Thursday, January 18, 2007

To quote Raj Whitehall,

"How truly joyous."
...HEAVY SNOW AND SLEET LIKELY THIS WEEKEND...

.A WINTER STORM TAKING SHAPE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST UNITED STATES
WILL MOVE EAST AND NORTHEAST TONIGHT AND TOMORROW... AND BEGIN
AFFECTING THE REGION FRIDAY. THIS STORM IS LIKELY TO BRING A
SWATH OF HEAVY SNOW TO PARTS OF WESTERN AND CENTRAL OKLAHOMA ON
SATURDAY WITH PROGRESSIVELY LIGHTER AMOUNTS TOWARD SOUTHERN
OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS... WHERE SLEET AND RAIN ARE ALSO
LIKELY TO OCCUR. THE STORM IS EXPECTED TO EXIT THE REGION LATE
SATURDAY NIGHT OR SUNDAY MORNING.

BECAUSE THIS STORM IS STILL EVOLVING...SOME UNCERTAINTY STILL
EXISTS REGARDING THE STORM`S PATH...AND WHERE THE HEAVIEST SNOW
WILL FALL. ADJUSTMENTS TO THE FORECAST SHOULD BE EXPECTED AS NEW
INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE. DO NOT WAIT. TAKE STEPS NOW TO
PREPARE FOR THE WINTER STORM.

Allow me to translate part of the above to true language: THIS BIG DAMN MESS IS GOING THROUGH SOMEWHERE, BUT US HIGHLY-TRAINED WEATHER PEOPLE HAVE NO REAL IDEA WHERE EXCEPT 'SOMEWHERE THROUGH HERE'. SO SOME OF YOU ARE GONNA DIE, AND THE REST WILL BE PISSED AT US FOR SCARING HELL OUT OF THEM, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA PREDICT WHERE BECAUSE THEN WE'LL BE WRONG AND EVEN MORE OF YOU WILL BE PISSED." End of translation.

...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 6 AM CST
SUNDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM
WARNING...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 6 AM CST SUNDAY.

PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF SLEET AND SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP
ACROSS WESTERN OKLAHOMA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING BEFORE
SPREADING EASTWARD OVERNIGHT. THE SNOW WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES
DURING THE DAY ON SATURDAY. SOME LIGHT FREEZING DRIZZLE MAY ALSO
OCCUR SATURDAY NIGHT. SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL AVERAGE MORE THAN 4
INCHES NORTH OF INTERSTATE 44...WITH AMOUNTS UP TO 8 INCHES
POSSIBLE IN AN AREA FROM NEAR I-44 NORTHWARD TO AN ERICK... TO
TALOGA... TO ENID TO PONCA CITY LINE. THIS WILL INCLUDE CLINTON...
THE OKLAHOMA CITY METRO... AND STILLWATER. SLEET WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE ACROSS AREAS SOUTH OF I-40. THIS WILL LIMIT THE TOTAL
ACCUMULATIONS WITH 3 TO 6 INCHES OF SLEET AND SNOW LIKELY FROM
I-44 SOUTH TO DUNCAN... PAULS VALLEY TO TECUMSEH.

A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AND
SLEET ARE EXPECTED. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR
IMPOSSIBLE. THE WEIGHT OF THE SNOW WILL ALSO LEAD TO POSSIBLE
STRUCTURAL FAILURES... ESPECIALLY ON LARGE FREE SPAN AND FLAT
ROOFS.

Thus we observe a warning of the possible full weight of the Curse Of du Toit™. Observe ye, and be afraid.

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