And honestly, I real am starting to get mad about it.
"On this, all agree: It’s been an incredibly tough winter. But with more snow forecast this week, a divide has emerged, one that would seem curious only to someone not from here. It pits those who want bragging rights for the worst winter ever against those who just want it to end. Now.
Leave it to the Globe to ply division in everything. What a pos.
And look who they talk to:
Carisa Cunningham, the spokeswoman for Gay & Lesbian Advocates & Defenders, says she has had it with the dangers of walking and driving and the hassles of taking the T. “You just feel persecuted by it,” said Cunningham, who works on the aptly named Winter Street. From therapists to weathermen, the experts understand the (bi)polar feelings. Therapists say the forecasts are triggering spikes in anxiety disorder among clients already feeling battered and beleaguered."
I suppose she would feel that way. I didn't know reporting was talking to your friends at whatever agenda-pushing outfit or synagogue they are at, talking as if the weather is some conscious entity that personally has conspired against them.
Where does the Globe find these people, and do they really exist? I mean, I give up and don't care who is counting when it comes to the Globe.
"With a wintry mix probably headed toward the region and some snow and ice still on the ground, the National Park Service gave locals a glimpse of spring Tuesday. At a press conference in the Newseum, Karen Cucurullo, acting superintendent of National Mall and Memorial Parks, told a crowd still carrying winter coats and scarves that Washington’s famed cherry blossom trees should reach peak bloom between April 11 and 14. ‘‘This is the day we wait for. Washington is ready to celebrate spring,’’ said the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s president, Diana Mayhew. Cucurullo said National Park Service crews in charge of monitoring the trees will continue to do so in the coming weeks to provide updates on the status of the blooms. The average peak bloom date, according to the National Park Service, is on April 4. Officials say the trees will soon attract nearly 2 million visitors, who annually flock to Washington for the spectacle."
I would think the government would see through the fart mist at this point, but then they are the ones putting it out.
Rather than roar about it, I'll just let them get stuck in their own sh**:
"Despite the weather-related setbacks, the Massachusetts Maple Producers Association’s kickoff event was held as usual on the first Friday in March. Governor Charlie Baker was joined by Department of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton and Department of Agricultural Resources commissioner John Lebeaux to tap sugar maple trees in a ceremony at Hollis Hills Farm in Fitchburg. “We call the event the passage of spring,” Jordan said in a telephone interview. The event also celebrates March as Massachusetts Maple Month — a declaration Baker made to honor the role of maple production in the state’s economy. “Maple producers are very hopeful the weather warms up sooner rather than later. You really need warm, sunny days with highs in the 30s or 40s,” said Mary Jordan, director of the division of agricultural markets at the Department of Agricultural Resources."
Not getting them, and spring is still technically more than a week away.
"Winter storms battered sales of small businesses, survey shows" by Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff March 05, 2015
As snow piled ever higher last month, sales slumped dramatically for retailers, restaurants, and other small businesses in Massachusetts, according to a survey by several business groups.
The poll of more than 1,600 companies found sales fell an average of 24 percent between Jan. 26 and Feb. 22, compared with the same period a year earlier. Retailers and restaurants were hit hardest by the weather, with sales falling nearly 50 percent, according to the survey.
You don't make that up, and a lot of places will be going out of business.
Now if you will excuse me, it's time for lunch.
Bob Luz, chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Massachusetts, said that unlike car or toaster sales, which consumers merely postponed until the snow clears, restaurant sales “go away and never come back.” One storm hit on Valentine’s Day, leading to thousands of canceled reservations on what is typically one of the biggest nights of the year for restaurants.
“All business was hit pretty hard this winter,” Luz said, “but restaurants were hit particularly hard.”
Employees also lost money when businesses were forced to close. Payrolls dropped an average of 7 percent, according to the report, and 14 percent for retailers and restaurants.
The survey was conducted by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts, Associated Industries of Massachusetts, and the Massachusetts chapter of the National Federation of Independent Businesses, the small business lobby. About 77 percent of the businesses surveyed had annual sales of less than $5 million, and 61 percent had fewer than 20 employees.
