Winter Storm Coming Feb. 10? Hogwash
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
DAVE’S WORLD
By David Howell
Somehow a vicious rumor is circulating about another blast of winter precipitation coming in mid-February. I asked several people about the origin of this rumor and Mickell Dunn thinks the Farmer’s Almanac first predicted this second winter storm.
The funny thing, just as final layers of ice were melting from the last storm, this new “forecast” started to circulate on social media. It wasn’t long before people everywhere were talking about the next predicted winter storm that will come between Feb. 10 and Feb. 18.
Thankfully the 14-day forecast currently shows highs in the upper 50s and lower 60s starting Feb. 10. The forecast also shows rain, but I will take that over ice. I may be proven wrong, but based on the current weather models I believe another winter storm in this date range is hogwash. I also think people are more gullible than any time in my lifetime and perhaps in generations or even centuries. My proof, a few folks posting on Facebook about a winter storm and it went viral. Folks all across north Mississippi were talking about more ice and snow.
To be clear, I am not saying that we won’t escape the remainder of the winter without another winter storm, I am saying that social media posts predicting a winter storm from Feb. 10 to Feb. 18 are not based on any evidence.
Countless posts like this one were posted on Facebook and shared, creating a buzz across north Mississippi about a second winter storm.
I think it is troubling that we live in a time where so many people get their news (if you can call it that) from social media and especially Facebook. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy looking at Facebook as much as the next person. My wife and I share pictures of grand young’uns and family gatherings and birthdays and so on. But there are two things I don’t enjoy seeing on social media, people commenting about things they obviously know nothing about and people posting negative comments about businesses or other people.
And this gets me to my next point, or my soap box as Mrs. Betty would say – the negativity in today’s world that so often shows up on social medial. Thinking back to the winter storm, we all saw small business owners in the city working hard to take care of their customers. There were sacrifices made, sometimes it was as simple as employees getting to their place of business to open the doors. For the larger businesses, it was no small task to keep essential products on the shelves.
For every sacrifice made, I believe there were at least 10 dummies just waiting to criticize every move on Facebook.
I saw a friend’s post on Facebook in response to a few negative comments, “An empty wagon squeaks the loudest.”
A lot of truth in that!
Wait a minute – I think I am starting to squeak. I’m out until next week!
