I’m only going to say this one more time.

Today we complete the first full week of January. It’s winter. No doubt at some point in the next three months we will struggle with a major winter storm.

Yesterday was not that day. Not that you would know that if you per chance flipped on your television at any point during the day. Morning, noon and night, we were serenaded with the “big story,” something just short of armageddon involving snow, changing to sleet and freezing rain, finally ending as rain.

Well, they got the rain part right. That’s about all we got. The roads were wet. Yes, there were some slick spots on side roads, but for the most part we survived. Same thing this morning. I drove in from the infamous “northern and western” suburbs, as I do every day. I encountered a couple slick spots in my development. Once out on the main arteries, however, it was smooth sailing.

Last night I had to chuckle as I chipped off the ice from the windshield and windows of my car in the parking lot as I prepared to head home. It was not that I was amused by the weather. Admittedly, I hate winter. Hate it just a little more each year. But a few minutes before, I actually had heard one local TV forecaster warning people that if there was ice on their windshield, they could expect ice on the roads as well.

That may have come as news to the legions of PennDOT workers who had clearly been working diligently treating the roads. I encountered no ice as I made my way home.

I’m not going to fool anyone by saying I don’t get it. I know exactly what this is about. It’s about ratings, and our endless fascination with weather, especially bad weather.

That’s why even the remotest threat of bad weather becomes big news. Yesterday it seemed like it was the only news.

This morning they’re right back on it. Apparently there are icy spots in some places. There are schools in Bucks and Montgomery counties that have delayed the opening of schools.

SEPTA is having some problems. They are reporting 40-minute delays on their busy R5 Paoli-Thorndale commuter line. They say it’s an Amtrak issue.

There also are delays being reported at Philadelphia International Airport.

Gone are the reports of doom that cascaded down on us yesterday. I don’t know exactly where all that snow and ice wound up, but it didn’t come here. Did anyone else hear reports yesterday of 1-3 inches in some areas?

Just keep repeating, northern and western suburbs …. northern and western suburbs …. northern and western suburbs ….

Some day I may even determine where those are.

Right now I will simply grit my teeth and wait for the next winter “event.”

My guess is we won’t have to wait long.