1-24-26 Saturday Sterling

Sterling talks with Kathleen Fuller and Jennifer Ketchmark about the impending snowstorm hitting the midwest, Jay Ratliff joins to discuss how the storm affects travel plans, and James Rapien talks NFL Conference Championship weekend.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here we are. It's coming at us like a two
ton heavy thing. Big win, big snow, more serious, cold,
and it's on the way and there's gonna be a
lot of it. You got to mention Xavier eighty three
eighty eight Bayball in the battle of coach Patinos, Rick

(00:23):
and Richard of course said Xavier. It was tough, solid game.
It was great listening on the way in. It's always
great to hear Sunderman and Larkin with the call and
coach comments after just a tough loss, a great game otherwise.
Now Saint John's fifteen and five, eleven and nine Xavier,

(00:44):
and it's on to the next one. And of course
we got you this afternoon. And of course the guy
following me with his coffee with his computer sooner than later,
and he's already here getting fired up and ready to go,
covering everything. He was all wrapped up in this Xavier
game a little bit earlier. Is our chick, Ludwig. He'll

(01:04):
get you right up until you see basketball. So you
gots a Xavier earlier tough game eighty eight, eighty three
loss to Saint John's and then the basketball Bearcats, who
have enjoyed fifty to sixty degree weather the last couple
of days not so bad in the desert Tempe Arizona.
It'll take on Arizona State in a Big twelve matchup
after a dropping one to Arizona just a couple of

(01:27):
nights ago, and there will be a shock to the
system for them flying back into CVG as they look
ready to get back to work in school and everything else.
Likely a whole lot of stuff shut down on our
Monday in the big snow event tomorrow, continuing basically as
it moves in later this afternoon and into the evening,
with big snow depending. They've talked on temperatures a little

(01:49):
further south, there's a sleet and rain contingent. I have
friends that are deep into Kentucky. They're looking at more
I think sleet and stuff which may impact their snow amounts.
They're still saying that we are looking at a foot
or more of snow in that band that is going
to come through the Try State, hitting south east Indiana

(02:10):
as well as northern Kentucky and all through the Try
State from Cincinnati up towards Columbus, Zinesville and onward east
and up the coast. Dayton should get about eight to
twelve inches if you're up in the Miami Valley. So yeah,
we've got a lot of people out there. Soon, we'll
talk to Kathleen Fuller from O dot Cincinnati. She will
join us after the four thirty report. We'll get an

(02:33):
update on how they are handling the attack on the
interstates and highways in and around are part of the world.
Jennifer Kench Ketchmark, who you normally hear bright and early.
You may see her before you leave the house watching
your nine first morning forecast. She'll give us an update
on what to expect. Well, she's a meteorologist, she knows

(02:55):
this stuff, so she'll join us normally on with Tom
Brenhan in the morning. She'll give us a little time
after five, and James Rapene gonna join us. We'll talk
to him about the NFL playoffs and maybe playing in
the snow and sledding. I know Patriots, Broncos tomorrow, Rams
and Seahawks look to get it on and we'll see
how things progress from there. Other stuff in the news,

(03:16):
I mean, the big thing for us obviously is snow
and wind and ridiculous wicked cold. You'll get an update
on what's happening in Minneapolis. There's another guy that's been
shot and killed by federal agents there in the Twin Cities.
Homeland Security says that he was armed, which I think
you're allowed to carry in Minneapolis and in Minnesota legally.

(03:38):
So we'll see what video there is and how that
plays out. There will be updates in the news as
they continues to get worse. And it is you think
it's cold here, they manufacture the cold in the Twin
Cities in that part of the world. And a lot
of people have been out there protesting and interfering as well.
I mean, there's a line in between wherever you stand
on this. It is an ugly, uncomfortable circumstance. And we've

(04:01):
got snow and bad, bad weather coming. There's already been
a run and on the usual staple items at the
grocery stores in and around our area, and it's it's amazing,
from milk to peanut, butter to bread. I am always mystified,
even going back to when I worked at a grocery
store as a younger man, that I don't know if

(04:22):
people just want to double up and make sure that
if they get socked in and stuck in a lockdown,
which I shouldn't use. Those words lockdown will flash back
to COVID times. But you know, if you're stuck in
not going out, my list of stuff that I have
to I get the Graters black raspberry chip ice cream.
I've got two pints of that. I've got Briar's chocolate

