blogs.kxly.com

Dani, Sophie and Gabby wish you a Merry Christmas.

I have so much to blog about, my head is about to explode.  Now, if it would only stop snowing long enough for me to share all of these weather related thoughts that are piling up my head.  How ironic that when the weather is the MOST interesting, I have the LEAST amount of time to blog about it.   I do have time to say “Merry Christmas“.    Thank you for watching, and thank you for the THOUSANDS of e-mails with snow pictures, and snow reports, and well wishes (and a few understandable complaints : )).  Keep ‘em coming: krisc@kxly.com.  My personal response rate has dropped to an all-time low, but know that I am sending you good vibes.  Enjoy the snow. 

Passengers are finally flying out of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, but they are stranded in many other cities by cancellations due to severe winter weather. Whether by plain train or automobile, getting home for the holidays this season isn’t going to be easy on this Christmas eve. Just ask a few dozen customers of Greyhound who have been stuck in Seattle since the first of the week. Their bus connections were canceled. They had no place to go, and the bus line didn’t seem to care very much about that.

The passengers were dropped off at a Seattle emergency shelter about a mile from the Greyhound depot. The trouble is, the shelter had no room and would not take them in. Greyhound apparently felt they had done all they were required to, but the bus line should have known that their customers might one day be stranded if Greyhound couldn’t transport them as contracted, and they should have had some reliable remedies available. In this case the “Big Dog” just dropped the ball, and may have placed some customers in danger. What must sting as much as being ignored by Greyhound was the sign that passengers encountered on the doors of the Seattle depot. “We’re sorry for any inconvenience,” the sign read. “We take our passengers’ and employees’ safety as our main concern.” Of course you do, and it obviously shows.

Travel is tough this holiday season. Most public carriers are struggling with rising costs and scarce profits, but they still must be prepared to come to the aid of the travelers they strand. Just shrugging their shoulders is not enough. As for those stranded, perhaps it would benefit them to remember that travel, especially at this time of year, is risky, and if you start out, you may do well to have a plan if weather interrupts your journey. The carrier cannot reasonably be expected to take care of everything you might need. I think there’s no place like home for the holidays, and so that’s where I plan to be.

Merry Christmas, and be safe.

I’ve spent my life in cold-weather, snowy climates (why? I’m not sure at this point!). Today, I’m experiencing something I’ve NEVER experienced. I’m stuck at home. I have no idea how I would get out of my driveway if I needed to - but, I’m not going to try, at least not this morning. I’m more than 37 weeks pregnant and I have no clue what I would do if I got stuck out in this. So, for the morning at least, I’m staying home. It kills me - I’m a news junkie and LOVE being in the newsroom during breaking news. I feel pretty helpless - but, I guess it’s better than giving birth on the side of the road. I’ll be blogging from home - and, hopefully making it in this afternoon.

    My friends on Twitter have been asking me why I keep going live  from the KXLY4 Skydeck during the 5 pm newscast.  First of all, don’t blame the producer, I volunteered.  Second, how can I report to you with authority on the cold weather we’re experiencing if I don’t experience it first hand.  Third, it’s kinda fun.

     Follow me on Twitter, CLICK HERE, my name is SpokaneDave.

Just as we told you, the snow is falling like crazy throughout Eastern Washington right now (and, Western Washington for that matter). I am not looking forward to venturing out into it later today, but I do need to go into work for a few hours and help with our snow coverage. I know a lot of you will be watching us and our competitors closely over the next few days, as the snow sticks around and the temperatures plummet. Some things the news crews do will annoy you - and, they’ll actually annoy me, too!

There are things we have to do during weather coverage like this: we have to give you driving tips (there were 60 crashes yesterday between noon and 5 pm  and it wasn’t even bad out there yet); we have to repeat ourselves (most people don’t watch all day, every day - people tune in and out); we have to tell you what’s happening in areas outside of Spokane (some people call and complain to us about this - but, our viewing area extends from Moses Lake down past Orofino, over into Montana and up into Canada… just because it’s not snowing at your house doesn’t mean other people in our region are not affected!). But, there are things we DON’T have to do… and, while you will see them, I hope you don’t see them on kxly4:

1. We don’t have to kick the snow! It’s a TV news reporter favorite. Some reporters LOVE to show you what the snow looks like by kicking it or shuffling through it. It’s like fingernails on a chalkboard to me - and, I saw a LOT of it yesterday. Show me the snow - but you really don’t have to kick it!

