The Snow Report

In Australia most radio stations include a Snow Report in their weather forecasts. They make it sound like it is coming direct from the Weather Bureau but it is nothing more than an advertisement, paid for and produced by, the hotel owners. 

As a result, these reports are not designed to provide accurate information about snow conditions, but simply to entice people to travel to the area whether skiing is possible or not. The more people booking accommodation the more money the hotel makes.

So I was very surprised when one reporter decided not to go along with the lie. His Snow Report went something like this:

So what are conditions like up there at the moment? 

Well there's always good snow cover at this time of the year.

Yes, but what about today? 

It looks like we're set for a great weekend.

But what about snow cover? 

Well as I look out the window all I can see is white.

Yes but how deep is it?

Well I don't know exactly how deep it is in centimetres.

Centimetres! It wouldn't even be millimetres would it?

And that's where my memory fails. I simply cannot recall how the Snow Report ended but one thing was clear: the radio man wasn't letting the hotel owner tell any lies that particular day.