(04:44):
ice cream. I've got my assorted chips and salsas and
so forth at the house, so I will be prepared.
A lot of other people have already hit the stores
and are hitting the stores last minute as this storm
is making its way to us. As I look in
the red radar right now, I don't know how much
I was just outside. It wasn't raining, or it's clearly

(05:06):
not raining, wasn't snowing as of yet. But what I
can tell you is that you can see the clouds
are coming and radar as it looks right now is
it looks like it's just breached Indiana, Ohio border and
coming our way, if that in fact is hitting the
ground and not some type of interference. And if you
look at the wider picture of radar, it is a

(05:26):
whole lot of blue and random other disturbing colors that
mean deep snow and depending on where you are, ice
and everything that go along with that. We'll give you
a chance to sound off too. I'm wondering, have you
stocked up? Have you major run to the store? How
are you hunkering down and dealing with this on this
fine Saturday afternoon here Sterling hanging out five one, three, seven,

(05:48):
four nine seven, eight hundred, the big one. You can
talk back on the iHeartRadio app. Give you a chance
to get interactive. Also, I'm on x or what was
Twitter at Sterling Radio. Give you a checks to get
involved with that as well. It is I would imagine
right now, and I have some friends and some family

(06:08):
to do this, probably a lot of trucks with plows
on the front, hitting parking lots and shopping centers, small businesses, apartments,
getting those all at least maybe pre treated to some extent,
and getting prepared for what is coming in the aftermath.
No different than No Dot and all of the snow
warriors or whatever term somebody wants to use in and
around Cincinnati. They've got new equipment, they've got new technology.

(06:33):
We'll see exactly how glorious the cleanup will be. And
my guess is and this is the other thing. My
neighbor's kids are telling they're all geeked up about like sledding,
and I'm like, as cold as it as cold as
it is, and they're like, yeah, yeah, we're gonna go,
We're gonna go sledding. I'm like, okay, that'll be great.
And I'm a grown man. There was a time when

(06:55):
I was a tiny, young sterling. I certainly would be
excited and ready to get out there and do some sledding.
But when you're talking, you know, wicked, super cold, Like
right now, we are a balmy fifteen fahrenheit degrees in Cincinnati,
and where I sit along Montgomery Road in Kenwood, that's extreme.

(07:15):
But I remember being a kid. You'd stay out there
till you couldn't feel your face, you couldn't feel your fingers.
I'd be drenched with snow in my boots and everywhere else,
and I'd want to go get out and do more
as soon as I warmed up again. Your chance to
get interactive now, and we got the news coming up
with an update on the latest on the forecast exactly
basically minute by minute as it's coming towards us and

(07:37):
making its way here, and then As I mentioned, we
got Kathleen Fuller from O dot Cincinnati and to join
us at the High Department of Transportation. Jennifer ken Smart
from Channel nine WCPO about snowpocalyps or snow mcgeddon or
whatever you want to call it, Where the mess is
and where we stand in it. Then James Rapine joins
me after five point thirty talking Patriots, Broncos, Ram Seahawks,

(07:58):
and maybe some playing in the snow. Sit the phones.
We got a Dayton Kentucky Independence, Mike David and Mount Sterling.
I don't know in the place, but it is my name, Mark.
You're first on the big one on a Saturday afternoon, Sterling.
How are you? Are you prepared for the impending doom
of the white Death?

Speaker 2 (08:16):
I am Sterling, and I just wanted to comment that
as I was out running my errand yesterday and picking
up my bread and milk, I also stopped at a
local dispensary. Oh, and I can tell you that that's
probably the busiest place that it was busier than Kroger.

Speaker 1 (08:31):
I can tell you that really so so the weed
store and the beer stores probably getting hit quite hard
by people ready to spend their time and enjoining some
football tomorrow, I guess, and trying to stay warm and dry.

Speaker 3 (08:43):
Right, yes, sir, how long of a.

Speaker 1 (08:46):
Wait was it? It's your dispensary pickup. I'm just kind
of curious how long you had to wait to get
the icky sticky Well.

Speaker 4 (08:54):
I placed an online order, so it was only about
fifteen minutes, but it was a bigger weight than I
had seen after many visits. It was probably the busiest
I've seen.