2. We don’t have to call it “white stuff”. That’s a pet peeve of a LOT of TV news people - but, a lot of other people insist on calling it “white stuff.” It’s snow. Call it snow.

3. We don’t need to talk to you like you’re in kindergarten. Yes, we need to warn you - and, we’ll remind you some tips about what to do if you’re trapped in your house or car during a storm like this. We also need to tell people who are new to the area (including some who have never driven in snow) the basics of how to drive in it. But, we don’t need to tell you to scrape your windshield and how to shovel.

4. We don’t need to give you tips that don’t make any sense. I have heard several news/weather reporters over the years say things like, “Might want to put on an extra jacket/blanket/sweater.” Seriously? First of all, if I’m cold, I’ll put an extra blanket on my bed. But, am I really going to put on two jackets? C’mon.

There are many more - and, I’ll be on my soapbox this week reminding our crews of why these things need not to appear on our air. I’m sure I’ll think of more - and, I invite you to add your own!

And, so it begins… we just got a press release from Stevens County that warns drivers to stay off the roads between Friday night and Sunday morning! They’re concerned about road crews being able to clear the streets. Here’s the text of their warning (in part):

Stevens County is requesting that the public refrain from all unnecessary or non-emergency travel between Friday night and Sunday morning… Please remain informed about the current and forecast weather conditions before venturing out of doors this weekend.

I’ve spent the last hour or so planning our weather coverage for this weekend’s big storm. Yes, folks, by all accounts and forecasts right now, it’s coming - and, it could be a big one! I can hear it already: the chorus of newspaper columnists and longtime Spokane residents chastising us for “blowing the storm out of proportion.” I’ve resisted the urge to respond - but, it appears my willpower has worn down.

It’s easy to sit back and say TV news people go overboard with weather coverage. A lot of the time, I agree! I like to call it a weather hemorrhage when news stations go totally nutso about weather that doesn’t really matter. But, this storm - if it comes in the way it’s forecast - will be a bear. In fact, the guy at the National Weather Service called it a “bomb” (note: he’s a meteorologist with the weather service, not a TV guy…) We have an absolute responsibility to tell you what’s coming, tell you where the snow has fallen and tell you how it will affect you. Yes, it’s obvious that people should slow down on icy roads. But, every year, we respond to DOZENS of crashes from people driving too fast for conditions. Shouldn’t we gently remind them? Yes, it’s winter and we’re going to have snow and cold temperatures. But, every winter, people are caught off guard with homes that aren’t properly insulated and chimneys that haven’t been cleaned before the first fire of the year.

We will do our best - I promise you - to strike that balance between informing you and not making you feel like a pre-schooler by talking down to you. Will we always strike that balance? No. But, we’ll do our best. And, if you have any suggestions about how to better cover the snow that you know we’re going to cover anyway, I’d love to hear your suggestions.

Enjoy the weather hemorrhage!

I snagged these amazing shots from the web site of our sister-station in Seattle, KOMO 4.  These are lenticular clouds forming over Mt. Rainier.  To read more, and to see more cool photos, check out Scott Sistek’s blog (it’s one of my FAVORITES).

kxly4’s fabulously talented web developer, Amanda Emily, snapped this fabulous shot of the Spokane River yesterday night, before the clouds rolled in.  Thanks Amanda!!!  I’d love to see your weather photos.  Send them to krisc@kxly.com.

 The Free Life - Helping you stress less, live better and enjoy life.

It’s hard to believe that Thanksgiving is behind us, and that Christmas and the New Year are fast approaching. When I started this blog, I told you it was mainly about free things you can find in and around Spokane. But every now and then I’ll share some great deals with you, like today. 

