Yesterday, it started snowing about one o'clock p.m. I left work early to pick up children from schools which were closing early and to buy enough Clariten and laminating sheets to last me the weekend. I already had bread, milk, and toilet paper enough to last the week and I figured I should be standing in line for something.

I've lived in places that don't get snow, so I understand that thirty inches of snowfall - expected or not - is kind of a big deal when we're dealing with an area that a) doesn't normally see this kind of accumulation and b) doesn't really have the resources to deal with it. But I have also lived in places where they measure snowfall not in inches but in feet, so I think a tiny bit of rational restraint might be called for here.
The local network affiliate station saw it fit last night to cancel the entire prime time lineup in favor of Up to the Moment News Coverage about the Snowmageddon we're having on the East Coast this weekend.

Now, while I like my stories, I'm not generally one of those people who calls the White House to complain when the State of the Union address bumps A Very Special Episode of Blossom off the airwaves. But do you know what THREE HOURS of STRAIGHT SNOW COVERAGE looks like?

Allow me to demonstrate:

News anchor: "It's snowing."

Weatherman: "It's still snowing."

Cub reporter in Gaithersburg: "It's snowing in Gaithersburg."

Cub reporter in Alexandria: "It's snowing in Alexandria."

Cub reporter on 14th and P Street: "It's snowing at 14th and P Street."

Cub reporter in Richmond: "It's snowing in Richmond."

Cub reporter in Dupont Circle: "It's snowing in Dupont Circle."

Cub reporter in Baltimore: "It's snowing in Baltimore."

Anchor: "Wow, it's really coming down, isn't it?"

Weatherman: "Yep, it's still snowing."

I'm willing to accept that that thirty inches of snow is what passes for news around these parts, but do you know what three hours of straight snow coverage does for me, network affiliates?

IT MAKES ME TURN OFF THE TV.

Was that really your intended goal here? Oh and by the way, I have a window; if all you're going to do is tell me it's still snowing, I can see that for my damn self. I think an occasional special update broken in between commercials telling us when to expect an end would be sufficient. I don't need an in depth demonstration of how much of a dollar bill is covered when it's inserted into a snowbank every three and a half minutes.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming:

It's still snowing.