Last night (Friday eve), we knew here at Weather Plus that the potential for a massive storm outbreak – including severe thunderstorms (potentially producing tornadoes – which it did!), drenching rains, hail, strong winds, in addition to heavy snowfall, blizzard-like conditions. It’s a mess, certainly from a commuter’s point of view. It’s also a dynamic mechanized weather making-machine, the expanse of which encompasses most of the central region of the country from top to bottom (from North Dakota all the way down to Texas…wow…).

PICS: Team At Work

Behind the scenes, it’s a 12-hour day for most of us here at the studio. All of us are dedicated to getting the information out to our viewers in a timely fashion, attempting to get the latest to you first. It does take a toll. When severe weather is happening, the studio is a buzzing with activity; producers lining up the show segments and producing the graphics which tell the important visual story, on-camera personal and meteorologists working on analysis of weather data as it comes in, directors orchestrating the whole operation on a second by second basis. WE GO LIVE for breaking news at any moment, especially when active, severe weather, is happening – tornados certainly get top billing!

Overnight Friday through Saturday afternoon, things got all fired up with a squall line of thunderstorms driving through Texas, then Arkansas and Louisiana… The snow starting falling heavily in Utah on Friday…Saturday, to the north of the area of low pressure producing rain and thunderstorms (and tornados), the cold air supported the production of heavy snow hitting the upper Midwest hard… we’re talking 3-12 inches likely by Sunday with a foot or more landing in southern Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa. With this kind of activity, we are on our feet for the long, long, haul. We’re eating on the fly… No breaks.

The story is front and center.

But that’s Ok because it’s our job – the job of communicating to the public, our valued viewers the story that will affect their lives – weather-wise.

Back to work I go. Hang tight with us. We’ll get through this crazy weather together. No problem.

Cheers!