******************
The only real winner? Grocery stores....
Many businesses could make up losses later in the year as consumers make purchases they delayed. During the first three months of 2014, when bitter cold from the so-called polar vortex descended over much of the nation, the US economy contracted at an annual rate of 2 percent. But a strong rebound followed, with the economy expanding at a rate of about 5 percent in each of the next two quarters.
Related: Don’t expect winter to be polar vortex redux, officials said
And you wonder why I'm not believing a fart-mi$ting thing from them?
This winter, economists estimate the drop-off in consumer spending, missed days at work, and transportation delays cost Massachusetts more than $1 billion in lost business activity. The losses are sizable enough to reduce the local economy’s output by about 1 percentage point during the beginning of 2015....
--more--"
Related:
"The US economy was growing at a moderate pace through mid-February, the Federal Reserve said, despite a severe winter that disrupted activity in some regions. Six of its 12 regions reported moderate growth, with modest gains seen in most other areas. The Boston district, which covers New England, said businesses remained upbeat despite a series of snowstorms. Most New England retailers and manufacturers reported that sales grew from a year earlier. Software and information technology services firms also reported increases. Real estate firms said they had a strong December, though the residential market weakened in January. Staffing firms, however, slipped amid weather-related shutdowns."
Do I really have to type anything?
And all the Globe is worried about are leaky roofs at the museum?
"Few braved the snow in February; Museum attendance, crime both declined" by Peter Schworm and Matt Rocheleau, Globe Staff March 10, 2015
One foot of snow after the next, Boston effectively froze in place this February. Leaving the house proved more trouble than it was worth.
The brave souls who did venture out to a museum or other cultural destination often found they had the run of the place. At the Museum of Fine Arts, which closed for four days in February, attendance dropped 24 percent over the same month last year. Visits to the usually bustling New England Aquarium dropped by 49 percent, and attendance at the Institute of Contemporary Art declined by 30 percent.
I'm sure sales grew, though.
The blizzards also kept shoppers and diners at home, eroding sales tax revenue and parking-ticket proceeds. Even would-be thieves seemed to hunker down, pushing down the crime rate in the process.
Bankers stayed indoors, too?
And tourism? “The only other time periods that saw such a drop-off in visitor activity and visitor spending were in the aftermaths of the terrorism acts of 9/11 and the Marathon bombings,” said Pat Moscaritolo, president of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau. The winter was the slowest in the past 25 years, he said.
While leisure travel and weekend trips fell dramatically, hotels maintained a base of business travelers. But restaurants saw declines “across the board,” he said.
“Pretty much a perfect storm, unfortunately, from a financial perspective,” Moscaritolo said.
Paul Guzzi, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, said that even the Blizzard of 1978 didn’t have such a prolonged effect.
“In one word, the impact has been terrible,” he said.
Amid widespread public transportation failures and parking woes that turned daily life into an Arctic ordeal, attendance fell 40 percent at Boston’s Central Library in Copley Square from a year before.
“Just getting in and out of Boston was a daunting task,” said Jane Wolfson, a spokeswoman for the aquarium.
The state’s revenue department estimated that the February storms may have reduced tax revenue by $37 million, mainly from declines in meal and fuel taxes.
The harsh winter has come with some silver linings.
Yeah? Where?
In Boston, reports of the most serious crime were down 33 percent overall between Jan. 1 and March 8, compared with the same span last year. There have been significantly fewer homicides, rapes, robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, larcenies, and vehicle thefts, according to police department statistics.
Police are still gunning people down, though.
Amid parking bans and buried meters, parking meter revenues plunged from mid-January to mid-February, from $811,000 last year to $444,000 this year.
Parking-ticket proceeds declined from more than $4 million last February to $3.26 million this year. The city is allowing people to park for free for two hours if snow is blocking the meter.
“We certainly don’t want anyone to get hurt,” said Tracey Ganiatsos, a spokeswoman for the city’s transportation department.
Such parking difficulties made recreational trips seem onerous. In more reasonable winters, a museum might seem an ideal place to while away an afternoon, freeing up summer days for outdoor activities.
