Let's Get Real!

Welcome to another installment of "Let's Get Real," where we compare traditional definitions of words or phrases with what they mean in the real world. Today's installment takes a well known phrase and applies it to t.v. meteorology. Today's word is

to dodge a bullet

If you look it up at wiktionary.com, you get this:

to dodge a bullet (idiomatic) to have a narrow escape; to avoid injury or disaster. As in
Harold dodged a bullet. He got a "D" on the final exam.

Let's Get Real! When it comes to meteorology, here's the proper definition of "to dodge a bullet":

to dodge a bullet (idiotic) 1. to screw up a forecast; usually used to deflect blame for the erroneous forecast away from the forecaster, 2. to forecast much more weather than was actually predicted in an attempt to get viewers to watch the 11 PM and morning weather reports. As in It looks like we really dodged a bullet as that 10 inches of snow forecast turned out to be just a few flurries. But a little further north, in Northern Quebec, they got that 10 inches of snow!