Dieppe — Meteorologist David Burns of Dieppe has issued a heavy winter storm-warning warning, saying New Brunswickers in all areas of the province could be subjected to upwards of 20 warnings this afternoon alone.
“What we’re seeing is about 3 weather warnings per person, per half-hour,” said Burns, “and this is before a single flake hits their region. These unsolicited warnings can come in the form of your child’s school calling to make you aware of cancellations, your neighbour posting shovelling selfies on social media, your friend tweeting CBC advisories or Globe and Mail weather-related articles — it can come from pretty well anywhere.”
Specialists all over the province are working to help the population fight the onslaught of warnings and are urging them to remain mentally strong. “The thing to do is just keep calm and remember that there’s nothing you can do to stop the barrage of warnings,” said Moncton psychologist Stella McKinley-Dwyer. “You can prepare for them, though. Remember that you’re not alone and that everyone in N.B. has to hear about the weather for most of the winter, and even much of the summer.
“During the winter I see many patients who’ve snapped — they’ve just gone off their rocker because of all the warnings,” she continued. “In fact, they have recurring nightmares about being asked ‘Got your shovel ready?’ or ‘In for quite the storm tonight, eh? or ‘Cold enough for ya?’ Their symptoms are almost like they’ve got weather-warning-induced PTSD. I’ve dubbed it PTWWD.”
New Brunswick winter survivor Neil Norris, 41, says the best way to get through it all is to unplug, unfriend, and unwind. “Get off the Internet, first of all,” he said. “If you can’t pry yourself away from that, then at least unfriend anyone on Facebook who posts about the weather. I mean, who’d want to be friends with someone that boring, anyway? And lastly, unwind. Sit at home, relax, think about summer and the better times ahead.”