Paulusma’s weather reports have become legendary in recent years, especially for 11-cities fans
Translated by Thomas Ansell
Each year, weatherman Piet Paulusma makes his forecast for both the summer and winter seasons: today is the first day of meteorological winter and so Paulusma has now released his definitive prediction for the winter season 2019/2020 (as reported in the Omrop Fryslân).
“I am assuming that the coming winter will, in general, be messy. Messy, in this context, is another way of voicing the combination of regularly changing and unpredictable weather. On the other hand, there will be one or two longer period with real winter weather and serious cold- with a medium to strong frost. We will then, thanks to this, have a couple of periods where we will be able to skate.”
“It will be a winter with a number of snow-days, with a chance of a real blanketing of snow: but this will vary depending on the region. In general, it will be a season with regular issues caused by the snow: some ice and some autumnal stormy conditions will occur. So, people will be affected both by very wintry conditions and some markedly un-wintery conditions!
The winter will likely have a low daily temperature, which may average out at just 1 degree.”
Paulusma’s weather reports have grown something of a cult following in the Netherlands, with his fame stemming from a long-running position as weather man on the SBS6 network, his Frisian-language reporting on Omrop Fryslan, his correct prediction of the 1997 Elfstedentocht (the 11 cities ice skating race which was last held in 1997); and his jaunty Frisian good-bye of ‘oant moarn’ (’til tomorrow).
Image: the Elfstedentocht finish line in 1956. Image via the Dutch national archive– taken by Harry Pot/Anefo
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