind not all news casters or weather cast work the same shifts, they do have more than one weather caster Rick Mitchell or Gary England. As far as the reporters go thats what they get paid to do, if they are shivering cold then they need to find another line of work. These cold snaps, snow storms, ice storms, all happen the same way, no will ever get it because EVERY news station, makes it out to worse than what or will it will be, if nobody wants to see 24 hour tv or ice pictures adn videos then pick up the remote and change the channel.

[dirtrider73068]

Okay, here's the deal with the schools.

We have already missed two days for weather. Most schools are looking at going until after Memorial Day if any more days are added.

If school is in session, and they serve a lunch, then they are considered open "all day" even if they close right after. So no snow day is counted.

I know it's hard, but really, this morning it was fine. You're griping about the weathermen foaming at the mouth when nothing has happened....we can't close schools just because of the possibility of ice. It could have done nothing at all, and you all know that. It would have been a wasted snow day.

Just my 2cents. I know it's not worth much around here, but it's a teacher's perspective. WE have to drive in this crap, too, you know. And the principals. It's not just about YOU.

Hands out for you teachers that go out in this stuff to teach class only for half a day. If people think its going to be bad keep the kids at home, instead of makeing them go. I have to work out in this crap, I don't gripe about it, I may be even called in over the 3 day weekend and pull 12 hour shifts to clean up tree limbs that fall down, has anybody thought about that, or the oge guys that are 30 feet in the air in buckets fixing the lines that are down so we have power in the fastest time. We need to keep these people in mind, I do, and hope them the best in these storms, forget the cute news reporters, or the nonstop pictures and videos of ice, I see it every time I look out the window, I just change the channel. Ok off my soapbox back the internet.

[SOONER8693]

KUDOS to bandnerd.

[Keith]

I was at work at 6:45 this morning, so I missed driving in the bad weather. Since I work in emergency services, it is my responsibility to keep the crews informed about the weather conditions. I don't have a choice as to what TV channel I watch, because I am in an all metal building. Channel 9 is the only channel that I can get a clear picture on. So, I keep one ear on the TV and the other ear listening to the police and EMSA calls on my scanner.

It was interesting and sometimes comical to watch some of these reporters reporting the same old thing over and over again. You could tell as the afternoon wore on that the reporters were running out of things to say. I was really surprised that they had all day coverage. They were expecting lots of freezing rain and a big mess, and they didn't get it. I actually think they were dissappointed that the really bad stuff didn't hit. Each time I watched a reporter, I wondered just how much closer they would get to the road before something would happen to them.

Anyway, after working 13 hours today, I started my truck and headed home. The streets were slick in some spots but they weren't that bad. The bridges were in pretty decent shape, and I saw several sand trucks out on the road. It was amazing though, because Arby's, Sonic, and several other fast food places were closed. I headed over to Hollywood Video to rent some videos for the weekend. I figure I will spend most of the weekend inside unless I get called in to work. Tomorrow, I am doing a ride-along with the firefighters from station #19. I will be responding with them on each emergency call they get dispatched to. I figure tomorrows weather will be worse, and that there will be more accidents and more accidental falls.

[bandnerd]

Thank you. I get frustrated when people gripe about such silly things. Yes, it's an inconvenience...but not just for you.

We can't change the weather, nor can we change our policies. I don't want to be in school until June. I don't think your kids want to be there that long, either. From the looks of my myspace, they all got home safely, and so did I, and I believe all our teachers got home safely, as well.

I'm expecting it to get worse tomorrow. They always said Saturday was going to be the worst, anyway. Yesterday I was speaking with the teachers at my school and they were all skeptical that it was even going to do anything today. I told them I thought it would...too many weather stations were on the same model.

To them I say: Ha! I was right. Some people owe me favors now for reasons that are too long to list here. But I just had to say it: I was right.

Stay safe, everyone.

[Ginkasa]

I don't think people griping about the weather and schools not being closed is any worse than griping about their griping...

[bandnerd]

And how was I griping? I considered myself to be making a point, but I'm sure that my point could be perceived as something it wasn't.

It wouldn't be the first time I was misunderstood on this board.

[Easy180]

I don't think people griping about the weather and schools not being closed is any worse than griping about their griping...

Or griping about people griping about those who are griping

[Keith]

Ok, this is a place to gripe and give our opinions, so let's play nice and keep this thread clean.