Speaker 1 (09:07):
I got you all right, man, well, be safe, don't
be out there and vibing and then getting on the road.
Enjoyed from the inside. I appreciate you listening and being
on the big one with me, and thanks for listening. Safe,
take care of yourself, you too. That's marked independence, Mike.
Then David in room for you. Five point three seven
four nine eight hundred The big one, the snowpocalypse is
on the way, Mike. Are you prepared? Are you ready?

Speaker 5 (09:31):
Stirring? I am out driving for Lift and Uber all
nice and also delivering groceries anybody needs them. So it's
been a little slow here today yesterday. I's pretty busy,
but I'm out and about so if everybody needs anything.

Speaker 1 (09:48):
Orders now now, here's my question, how does that work?
As long as stores are open and you can get around,
you will do the work and start taking orders yourself
from Uber or Lyft or wherever you're doing it.

Speaker 5 (10:01):
So I primarily do Walmart home depot. It's off to
a a certain company, gotcha. But if they order express orders,
I'll shop for them, or they can order through the
store and do a curbside pick up. But I think
Walmart's cutting that off early, so I think that's gonna
be done by five o'clock. Okay, So any express orders

(10:24):
where I shop for them, I think it's up till
closing times. I think they're they're closing our store early tonight.

Speaker 1 (10:31):
Have you seen anyone shut down yet? As we were
looking now at twelve to fifteen inches of snow in Cincinnati,
twelve to fifteen Now they're saying in Dayton as I'm
looking at this, so this is just great.

Speaker 5 (10:41):
The other thing is shut down as as yet that
I've seen that's supposed to be open, but there's not
very much much traffic on the road at all.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
No.

Speaker 3 (10:50):
No, I noticed that too.

Speaker 5 (10:51):
I was out in Fayetteville and now I'm I'm in
Batavia heading towards Cincinnati.

Speaker 1 (10:57):
Gotcha, We'll be safe, Mike. Check in later. I'm here
till seven chicks here. After that, then basketball bear Cats
get it on in the desert. There'll be about like
sixty degrees warmer than us a tip off, which is
pretty awesome, Mike. I appreciate the call to Mount Sterling,
and no, I do not own that piece of real estate,
but I wish I did. David, what's going on? You're
on the big one?

Speaker 6 (11:15):
Oh, I tell you. I was at a Walmart. You
think Armageddon was getting ready to start?

Speaker 1 (11:21):
Are the shells empty or just long lines?

Speaker 6 (11:24):
The shells for bread and milk? You act like the
people act like they.

Speaker 7 (11:29):
Never had before.

Speaker 6 (11:30):
The whole bread thing was totally empty. And I was
worried about the toilet paper. Laris I said, why would
you need that much toilet paper for a snowstore.

Speaker 1 (11:40):
Yeah, it's not like code. That's a solid question unless
there's a solid or lack of solid action and needing
the toilet paper on the other end of that day.
But I don't know that. It may just be flashing
back to like I don't want to do without, like
COVID times, you.

Speaker 8 (11:54):
Know, Sterling.

Speaker 6 (11:55):
It just shocks me how that stuff goes on and
everything like that.

Speaker 7 (11:59):
And then well, I want to tell this too quickly quick.

Speaker 6 (12:02):
When I when I trained with the Rangers, we trained
for snow warfare.

Speaker 3 (12:06):
Oh wow, okay, Well.

Speaker 6 (12:08):
We trained for six months in Alaska. Then they sent me
the Caribbean.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
Well there's some whiplash weather for you. Which which did
you prefer? Giving a choice, what what assignment is best?

Speaker 5 (12:19):
Oh?

Speaker 6 (12:19):
I would rather been in the Carabbean where I was
that because we trained and you thought when it got
one bullet of zero, you thought it was warm. Oh yeah,
And so it was just a little bit different then
to find myself in Panama. So so that's just the
way it was back then and everything. But I think,
all in all, though, as long as I got my

(12:42):
beer and pretzels and football all survived.

