I Don't Know If There'll Be Snow . . .

. . . but we could get an historic blizzard next weekend.  Or, maybe not.

Someone posted online a computer model picture of a weather map predicting a winter storm hitting the northeastern U.S., including northern New Jersey, where I live, and dumping up to thirty inches of snow on February 8 and/or February 9.  In an area that's had too much bad winter weather already this year and where nerves are frayed, people freaked out upon seeing it.  The main problem was that this was just one computer model from one weather service - presumably from the European Center for Medium-range Weather Forecasting (ECMWF), the weather organization based in England that accurately predicted Hurricane Sandy making landfall in New Jersey seven days out.  The only catch? This blizzard model was made ten days out.

Right now, the chances for such a big snowfall in the Northeast are very slim, although there's general agreement that the region will get some sort of an appreciable snowfall next weekend - closer to eight inches than thirty.  But since this is one model for a date on the calendar more than a week out, whoever posted it should have considered that before putting it out there.  There's no sense in getting anyone scared about next weekend this early with an unreliable early reading.  And besides, I have plans for next weekend!

If we get two-and-a-half feet of snow next weekend, I'm sure we can deal with it.  But in the meantime, we ought to try to relax and cross our fingers.  I know, that's easier said than done.  That's precisely why whoever released that weather map should have thought twice.  And to avoid scaring you, dear reader, I'm not going to post it here.  Good grief, I'm wondering if  I should have even written about it!