Overachievement isn't just for people

A recent weather report had this to declare about weather patterns in our area this winter:

"There have been several storms that have overachieved in this manner this year."

The meteorological explanation for "this manner" was a bit difficult to follow, but appeared to have something to do with various small storms joining together in a sort of Alliance of Storm Chaos.

And "overachievement" in this case seems to refer to the number of days area schools have been cancelled. It is estimated that in order for students to make up all the missed time, several extra days will have to be added not only to the school year, but to each of the summer months themselves, like leap days. This will, of course, greatly affect the seasons for the rest of us, so that in "August" it will actually be November. The good news is that the following year, spring should arrive in "January," provided of course that there are a minimum of overachieving storms.

It is all very complex, which goes to show that we shouldn't be too hard on meteorologists when they mess up a forecast, even though if the rest of messed up that much at OUR jobs, we would quickly join the ranks of the unemployed. "Underachieving," we might be called.

As we watched the Olympics this week, I imagined an Olympics for Weather Forecasters. Contenders would have to analyze a series of simulated radar patterns and predict the resulting imaginary weather. Those who got the closest would advance to the next round, where they would encounter obstacles like angry parents and school officials lobbying for a favorable forecast to keep the schools open, along with hopeful children pleading for lots of snow. 

Finally, at the end of the grueling competition the winners would be announced and medals awarded. The forecaster who could guarantee no more "overachieving storms" this year would, of course, win the gold. The rest -- well, they would win a one-way ticket to Siberia.