If you listened only to the drama-bound television weathermen and women, you'd think Kansas has never seen snow in October.
NEVER.
Or wait for it, the world might come to an end when temperatures fall below freezing, like they have the last two days. Yes, two days, never mind the forecasters pronouncements Monday night that (gasp), the thermometer might fall below freezing during the early morning hours Tuesday.
They did, of course, but they also feel below freezing on Monday morning as well, in both Hays and Salina.
Of course, television, in many respects, never let the facts stand in the way of a good boost.
And no, I am not espousing the views of the dictator Donald Trump, who likes to talk about fake news.
If the facts follow along with the great story, then all's fine, but there has to be that drama. That's why, when the National Weather Service, in its usual measured system of delivery, said there was a freeze warning Tuesday morning. There was. It froze.
But temperatures dropped below freezing Monday morning as well in Hays and Salina.
In essence, we got a two-fer.
I for one know temperatures fell below freezing on Monday morning. All I had to do was look at my poor tomato plants, which i had pulled up Sunday in the dreary drizzle, but the greenery left behind was much worse for the wear after the freeze. My pots of basil also took it in the shorts, and were left with a rather unhealthy black look.
But OMG, KWCH meteorologist Ross Jensen was agog that Salina might freeze Tuesday morning. It already had, of course.
And, OMG, it might snow. It did, a couple inches.
No biggie, other than to Ross, who long has worried in great detail about those poor trash cans being toppled in the Kansas wind. Not like we don't have much, you know.
It used to be TV meteorologists details the weather in calming voices. Not heralding "weather alerts" everytime the wind blew, or lightning struck, or storms were possible, or when the heat rose or the cold fell.
It's simply too much. I sometimes think I could do a better job telling folks what the weather might be, at least in a calm manner.
Of course, I'd have to rely on the real experts at the National Weather Service, which is where I get my information.