Speaker 1 (12:44):
There you go. David's stay safe, beer, football, pretzels, sterling,
the big one, mister McMahon, keeping me online and in
time or on time, in line, something like that. I gotta,
I gotta figure it out. And tomorrow I'm doing double duty.
It'll be me and then Den Carroll after ken Brew,
and then I'll follow Dan again because we're all over it.
Like a two ton heavy thing. Speaking of which your

(13:05):
four thirty report straight away the latest on the end,
and it's storm Fern. Fern sounds soft and weak in
wispy and not dangerous at all. And this is the
exact opposite. It's coming at us. It's your severe weather
station with Sterling seven hundred w welw. Well, the cold

(13:26):
is here and apparently it's gonna get colder still, the
snow is making its way and it's gonna get deep.
And the storm they call fern doesn't sound whispy and
safe and calming and relaxing. Because when I think fern,
I think that, and this storm is not gonna live

(13:47):
up to that. And someone who knows from danger on
the road and how to keep people safe odove. Cincinnati's
Kathleen Fuller back on the big one with Sterling. How
are you? How's everything? How many people are out and about?
And how pairs are they to be out there for
what looks to be hours and hours and hours behind
the wheel pushing this crap out of the way.

Speaker 9 (14:08):
We're doing great. We have around one hundred and forty
three out and yeah, no, so we do have everyone
in or rather they're out and that they've they've reported
in and you know, of course we're all like everyone else,
kind of sitting and waiting for the storm to begin.
There's some work that they've been able to get done,
which is we were talking about the pre treatment. So

(14:28):
a lot of times what the crews will do, some
of the drivers will go out and have a few
of those bridges as ramps, as overpasses, and you know,
put some of the rock salt down just prior to
the coming in. There are some of the drivers who
are positioned and kind of waiting in their area kind
of corner of their county on the route that they're
going to be working. So, yeah, we're ready to go.

(14:50):
We're just waiting for the snow.

Speaker 1 (14:52):
It is. It's going to get deep. And I guess
one of the common things that has continued to amaze me,
and I guess it's because everybody's in our hear to
go nowhere for no good reason all the time, it seems.
And already this year with the snow events we've had.
By the way, talking to Kathleen Fuller from Dutch Cincinnati
was stirling on the Big One talking about Fern stormf
Fern by the way, Kathleen, doesn't fern sound like a grandma,

(15:15):
somebody sweet, somebody nice, And this is the exact opposite
of all of that.

Speaker 9 (15:22):
I think we should rename it.

Speaker 10 (15:23):
Right now because this is not a fern.

Speaker 9 (15:26):
No, it's not a fern.

Speaker 1 (15:27):
I'd like to know who the hell put that list together,
but that's not on you. I understand. It's beyond both
of our pay grades.

Speaker 3 (15:32):
All right.

Speaker 1 (15:32):
So as cold as it's going to be, you mentioned
some salt down before, is this really starts to get
heavy after? Where is the line on temperature where some
of this treatment doesn't work? And then it's just push
it out of the way and slow it down, right.

Speaker 9 (15:48):
So usually the low teens right single digits, it's there's
really nothing that's going to be effective. The very low
teens yell up ten twelve degrees is about kind of
that cutoff or some of the prewetted salts, some of
the salt that has some of the de icing chemicals
applied to it before it goes down to the roadway.
But yeah, it's going to be pretty cold, so there's

(16:10):
probably nothing that's going to work. And also combined with
the amount of snow that we could receive, it's just
a matter of pushing it off, just plowing.

Speaker 1 (16:17):
Off the road and the common thing. And I led
up to it, and then I got distracted by Fern
and her. Really, you know what it's you know what
it's like. It's like make up in a push up
brawl and a guy who drives a nice car, and
then you realize that it's a lease and he's got
no dough and he's trying to pick up a woman
or the guy who thinks she's the best. And then
you're like, I didn't go I didn't leave the restaurant

(16:37):
with you. You don't know what's her real deal is?
If I shared too much my experience. I don't know.
I'm just saying, but don't crowd the plow. I mean,
because already there have been more crashes or close to
the same amount of crashes as the entire season last year.
And here we are now with Fern on the way,
and we're just sitting at January twenty fourth.

Speaker 9 (16:57):
Right, so I think we've had about I want to say. Therefore,
I'm sure sure if Matt Brune is listening, he will
correct me. As soon as I get off the phone,
he will message me and tell me that I was wrong,
unless he wants to message me right now and correct me.
And hurry up, Matt before I get off the stone
so I can.

Speaker 1 (17:13):
Right now, everybody else is hello, Matt boning for goodness sake,
I'm everybody's listening. Everybody's listening. So don't screw it up, Kathleen.

Speaker 9 (17:21):
Yeah, I will try not to.

Speaker 8 (17:23):
So.