But as the relentless series of storms pummeled the city, getting around became a chore.
Because of school closings, field trips were postponed. And school vacation, usually a big week for museums, fell victim to winter’s onslaught.
In all, the impact was unprecedented, museum officials said. “This is a first we hope never to repeat,” Wolfson said.
The Boston Symphony Orchestra lost some $400,000 in ticket sales because of inclement weather, a 20 percent drop from last winter. The Museum of Science, which closed five times in recent weeks, also saw substantial declines, particularly during school vacation.
At Boston Children’s Museum, usually a lifeline for snowbound, stir-crazy families, attendance dropped 40 percent in February.
“We were down,” said Jo-Anne Baxter, director of public relations for the museum, which closed six times during the snowiest stretch in city history. “Like everyone else.”
Attendance at museums has begun to rebound. School groups have rescheduled, trains are more reliable, and life has generally returned to normal.
Pffffffffft!
Even the towering snowbanks are being whittled down to size.
As the crowds return, those who braved the worst can indulge in a bit of self-congratulation. Hassle aside, it was the best time to go.
I never liked arrogance in newspaper reporting, sorry.
“It was kind of like having the aquarium to yourself,” Wolfson said.
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Looks like the snow isn't going away anytime soon, either:
"Slow-melting snowpack may last another month" by David Abel, Globe Staff March 11, 2015
Part of the problem is all the ice cooling the waters on Boston Harbor, which will continue to chill the city for weeks with a frosty sea breeze. Also, the densely packed snow on the ground frosts the air, like a ubiquitous freezer, but the main factor is the unprecedented depth of the historic snow blanketing the region.
Yes, as the snow and freezing temperatures continue, you are warned to keep off the frozen Charles River and the thick layer of ice in Boston Harbor while ignoring the large chunks of ice washing ashore along Cape Cod (ever see a snow-covered beach before?). Must be why the kids no longer like baseball.
Don't let the roof collapses get you pissed because “winter is definitely not over.” I think it stinks having to live in an igloo without plumbing, but....
Assuming no additional snow or heavy rains, the possibility of lingering snow piles has organizers of the Boston Marathon concerned about how the snow lining city streets could affect the tens of thousands of runners who will take to the course on April 20.
Forget that! What is it going to do to the St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
Is it going to throw a wrinkle into the march?
***************
The snowpack could also harm the region’s gardening businesses. The relatively balmy weather of recent days is going to revert to cooler temperatures, and forecast models show that the latter half of the month is likely to be cooler than average, said Cindy Fitzgibbon, a meteorologist at WCVB-TV.
All you had to do was go outside this morning for the sub-freezing temperatures.
As a result, the thaw is likely to slow.
That makes me angry.
“It’s depressing,” she said. “It looks like it’s going to be mid- to late April before we’re dancing in the daffodils.”
Despite the collective weariness from all the slush, there are advantages to a long, slow melt. Heavy rains or prolonged mild temperatures that would more quickly devour the heaps of snow would probably also lead to widespread flooding.
“This is how we want it to happen,” Jeanne Richardson, a spokeswoman for the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, said of the incremental melting.
She said city officials have been working hard to clear accumulated snow from catch basins, and “we don’t have any major problems to report so far.”
Similarly, the added moisture from heavy rains could wreak further havoc on roofs, 250 of which have already caved in statewide this winter, before the snow is gone.
“A controlled melt is the ideal way for this stuff to dissipate,” said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.
The gradual melt has made it easier for the thawing ground to absorb more moisture, keeping the region’s rivers and streams at normal levels, said Linda Hutchins, a hydrologist with the state Department of Conservation and Recreation.
And biologists say this long, grating winter should have long-term benefits for trees, shrubs, and soils throughout the region. New England these days has 20 fewer days with a snowpack than in the 1950s, as temperatures have risen an average of 2.5 degrees, studies at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire have shown.
“All the snow we’ve received is a huge source of nutrients to the forest,” said Pamela Templer, an associate professor of biology at Boston University, who studies the changing snowpack in New England. “Biologically, this has been great, even if it hasn’t been for us.”
