December 12, 2025
Polar vortex could bring major snow to Northeast as temps plummet
New York Post Headline in actual font size December 10 2025
I grew up in Rochester NY where in the cold months (10 out of 12…) you had your choice between winds coming down from Canada across Lake Ontario, or lake effect snow coming East from Lake Erie and the Buffalo area.
We called it, uhhh….winter?
No longer! Now, its called Polar Vortex or my favorite, an Arctic Bomb. Instead of the above, my headline would be:
It’s Going to be Cold and Going to Snow This Week
But I imagine that after spending billions on building weather forecasting infrastructure to chase the Weather Channel, entertainment doyens are frustrated and trying to make use of it. I mean, down here in Florida, we didn’t have a single hurricane this season.
Producer: Damn. None at all?
Aide: Nope. Zippo.
Producer: (now musing out loud) What do we do with all those make-up trucks and storm clothes and waterproof microphones and Holiday Inn reservations for the on-air personalities…
Aide: Good news! Winter is coming!
Producer: You’re obviously new here, aren’t you.
We don’t call it Winter, we call it…
Aide #2: Opportunity!
Producer: (grimly nods his head)
Aide: But sir…
Producer: Never mind, we’re hopeful the Northeast gets SLAMMED!
Aide #2: Better…the whole country?
Producer: I’ve had my eye on you, you’ve got a great future here.
So in my past life I managed money for people all over the country and the world. One of my favorite people (whom out of privacy respect will go unnamed) lives in Fargo, North Dakota.
Me: So, how’s the weather today?
He: We got a break and it’s pretty balmy actually.
Me: Engine block heater?
He: Turns off automatically once we get above 30 below.
Me: Sweet!
He: Sunburn baby.
I think it was in 1963 or 1964 that we got enough snow in Rochester to bury the house right up to the gutters. Those of you who were there remember. It was called “heavy snow.” Today, I don’t know, they’d call it Arctic Blast Armageddon. They’d have some poor Schmo in a ski outfit and a microphone, standing up to his shoulders in snow, reporting live. Only thing, make sure the crew doesn’t forget him there when they pack up. Don’t want him discovered in July when the snow finally melts.
And then of course, the Bomb or the Vortex doesn’t show up and instead, its nice and clear and sunny. But, easily explained!
“You see the Karitangen Low that developed near the Hubba Hubba slider reef, pushed the barometric pressure into the Sith Sit zone and of course, that was enough to push it all out and send it to Quebec!”
You see, media hype extends far beyond the District of Columbia. Everything is inflated, amped up, ginned up, swollen with hyperbole and rant. Including the rain and the wind.
Let’s face it. At its heart, weather is somewhat predictable but also, unpredictable at the edges. Of course, they don’t tell us that, preferring such silliness as calling those guesses AccuWeather. How about Somewhat Inaccurate But Still Mostly Accurate Weather.
Just so you know, I have always found the 6pm weather anchor people somewhat weird. I don’t really know why. I imagine that everywhere they go, people hound them about the weather, either what they missed or what’s coming up. That would make anyone weird if they did it long enough. I would also remark that those stations need to spend a few shekels on their wardrobes. There are enough fashion felonies appearing on the weather report to create it’s own specialized what-not-to-do course at the New York Fashion Institute. Some are downright hideous. Cringeworthy.
Does your mother know you go out like that?
But to be clear, I have been mostly unaffected by all of this. I do not believe my personal safety and security depends on which weather person I listen to or watch, me in a constant state of anxiety, desperately seeking the most expert opinion. I mean, I’m planning on mowing the lawn tomorrow and I need to know.
OK, so you get stuff at WorkingProfit you can’t get anywhere else.
Rylie, please do some work on how much you think we can charge for rating weather services. I mean, I don’t think anyone reports that? Is this something we want to get involved in? Can we get some sweatshirts with maybe a weather vane on them and WorkingProfit blazoned across the top? Would you lead the way and wear the sweatshirt to maybe Lowe’s, garner some curiosity interest? Next week is fine on letting me know.
Here, we have the output from something called Forecast Advsior dot com. They actually rate weather forecasting accuracy and buttress my comment that forecasting the weather is mostly accurate, but clearly inaccurate around the edges. This is for 2024, Palm Coast Florida.
And the same for Hendersonville, NC, the other place:
Well, consistent. They all miss and they all tend to miss by the same amounts. Persistence might want to call it a day, maybe morph into high school basketball reporting, Wetter is worser. The Weather Channel misses 15% of the time which is enough to keep alive the idea that the weather person is mostly guessing. Maybe if they spiffed up the wardrobe, feeling better would make for better forecasting?
Does Pirate Weather serve the seaborn criminal trade?…Great day for boarding sailing vessels! Stay tuned. Winds out of the south, etc…Is Foreca a Spanish dinnerware manufacturer or is that Forecast abbreviated? And why Weatherbit…how about a forecast that has the whole enchilada and not a little smidgen?
I would be remiss not to recognize the Hurricane Hunters. I think people who get into fast planes and fly into the center of a hurricane are truly B**A** and they deserve our appreciation. I’d like to go on one of those someday, see what it’s like. I bet it’s a real hoot, a real adrenaline rush…
OK, so I’m done with this and I’m sure you are as well. Funny how you read a headline and it sends you right down the rabbit hole. There’s another thought…maybe we should start forecasting conditions down various rabbit holes?
Stop me please. Please.
Thoughts, questions, or reflections? I’d love to hear them. You can reach me anytime at anthony@workingprofit.com