Speaker 9 (17:23):
Yes, we've had quite a few plows strikes already this
letter season, and we we're only they were halfway there,
uh doing people to remember we say these these these phrases,
these expressions, don't crowd the plow, give them room to work.
Ice and snow tickets, Well, there's a reason we want
that mantra in heads when they're out there and he's
got to be out on the roads. Remember these things

(17:45):
give the cruise room to work. And remember that they
have limited visibility, not just because they're massive pieces of equipment,
but they're pushing off snow and we get a lot
of snow. We're looking at those those snow clouds that
are created from the pliles pushing them off in visibility. Well,
so you know, they really can't see very much. You know,
they can't see anything behind them, and they can barely

(18:06):
see things to the left or to the right. It's
really tough for them, and you got to keep that
in mind. They really can't see you very easily, and
they're traveling very very slowly, so be mindful of that
and give them room to work.

Speaker 1 (18:18):
Yeah, you're following too close behind. And you see it
almost at any time you're out and about when there's
an event of some snow type thing happening, and people
will be so close you can see as they're dropping
and throwing ice whatever you call it, at whatever material
it is, and it will then pepper the front of
their car. And I've seen it where people look all
freaked out and start yelling and I'm like, well, you're
not even a car distance away from something that's dropping

(18:40):
stuff at a high rate of speed on a road
surface in the snow, in the ice. I'm like, are
you an idiot? Are you a moron?

Speaker 10 (18:46):
What is wrong with you?

Speaker 9 (18:48):
Right, But the salt will come flying out of the
back of the spinner at the bottom of the and
there's this hopper in the back of the truck and
then it goes through a shoot and then it comes
out of the spinner and it's coming out, and again
they're traveling maybe twenty miles an hour, maybe twenty five
miles an hour when there's snow on the ground. You know,
on the pavement, they're not going all that fast, but
that salt is going to spin out pretty fast on
the roadway and that's the point, you know, it's supposed

(19:11):
to scatter and you know hit, they'll basically the pavement
with the right the entire lane. So yes, you don't
want that on your car while you're driving. Then you
might want to, you know, go back a little distance,
get a little further away, and just go slowly. You're
going to have to go slowly anyway. You're not gonna
be able to drive the post of speed limit. If

(19:32):
we get you know, inches upon inches on inches of snow,
you might as well face it. You're not really going
to go very fast at all.

Speaker 1 (19:40):
And if this is as they have advertised, which we're
looking at their foot, maybe more in some spots, a
little less, I guess further to the north, but maybe
way north of even Dayton is the way it looks.
But I realize that you don't know what Fern is
gonna do. She's unstable. That's the storm by the way,
anybody's out there's name Fern. I'm sorry it's not you.
I'm sure, sure you're very well balanced. But the storm

(20:02):
Fern is out of control.

Speaker 3 (20:03):
Huh.

Speaker 9 (20:04):
And that's like that with every storm, right, they're always unpredictable.

Speaker 3 (20:07):
We don't know.

Speaker 9 (20:08):
But right the models are saying we could see up
to fifteen inches in some places in our districts and
maybe a little bit of sleep mixed in there tomorrow
because the temperature is supposed to, you know, scoot up
a little bit on that throughout. That's from the thumb
stat I can't even speak. That's all right, m're spos
scope just a little bit. And if it does, that
means from going to you know, just complete snow to

(20:29):
having possibly a little bit of sleep mixed in there,
which is not helpful at all for the plowing operations
during this because again that's going to add that layer
of ice in between that we really don't want.

Speaker 1 (20:40):
No, that's not good. It's sterling. By the way, on
the big one all over, what is storm Fern expecting
to be about a foot of snow in the tri State,
a little more, a little less, depending on which direction
and how the wind blows obviously, Kathleen Fuller from O
dot Cincinnati all over. That's what she does. That's what
they do.

Speaker 3 (20:58):
Well.

Speaker 1 (20:59):
One of the things I'm just curious because I've gotten
and I've talked to you about this before. I'm driving
up seventy one and even down seventy five a couple
of times over the years when there's been a decent
sized snow. It is a joy to be behind gang
plowing because it is just spectacular because you know they're yeah,

(21:19):
so explain what gang plowing is. Who may be someone
who doesn't know. I just saw video of it. They're
doing even it at CBG right now, trying to keep
the the you know, the the whole flight thing going
until they can anymore.