If you still haven’t bought a Christmas tree this year, the U.S. Forest Service sells $5 dollar permits for families wanting a Christmas tree adventure. You can’t beat the price and it can be a fun, family outing. The information I found is specifically for the Colville National Forest in Colville, WA. But you can contact your local Forest Service office to figure out where you can use your $5 dollar family permit. If you go, here are a few tips from the U.S. Forest Service:

1. Buy a permit ($5) from the closest ranger station (Colville, Kettle Falls, Newport, Sullivan Lake or the National Forest Information Center in Spokane). Carry your permit with you and attach it to the tree after cutting.
2. Do not cut a tree from a campground or other developed area.
3. Cut tree from a thicket. Leave a healthy tree every 20 feet.
4. Cut the tree close to the ground.
5. Scatter the limbs before you leave.
6. Wear warm clothing.
7. Be sure your auto is prepared for weather in the mountains.
8. Ask your ranger station for maps and weather information before heading out into the forest. Explain your travel route to and destination to a friend or family member who is not traveling with you.

For more information on the Christmas tree permits click here: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/colville/passespermits/christmas-tree.shtml

I’d love to hear back from any of you who head out on this adventure, and if you take pictures, send them my way: taniad@kxly.com. Happy tree hunting!

My e-mail in-box is loaded with beautiful sunset shots.  I got this one from Sara and David Brown.  Sara writes: “The recent sunsets have been spectacular.  This one was taken Saturday Nov. 15th in Republic, Washington looking southwest from my porch.”  That’s quite a view, Sara!  Thanks for the great picture. 

Send your weather pictures to krisc@kxly.com

Dear President-elect Obama,

I have some student loans but I make regular payments on them. I have a mortgage locked in at a great APR with a bank that has proven to be quite stable recently all things considered. I have the usual run of monthly bills to Qwest, Avista, Comcast, City of Spokane, that sort of thing and when it comes down to it the only thing about my personal finances that sucks eggs right now is my 401k.

My family is weathering this economic crisis reasonably well all things considered, but I’d like to free up some income to put into savings so I’d like to ask you if I could have a bailout too.

I think that if the Fat Cats on Wall Street or up in Motown can get a bailout then maybe I could get one. I don’t have Michigan’s governor campaigning for my bailout, but I could ask my wife to maybe throw in a good word … she’s from Alabama which hopefully you won’t hold against her since Alabama was solidly in McCain country on November 4th.

There’s all this talk about helping Wall Street and Main Street and I wanted to say that I don’t live on Main Street but I live pretty close to Ray, which is one of the main north-south arterials on the South Hill. So that’s sort of a Main Street. Does that qualify me for help?

Oh yeah … I’m a pretty hard worker, I pay my taxes, I vote, I served in the military, I don’t break laws, I support the cattle industry by eating red meat and up until five months I was a supporter of Big Tobacco like you. In other words I’ve done a lot of things to support our country those Fat Cat CEOs aren’t willing to do so maybe I’m worth the credit risk.

If you give me the money I promise that ABC’s Brian Ross won’t catch me in Scottsdale, Arizona enjoying a lavish week-long getaway. I might go to Sun City West, but only because that’s where my in-laws live.

And here’s the kicker: I’m not going to cost you $700 Billion. I won’t even cost you a million dollars. Heck at this point I’d settle for lunch.

Anyway … I just figured I’d get in line since everyone seems to be asking you for money.

Thanks for your consideration Mr. President-elect. Good luck with the dog search.

~Rob

Thanks to Deb Hubik for this beautiful Pic of the Night.  It’s the first snow on Ragged Mountain above Hauser Lake.  I’d love to see your weather photos.  Send them to krisc@kxly.com

Now this is an office with a view!  Jill Strom, the Public Relations Coordnator for the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture (MAC), e-mailed this beautiful scene.  Jill writes: “I am fortunate enough to have this view out of my office window!  Browne’s Addition is so beautiful this time of year.”  Enjoy those leaves while they last, Jill.  I’m afraid Tuesday’s winds will shake most of the leaves from area trees.  We’ll still have your picture.  Send your weather pictures to krisc@kxly.com.

Nice.  Thanks to kxly4 Sports Director Dennis Patchin for this Pic of the Night.  WHATEVER!  I’m far from a real blonde.  Send your weather pictures to krisc@kxly.com.  Send ALL complaints to dennisp@kxly.com.  He also LOVES to receive chain e-mail.