The Popcorn Stand: Don’t expect me to brave the elements

I never understood why weather reporters — or any reporters for that matter — feel the desire to stand out in the lousiest of conditions when it comes to covering really bad weather like hurricanes. Maybe I’m a little sadistic, but I don’t think I’m alone when I chuckle a little bit watching Anderson Cooper try to stand upright when he’s telling us something we already know and we can easily find out on our smartphones when looking up the National Weather Service: It’s raining extremely hard and the wind is blowing extremely hard.

I guess it’s some kind of gonzo journalist thing. But for me, I’ll just look at the National Weather Service reports and report on hurricanes from the comfort of my inside studio with hot cocoa, thank you very much.

And I get a kick out of the weather reporter on “Family Guy,” Ollie Williams who parodies all these nasty weather reports. “IT’S RAINING SIDEWAYS,” Ollie yells.

But on Friday other weather observers wanted to get into the act. Mount Washington Observatory in New Hampshire is the site of some of the world’s coldest temperatures and some people decided to hike up to the highest peak of this place to take in the 100 mph winds and temperatures that got down below zero with a wind chill of minus-40. The observatory’s Tom Padham strapped on some goggles and headed outside for a “bit of fun” and of course he was struggling to stand against the wind. I’m sure the goggles made all the difference in the world.

And what is it with these reporters when all they wear is like some thin rain jacket with maybe a hoodie whenever they report on this nasty weather. If I was forced to go out in something like that, you can bet I would be wearing my thermals and my Elmer Fudd hat and that would be a start. And I wouldn’t care what I look like as long as I’m warm.

In Northern Nevada it does get cold here and it doesn’t take minus-40 degree conditions to break out my thermals. There are people who make fun of me when they see me in my thermals — while they’re chattering their teeth.

I think I had the last laugh.

— Charles Whisnand