Speaker 7 (21:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 9 (21:31):
So the last one event that we had that was
more significant one that we've had to hear there back
in December, I believe. So they basically, you know, they
each take a lane and it's staggered. So you have
think of it like, I guess, like a race, right,
Like when you see the runners, you know, and they
have those you're doing.

Speaker 1 (21:52):
A track race as you're moving around, right yeah.

Speaker 9 (21:55):
Yeah, yeah, And basically you know the lead driver will
be in far left lane and then they'll just step
back a little bit, you know, each one, and they
kind of create their own little motorcade. And I won't
say little because these are big pieces of equipment, but
you won't be able to pass them. You can't go
around them, at least you shouldn't try, because they are
plowing all across the interstate, you know, all lane and

(22:17):
it's kind of it is something to see, and we
have a lovely video and some footage from the last
time when our crews were doing this on seventy five,
and it's just a remarkable thing to see.

Speaker 3 (22:27):
You know.

Speaker 9 (22:28):
You may see that at some point, especially later on
when we're doing a clean up effort. That's typically when
we do this it starting cleanup, or when we can
push a lot of snow off when the snow is
kind of ending. But yeah, it's something to see, and.

Speaker 1 (22:39):
It's a blast behind it because it's fresh and clean
and it may not be really dry, but it's as
good as surface as you're gonna get, and it's just
a blast. You may be a little bit slower, but
I'm just telling you. If you get into a situation
where you can watch it in person or get behind
it and don't try to pass them, because that's the
thing I'm bewildered by. It's like people think it's a

(22:59):
video game or a cartoon and there isn't a legitimate,
serious danger. And that's a relatively sharp blade and a
very heavy truck filled with salt or something else pushing
it out of the way. A lot of damage can
be done in that truck. May not feel it so much,
but a smaller SUV car, truck, whatever, a real disaster circumstance, sure.

Speaker 9 (23:21):
The fullest stronger will try to pass on the shoulder
on either side, and it could lead to disastrous consequences.
We certainly don't want anyone to get hurt. We want
everyone to be safe, and you know you're better off
just stay behind them. We want everyone to be safe
regardless of you know, we've got one truck or four
or five trucks out on a highway on one given section.
So basically, you give those guys men and women, give

(23:44):
them the room to do their jobs and be very
very careful if you do decide you need to pass.
And I've been trying to stress everyone in this situation
with the type of storm we're going to have and
as much stone we're going to have typically our crews
on the multi lane highway, so your interstates on what
we consider the driving or the traveling lane, the far
right lane, they have to keep that as clear as

(24:05):
they can because you know, traffic entering and exiting the interstate,
so they've got to be near those interchanges and near
those ramps. So you really don't have a lot of
clear lanes to the left of you, so you really
shouldn't try to pass anybody. If you do try to pass,
obviously you've got to go to the left, So stay
to the right, stay in the travel lane. Please don't

(24:25):
try to pass. If you can avoid passing, just stay
behind someone. And you know, again we're telling everyone to
allow that extra travel time, and this is one of
the reasons you're not going to be able to go
thirty five forty five miles per hour when we've got
inches upon inches of snow hitting the pavement and the
roads are snow covered. So stay stay to the right.
But if you choose to stay to the to pass

(24:45):
on the make sure you pass on the left and
give everybody plenty of room and take your time passing.
Don't try to go too fast. I don't care what
kind of vehicle you drive, you're not going to be
invincible and just.

Speaker 7 (24:55):
Kind of snow.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
And a lot of people do they think that they
got a front wheel drive or maybe it's an a
all wheel drive whatever in an suv, pick up, whatever,
And I mean, you see it every single time, and
they'll just blow right by everybody and then a few
minutes later, you know, I don't know how what the
percentage is. It's anecdotal, but I can make up a number.
I won't, uh, but you know, you oftentimes will see

(25:16):
that same vehicle who just blew by everybody and recklessly
at the on the side of the road, and then
you're like, well, I don't take joining right, yes, see exactly,
And you don't want to be that person because then
you've got to wreck her out. And they're going to
be a lot of them, a lot of tow truck drivers,
a lot of independent contractors doing clean up stuff on
surface streets, parking lots, et cetera, and looking to get

(25:37):
cars on the side of the road rescued. While you
at O Dot Cincinnati, Kathleen Fuller are doing your work
to keep everybody moving at the same time.

Speaker 3 (25:45):
So people just need to be aware.