Among those feeling the lingering torment of this winter are the region’s Coast Guard crews, whose vessels have been breaking up ice in Boston Harbor and other vital waterways and relocating buoys dislodged by ice floes since December.
Now Coast Guard officials are concerned about the increased risk of pollution, as run-off from land surges into coastal waters.
“We’re really looking forward to winter being over,” said Petty Officer Matthew Ohrin, a spokesman for the Coast Guard in Boston.
And it will be, by April.
Assuming, that is, that the planet doesn’t punish Boston with more snowstorms.
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Of course, the answer to the contradictory fart mist is new satellites.
Maybe they should worry about the planes first:
"Plane slides off runway in N.Y.; 127 passengers evacuated; no serious injuries" by Marc Santora and Patrick McGeehan, New York Times March 05, 2015
NEW YORK — A Delta Air Lines flight landing at La Guardia Airport skidded off the runway and crashed over a berm and through a fence during a snowstorm Thursday morning, forcing passengers to evacuate by climbing onto a broken wing, according to officials.
There were no serious injuries among the 127 passengers and five crew members, according to the authorities. A fuel leak was quickly contained as dozens of emergency vehicles surrounded the plane....
--more--"
Related: NTSB to weigh many variables in La Guardia runway slide
I believe them as much as I believe NOAA -- which is to say not at all.
UPDATE: Delta pilots say brakes were on, but plane did not slow
NDUs:
US retail sales fall for 3rd month as auto purchases drop
In a nightmare winter, no dream houses
It's a “disaster,” but least all is well with the parade.
"Secretary of State William Galvin wants the state’s utilities to give small businesses more time to repay delinquent bills they racked up after the severe winter weather cut into sales. Massachusetts law prevents gas and electric companies from shutting off service to residential customers experiencing financial hardship during the heating season of Nov. 15 through March 15. Galvin was a co-sponsor of that 1979 legislation when he was a state representative. The state’s two major utilities have already agreed to extend the moratorium this year to March 31. But given the hardships posed by the snowstorms, Galvin wants utilities to honor the moratorium through April 15. He’s also asking the companies to offer the same grace period for small businesses, even though they aren’t typically protected by the winter moratorium. Galvin wrote a letter Friday to Angela O’Connor, chairwoman of the state Department of Public Utilities, asking for her agency’s assistance in encouraging the utilities to honor the extension request. Galvin said an extension of the state moratorium on residential shutoffs along with new relief for small businesses would help the economy recover from the rough, snowy winter....
Do you want the good news first or the good news first? The global economy grew by 3 percent last year. And that has always meant energy emissions worldwide rose in tandem. That, however, was apparently not the case last year, the International Energy Agency said Friday. The rising use of renewable energy, particularly in China, played a role in keeping emissions from the energy sector to 32.3 billion tons of carbon dioxide last year, the same as in 2013, the agency said. Over the past 50 years, the only other times that emissions stayed the same or shrank were during economic downturns. The report said the numbers suggest that government and industry policies to fight climate change may be working better than expected, notably by reducing a reliance on coal. Incoming IEA director Fatih Birol called the development ‘‘a very welcome surprise and a significant one.’’
So that is how the wea$ely $cienti$ts are going to wiggle out of the global warming me$$, huh?
**********
Wholesale prices fell for a fourth straight month in February as a decline in food prices offset an increase in gasoline prices. The Labor Department said Friday its producer price index, which measures inflation pressures before they reach consumers, dropped 0.5 percent in February. The figure follows a 0.8 percent fall in January. Core producer prices, which exclude volatile food and energy costs, also fell 0.5 percent during the month. Over the past 12 months, producer prices have shed 0.6 percent while core prices have climbed a modest 1 percent. Food costs were down 1.6 percent in February. Energy costs overall were flat as declines in natural gas and electric power offset a gain in gasoline."
No, I did not miss those and neither of them have declined here. I am told by the propaganda pre$$ we need pipelines for the gas and electricity costs have gone up 30%.
Related: Eversource CEO awarded $1.3 million pay raise
Think there is a faulty connection.
