In the wild world of winter weather, location is everything. So small, last-minute changes in the air morphed what was supposed to be crippling feet of snow into a handful of inches. Fearful forecasts turned into apologies.
The not-so-great blizzard of 2015 did wallop the Northeast. Long Island and Massachusetts got hammered with more than two feet of snow, and it’s still falling.
RELATED: Blizzard hammers Boston area
But snowfall in the self-absorbed media capital of New York City, shut down in advance, stayed in the single digits. New Jersey and Philadelphia also were spared.
Meteorologists say the nor’easter stayed about 75 to 100 miles east of its forecast track.
So a National Weather Service forecaster in New Jersey — called a hero of 2012′s Superstorm Sandy — tweeted an apology for the errant forecast.
My deepest apologies to many key decision makers and so many members of the general public.
— Gary Szatkowski (@GarySzatkowski) January 27, 2015
You made a lot of tough decisions expecting us to get it right, and we didn't. Once again, I'm sorry.
— Gary Szatkowski (@GarySzatkowski) January 27, 2015
And an explanation for the change in forecast track was posted to the NWS New York page.