Speaker 9 (25:48):
Right right, And you bring up a very good point.
You know, there are people that have to be out park.
We know that there's there are people that have you know,
that are responding to their they they're reporting to their
place of employment and they.

Speaker 8 (25:59):
Have to be there.

Speaker 9 (26:00):
So let's not crown the road or anyone who doesn't
need to be out there, because in the events that
somebody does have a disabled vehicle, something happens to that motors,
they're going to need someone to respond to them. So
we need to just be mindful of that. There are
people that do have to go out, and you know,
if they are going out, if you're planning to you know,
you have to travel for work, make sure you're you know,

(26:21):
not just doubling your time at least i'd say quadrupling
on the time it takes you to get to work.
If not more than that, know that it's going to
be slow going, and you know, just be very very
careful and have your car well prepared. Make sure that
your car is a winter ready.

Speaker 1 (26:36):
There'll be a whole lot of people delivering pizza and
everything else through the night, tonight and tomorrow, depending on
how bad things actually get so be careful out there
doing that as well. I have one question for you,
and then I will let you go off to be
free to enjoy the rest of your Saturday. Kathleen Fuller
from O Dot was sterling on the Big One, and
I've wondered this because we've talked about, you know, having
a lot of coffee, and these people spend a lot

(26:58):
of hours behind the wheel and they can be drinking water,
iced tea. I don't know, I just I know I'd
be drinking a lot of coffee.

Speaker 10 (27:04):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (27:05):
When they get hungry and they take a break, how
difficult is it for all these people behind these big
truck plows to be able to find someplace if they
haven't packed lunch or dinner or maybe multiple meals, to
be able to get someplace to get food.

Speaker 9 (27:19):
Yeah, that's a great question. So they do typically pack
their lunches, their dinners. It depends on their route and
how far away they travel from the garage. A lot
of times they will wait because they're going to have
to return to the garage to fill up and get
more salt. And so when they're you know, they can
have someone help load up their truck. They can run
into the garage, take a break and get something to eat,
you know, eat their meal. There Uh, those that there

(27:39):
are those that travel or you know, farther away from
the garage. They're at the opposite end of their county
and they choose to you know, eat in their truck sometimes.
And what they will do is they know the places
there are safe places for them to pull, you know,
into a parking lot, like say at a gas station
or you know, at a convenience maart something there's you know,
a lot. So if you see people pulled over and
you're wondering why they're not work, it's probably because they're

(28:00):
taking a much needed break. And when you're on for
twelve hours, you do.

Speaker 8 (28:03):
Need a break.

Speaker 9 (28:04):
You've got to day break to eat something, to refresh yourself.
You know, of course go to the restroom. You might
as well just say it. Everybody's got to do that, right.

Speaker 1 (28:11):
Yeah, nobody wants to drive around with the right I mean,
that would be a lot, right.

Speaker 9 (28:16):
And the one thing I will tell you right now,
I hate when I hear that criticism from people. And
I've had that happen where somebody would write in or
call in after a snowstorm, saying I saw X. You
know that they'll give me the number of the truck
parked in this parking lot not doing his or her job,
and I of course we fire back like they're taking
a much needed break and they're entitled to do that,
and so that's what they'll do. The refresh. Now, obviously

(28:38):
when they're driving, you know a lot of them they do.
They drink coffee, they drink soda, they drink water, they
drink tea. They have something like that going with them.
And you know, I'm sure there are plenty of people
I hate to name product names, so I'm sure there
are plenty of them drinking Mountain dew or Coca Cola.
You know, they're doing that sort of thing. But some
people like the coffee or.

Speaker 1 (28:55):
The don't forget doctor Pepper. We're gonna throw out some
brands and get a little love. I mean, this is
like a page thing. But I'm just imagine name one.
They're all out there, that's for sure.

Speaker 3 (29:06):
That's it.

Speaker 9 (29:07):
I hit them all. But you know they do sometimes,
you know, they will keep those things in there. They
keep some energy bars with them. They you know, it's
whatever they're snack, their food preferences are, but they have
a couple of different options.

Speaker 1 (29:18):
It sounds exactly like me, Kathleen, when I come here,
I'm on tonight, Chick follows me. Then we've got Xavier
basketball coming up straight away, and then tomorrow for your
Sunday and we'll talk again. By the way, I thank
you for making your time, and then maybe we can like, uh,
you know, really like taunt Matt brooning from a distance
as he listens, because that's fantastic. And for those who

(29:39):
don't know, we used to work together forever go in CLUBUS,
so we know each other a long long time. Uh anyway, Uh.

