21st Century: Query 131 (Jim Cantore)
“Oh, you know it’s gonna suck when I come to town.” ~ Jim Cantore , American Meteorologist for The Weather Channel . Cantore has been lauded for his ability to “break down” complicated weather events into terms the average viewer can understand. Cantore is often selected to go to report on severe weather events. Since the ratings for the Weather Channel increase during these events, Cantore has become a recognizable figure. In particular, viewers’ association of Cantore’s presence with incoming or in-progress severe weather events became so strong that the Weather Channel lampooned it in a one-minute 2011 commercial spot in which Cantore goes on a beach vacation, panicking nearby beachgoers and locals who take his presence as an ominous sign. In recent years, it seems that our weather has become more volatile; what with stronger hurricanes, droughts, flooding, and severe winters, perhaps Mr. Cantore should be cloning himself. How have weather patterns changed in the past...