Storm Watch 1,000,000

I can remember a time when the weatherman (yes, it was only men when I grew up) would use magic markers on a big map of the greater Middle Tennessee area (which included my Southern Kentucky home) to let people know what was happening with the weather, and, perhaps even more importantly, what was going to happen with the weather. One weatherman in particular had a reputation for calling Memphis to see what the weather was doing there. He would then make that his forecast for the next day. His accuracy was the highest, but that's a different story.

Since television stations began using genuine RADAR to show precipitation in their viewing areas, the promotional names have kept up with advancing technology. First there were stations using taglines like, "Stormwatch 5." Then, "StormTracker 1,000." Then, "RadarWatch 10,000." This progression made me wonder just how far a station would go to impress upon viewers the superiority of its particular RADAR.

Well, dear readers, a station in Atlanta, Georgia, has now crossed a key threshold in the quest to be the most advanced. Weather+Plus 1,000,000 is now the benchmark. Yes, Weather+Plus One Million. (The website doesn't do justice to how the forecasters portray it while on screen.) It beats any claim of a New York City station. I've always heard that the south would rise again. I didn't suspect that it would be by having the most powerful RADAR known to man. Maybe this is a good thing. But, maybe we should just call Pittsburgh, see what's happening there, and make that our forecast for the next day or two.