VIDEO Watch The Weather Channel’s Jim Cantore lose his mind over thundersnow in Boston
Snow: New England is sick of it; the rest of the country’s gotten less of it than usual this year; and we’re all kind of at the exact worst point of winter besides. The major holidays are all done, but it’s going to be slushy and gray and not spring for at least a few more weeks. (Forever, if you live in Boston.) So basically meh to winter weather. Right?
That is all true unless you’re The Weather Channel’s unflappable Jim Cantore. Jimmy C gets paid for enthusiasm and good-natured hyperbole–it’s the guy’s job to make natural phenomena seem as unique and incredible as witnessing unicorns mating in the fading light of day. Which is why you almost can’t help but chuckle at his crazy over-the-top reactions to witnessing thundersnow, that rarest of winter weather occurrences, while on location in the greater Boston area this week. Check the video:
He reacts like every kid in the country getting the day off from school at the exact same time. (Alternately, like every adult cracking open a can of delicious, perspective-shifting Thundersnow beer at the same time. Hopefully Madtree distributes around Boston.) And it’s exactly that kind of gleeful childish enthusiasm that’s going to get the greater Massachusetts area through its horrible ordeal. Buck up, Massholes! Six feet of snow in four weeks is something to make New Yorkers crumble–not you guys. You’ve got Jim Cantore and the power of delight behind you.
(On a related note: That is an amazing snow beard. The world needs more fine examples of snow beardery.)
Meterologically, a thundersnow storm is exactly the same as your garden variety thunderstorm, except that the precipitation is snow instead of rain. They occur most commonly on the edge of either a cold or warm front in a winter environment. And, perhaps most intriguingly (or creepily), the snow actually dampens the sound of the thunder. Thunder only has a blast radius of two to three miles in a snowstorm, which is much smaller than in a typical thunderstorm. If you were wondering why the thunder seems so quiet in the video, there’s your answer. It’s also a pretty rare thing: the American Meterological Society reports an average of about six American thundersnow events per year.
Stay warm out there, Bostonians. For everyone else currently plowing through the dog days of winter, enjoy a little vicarious thrill, and remember that the calendar says spring is just a tick over thirty days away.
(Photo credits: Jimmy C on Facebook)
