"Teh worst weather disaster EVAR!" (tornadoes, snow, warm)

[Craziaskowboi]

I think from now on, every major snowstorm in the United States should just be called and remembered as "Teh Worst Blizzard EVAR!" We can even call this one "Teh Worst Blizzard EVAR! (Part One)," and the next one "Teh Worst Blizzard EVAR! (Part Two)," and so on.

I'm really getting sick and tired of the utter lack of historical weather perspective that we have now. Hurricane Sandy was "Teh Worst Hurricane EVAR!," if, by "EVAR!," you mean "since Hurricane Hazel." And I'll bet you the scope of the blizzard occurring right now isn't nearly as extensive as those in 1888, 1950, 1978 or 1993.

The only weather phenomenon I can think of this century that might even have a legitimate claim for "worst ever" is the Super Outbreak of 2011 -- and even then, the Super Outbreak of 1974 was still worse in some ways. Even Hurricane Katrina wasn't a record-breaker in very many ways. We just think of it as "Teh Worst Hurricane EVAR!" because we politicized the **** out of it.

And "ZOMG, teh weather is crazy like I never seen befo'!" Yep, the tornado that just hit Adairsville, GA was the first one ever to occur in the United States in January. (Just kidding.) And the Christmas tornado outbreak is the only outbreak ever observed in the United States in December. (NOT!)

As for tornado outbreaks in general? Yep, 1896, 1925, 1936, 1953, 1965, 1974, 1999 and 2003 all had serene, peaceful springs. (Bull****.) And the drought and heat waves in recent summers? You're right; 1918, 1930, 1934, 1936, 1954, 1980, 1988, 1994 and 1995 all had pleasant, beautiful summers. (My ass.)

But seriously, if you want to see what Mother Nature looks like when she's a real *****, do some research on weather in the United States in 1936, and shut the **** up about how "crazy" she is now.

[NJBest]

I've never heard of any storm being called the "worst _____ EVAR".

[sulkiercupid]

But this isn't just any old blizzard...it's 'Snowicane'® Nemo.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by sulkiercupid

But this isn't just any old blizzard...it's 'Snowicane'® Nemo.

I thought it was The White Ninja.

[Rozenn]

Gotta laugh at some of these "world's most formidable snowstorms" in the link.

[ilovemycomputer90]

I hate the media here in the US. Hype hype hype. It's all about ratings and revenue. Can't they milk a cow elsewhere? Why the news? Very frustrating to watch.

This storm was certainly newsworthy, but the hyperbole with these events is getting old.

[Candle]

Originally Posted by ilovemycomputer90

I hate the media here in the US. Hype hype hype. It's all about ratings and revenue. Can't they milk a cow elsewhere? Why the news? Very frustrating to watch.

This storm was certainly newsworthy, but the hyperbole with these events is getting old.

But the storm was a monster storm of the century that is unprecedented because of global warming!

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Candle

But the storm was a monster storm of the century that is unprecedented because of global warming!

Yeah, everything's global warming's fault. Just a few weeks ago when it was warm in the eastern United States for a few days, I seriously remember a woman saying, "The weather has really changed. I don't remember it being in the 70s in January." That's because your memory sucks and you forgot all about January 1989. Here are the years in which each daily record high temperature in January occurred in Athens, GA:

1985, 1952, 1952, 1955, 1950, 1899, 1950, 2008, 1930, 1937, 1949, 1949, 1931, 1937, 1932, 1952, 1928, 1928, 1949, 1927, 1933, 1927, 1927, 1927, 1943, 1950, 1950, 1911, 2002, 1975, 1975.

The lowest of January's record highs? 72° on January 8, 2008. The highestest? 80° on January 12, 1949 and January 30, 1975. Yeah, warm weather in January has never happened before. (Hey, wasn't "global cooling" the big threat to civilization in 1975?)

Oh yeah, the 76° day on January 1, 1985? That occurred less than three weeks before a historic cold wave in the eastern United States that set an all-time record low temperature for the state of Georgia! Was Mother Nature flipping out then, or did people back then just accept that the weather can change?

[Patricius Maximus]

Many cried "hype" when Sandy was approaching, and some of these same people are still without power. Many cried hype when the Blizzard of 1979 hit New England (with obvious consequences), and many cried hype at the current New England blizzard. If anything many forecasts are downplayed, since the surge from Sandy was much higher than forecast, and the peak totals from the current storm were 35-40 inches (18-24 was the forecast, with local jackpot amounts of 24-36 forecast). The current blizzard is up there among the greatest ever to strike New England, and is the biggest blizzard to affect the region since at least 1979.

There is exaggeration out there, but at the same time there's also downplaying, as I've outlined. Hype does exist, but in general I find the meme about media hype to be overhyped .

Some internet comments do exaggerate, especially when it comes to claiming that the heat, drought, and tornadoes are worse than ever. Now, in some cases in some places, such as the June 2012 heat wave, Superstorm Sandy, and the Super Outbreak of 2011 (and even the whole month of April 2011) it is the "worst ever", but "worst ever" is a phrase that is used too often.

Many events, months, and seasons in recent years have a very legitimate claim to being one of the worst ever, but there's a difference between that and being the worst ever.

[ilovemycomputer90]

I just don't like the unnecessary hyperbole. "Monster", "Snowmaggedon", etc. I'm not downplaying the historical accumulations in New England, but I just prefer a calm, laid back, straight forward approach to reporting news/weather.