Update: 3 Storms = Snowmagedden
Remember how, just before Christmas, I asked Environment Canada about Snowmaggedon, Snowpocalypse and Snowlocaust? I received a reply today and it turns out that (a) I spelled it wrong, and (b) 3 storms makes a Snowmagedden:
From: Env Canada Weather-Météo [mailto:ECWeather-Meteo@ec.gc.ca] Sent: January 5, 2009 1:09 PM To: David Scrimshaw Cc: MSC National Inquiry Response Team Subject: RE: Environment Canada (Comment, public production, Snowmagedden, ON) Ser: G1223ZRHF4 David,
Thank you for sending your message to Environment Canada. Of course, Snowmagedden is not an official term to describe a weather event. It was coined by one of our meteorologists to describe a series of 3 storms that were going to affect southern Ontario in less than a week.
Best regards,
Bernard Duguay Meteorological Inquiry Specialist MSC National Inquiry Response Team ISO 9001:2000 Environment Canada
Naturally, I am delighted to have an ISO 9001 response, and as a gesture of gratitude, I've developed an icon that Environment Canada is free to use on their weather forecast website for the next Snowmaggeden:
[Is the devil face in the mushroom cloud too smiley?]
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8 comments:
What about "Snowpocolypse"?
Dave, I know. He didn't address that issue. I suspect Environment Canada doesn't want to take a position on that issue.
Is a 'pocalypse worse than a 'magedden?
And where does a 'locaust fit in?
I'm thinking if we stick to the Biblical analogy, then "Snowpocalypse" should be four storms arriving at the same time -- like the four horsemen. As for snowlocaust, I'm concerned about the Godwin's Law application and really don't want to venture there.
One other suggestion is "snowclear winter."
Other Dave: Very good points. An alternative for the four horsemen of the Snowpocalypse could be:
- Freezing Rain
- Hail
- Heavy Snow
- Extreme Wind chill
Anonymous, another good suggestion, but perhaps to avoid any ambiguity it should be pronounced Snow-cue-lar Winter.
No wonder the weather is such a mess if the weather guys have to spend all their time answering foolish emails instead of attending to the weather.
Now, XUP, that's not fair.
(a) I was probably the first of many to ask this question, and now they can add it to their FAQ.
(b) Already, 30 or 40 people have seen the answer here, and so not had to write in to Environment Canada. [And look, I'm a google-whack.]
(c) I've probably saved an Environment Canada graphic designer half an hour of work by coming up with the Snowmagadden icon. That's 30 minutes that graphic designer can spend coming up with icons to convince us to use less gasoline.
i love the suggestion that the weather is a mess because meteorologists haven't been attending to it. quit distracting them, they need to go do battle with the devil clouds
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