Snowmageddon
Snowmageddon,Snowpocalypse,andSnowzillaareportmanteausof the word "snow" with "Armageddon","Apocalypse",and"Godzilla"respectively. Snowmageddon and Snowpocalypse were used in thepopular pressinCanadaduring January 2009,[1]and was also used in January 2010 byThe GuardianreporterCharlie Brookerto characterise the sensationalist reaction of television news to a period of snowfall across the UK.[2]The Washington Post,out ofWashington, D.C.,ran an online poll asking for reader feedback prior to theFebruary 5–6, 2010 North American blizzardon February 4, 2010,[3]and severalblogs,including theWashington Post's own blog, followed that up by using either "Snowmageddon" or "Snowpocalypse" before, during, and after the storm hit.[4]
The Washington Postalso popularized the term "kaisersnoze" (seeKeyser Söze) in response to the February snowstorms.[5]
During the evening preceding the first blizzard hitting Washington, D.C., most of theUnited States federal governmentclosed, and press coverage continued to characterize the storm using either "Snowmageddon", "Snowpocalypse", or both.[6]
The term "Snowpocalypse" was used in thePacific Northwestto refer to a snowstorm inDecember 2008.[7][8]
The 2008 children's bookWinter BlastbyChris Wright,uses the term "snowmageddon" in the storyline of the book.[9]
Examples
[edit]- The Great Blizzard of '93
- North American blizzard of 2009(Snowpocalypse[10])
- February 5–6, 2010 North American blizzard(Snowmageddon[10])
- February 9–10, 2010 North American blizzard(Snowmageddon: Snoverkill)
- February 25–27, 2010 North American blizzard(Snowicane)
- December 2010 North American blizzard
- January 31 – February 2, 2011 North American blizzard
- February 2013 nor'easter
- Early 2014 North American cold wave
- November 13 – 21, 2014 North American winter storm
- January 2016 United States blizzard(Snowzilla[11])
- Winter of 2009–2010 in the United Kingdom
- Winter of 2010–2011 in the United Kingdom
- January 17, 2020 in St. John's, Canada blizzard(Snowmageddon)[12][13]
- February 13–17, 2021 North American winter storm
See also
[edit]- The dictionary definition ofSnowmageddonat Wiktionary
References
[edit]- ^Ibbotson, Heather (January 26, 2010)."Mild winter easy on city budget".Brantford Expositor.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
"At this time last year, we were referring to it as snowmageddon," Madden said.
- ^Brooker, Charlie(January 16, 2010)."Charlie Brooker's Screen burn".The Guardian.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
As far as the 24-hour rolling networks were concerned, this wasn't a freak weather condition. This was war. Death from the skies. Earth versus the Ice Warriors. Snowmageddon.
- ^"Vote for storm name, Twitter hashtag & snow total".Washington Post.February 4, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2012.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
- ^Broder, John M.; Healy, Jack (February 5, 2010)."East Coast Is Hit by 'Potentially Epic Snowstorm'".The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
bracing for what newspapers and bloggers have been calling the "snowpocalypse," or "snowmageddon,"
- ^Gainor, Dan M. (February 10, 2010)."Washington's New Four-Letter Word: Snow".Fox News.Reuters.RetrievedFebruary 12,2010.
D.C. residents have turned to social media like Twitter and Facebook to vent their frustration with terms like "snOMG," "snowmageddon", "snowpocalypse", and "kaisersnoze".
- ^"Powerful blizzard shuts down US capital".Google News.AFP.February 5, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon February 13, 2010.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
The storm, dubbed "Snowpocalypse" and "Snowmageddon" by many locals,
- ^"Snowpocalypse Now".North Kitsap Herald. 23 December 2008.Retrieved17 January2012.
- ^Wheaton, Sarah (19 December 2009)."Snowpocalypse Now, and Then".NYTimes.Retrieved17 January2012.
- ^Wright, Chris(2008).Winter Blast.Mountain Valley Publishing.ISBN978-1-934940-10-5.RetrievedFebruary 11,2010.
- ^abCapital Weather Gang
- ^Angela Fritz (January 22, 2016)."We hereby name this winter storm 'Snowzilla'".The Washington Post.Washington, D.C.RetrievedJanuary 22,2016.
- ^"'Snowmageddon': cleanup begins after record Newfoundland storm ".The Guardian.Canada. Reuters. 18 January 2020.
- ^Marx, Paris (26 January 2020)."Snowmageddon has come and gone. Let's hope metro St. John's learns the right lessons".CBC News.