Should they report early spring conditions in the eastern part of the country, especially in New York City, or the massive snowstorms that will hit western states including Colorado, Utah, California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, and Nevada?
The former seems a metaphysical certitude, doesn't it?
Before you answer, here are some near-term predictions published by Bloomberg Monday guaranteed to give newsrooms across the fruited plain weather reporting nightmares:
Heavy snow will blanket parts of Utah and Colorado, and strong winds will hit the Southwest today as a series of West Coast storms that left hundreds of thousands without power moves on to the Rocky Mountains.
From the Great Lakes to the Atlantic coast, temperatures may reach as much as 30 degrees above normal through Jan. 9, according to AccuWeather, a private forecasting service. The higher temperatures may lead to flooding as snow melts. Unusually mild temperatures as high as 68 degrees Fahrenheit in Washington and 61 in New York were forecast for tomorrow, AccuWeather said.
In contrast, parts of the Rocky Mountains west of Denver may get as much as 12 inches (30.5 centimeters) of snow today, the National Weather Service said. Temperatures in Denver, where as much as 5 inches of snow is forecast, may fall to 5 degrees Fahrenheit (-15 degrees Celsius).
With that in mind, are we more likely to see media focus on the warm conditions akin to this report from New York's WCBSTV.com:
Just when it seemed like winter's bite kicked into gear with wind chills in single digits last week, some unexpected mild air is moving into the region and will make for a fantastic start to the work week. By Tuesday, temperatures should hit at least 60 degrees for much of the tri-state region.
"It's not quite June in January, but it's good enough for me," said CBS 2 HD Meteorologist John Elliott. "Our highs are reaching temperatures that are more common in the middle of April."
Or, will they focus on what's going to happen this week out west as reported by AccuWeather Monday (emphasis added):
[...]
Today into Tuesday morning, as much as a foot of snow could fall in the mountains of Arizona and New Mexico. High pressure will enter the Four Corners on Tuesday, ending the wintry mess.
With the approach of the next storm in the Northwest, places in the Cascades could receive another foot of snow into Tuesday as well. Colder air left over the region behind the last storm will allow for snow to mix in with rain in places that are often bypassed by snow, including Seattle and Portland.
Any guesses as to which area's weather will be given greater focus?
Of course, an unbiased media would pay equal attention to both...but will they?