Speaker 6 (29:46):
You know.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
The other thing is I guess some of these people
that if they had to, because I know I've done
it in a pinch. I remember delivering the Sunday paper
as a young little sterling. Sometimes you make yellow snow
in a dire emergency. I can neither confirm it, and
I've never seen a no Dot person do it, but
I totally understand, and I'd be like, I get it.
There's no harm or foul in that.

Speaker 9 (30:06):
So yeah, they there, our folks know, you know, the
men and women rode up. They know when they need
to take a break where they're going to take their break.
They are, you know, they they they they have their spots,
their location, so they're going to pull over. But again,
if you see them pulled over, don't don't think that
they're not doing their jobs. They are taking them much needed,
much deserve break. And I applaud all of the people

(30:26):
that are going to be out there tonight across the state.
You know, I love I love the folks in our district.
They are wonderful. I can't say not good things about them,
you know, And I know they're gonna be working hard tonight.
So just I always say, I've been using the phrase,
give them some grace, give them some room, and let's
be patient, and let's be respectful and polite. Not are folks,
but if everybody else who's out there wa be better.

Speaker 1 (30:47):
I think if everybody was just that way to everybody
in general. But you know, I'm not here to preach.
That's a whole nother story here.

Speaker 9 (30:54):
I'm just here to preach the word of adopts.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
That's what I'm doing, and we appreciate it. And you
guys keep it safe for us first responders, other schlubs
like me having to get out and to show up
someplace to do it, and I'm doing it for the
people carrying the weaight me, mister McMahon. Brady Hopkins with
news straight away and Chick Ludwig later, and you see
basketball as well. Kathleen Fuller, thank you for doing what
you do. Thank you, talk to talk to you. Yeah,

(31:19):
we'll catch up again tomorrow. It's sterling here on the
Big One. Straight away, we got Jennifer ketch Mark from
Channel nine gonna join us. We'll talk snowpocalypse, the bad
name storm Fern for some woman who the storm is
unstable and dangerous. It's great. And then we got James
Rapeene talking NFL and Jay Ratliffe gonna join us after

(31:40):
six o'clock, aviation expert for the Big One, and Stock
Grew for that matter, gonna let us know about all
those revenue tubes up in the sky five hundred miles
an hour, five miles up trying to get people home
and wherever they need to go. How that's gonna affect CBG,
Dayton and anywhere you've got to be, or maybe even
somebody trying to get here. Straight away, the new home

(32:00):
of the best Bengals coverage and your Cincinnati, Rent seven
hundred WLW Cincinnati. The snow will get deep. The temperature
already cold. So with snow in a deep freeze, how
long will the snow last? How dangerous will it get?
The temperatures already an issue. If you got outside animals,
water them and make sure they've got shelter. Hell, get

(32:21):
them inside now that I think about it, Storm Fern
is about to pound us big time in the Try
State in a major way. And already some snow falling
in the western part of the Try State, big winds
in and around the area, and it's all of fifteen
fahrenheit degrees right now. A woman you see in the
morning on Channel nine WCPO issue is of course here

(32:45):
helping us out. You listen to her with Tom Brenneman
early in the morning on the Big One. Jennifer ketch Mark,
thank you for making time on a Saturday, sterling in
the midst of I guess the snow apocalypse or Snowmageddon
or why are they determined? By the way, Let's start
with the name Fern. Doesn't Fern sound like a grandma
who's friendly and nice and sweet?

Speaker 8 (33:06):
Really does sound less menacing?

Speaker 10 (33:09):
So the National Weather Service, not the National the Service.
The Weather Channel named it storms. They started that several
years ago. But like the National Weather Service, your local meteorologists,
most of us don't use that furbage like we it's.

Speaker 8 (33:24):
A winter storm.

Speaker 10 (33:24):
Like her names are for hurricanes.

Speaker 3 (33:26):
You know, That's what I'm saying.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
And even at Fern for a hurricane, You're like, really,
I mean, yeah, I don't know who comes up with
this stuff. Thank you for making time. I have to ask.
This is one of those things as a kid growing up,
you know, you kind of used to to not know
when it was coming, and meteorologists would say it's coming
this window of time or whatever, and a lot of
kids would be doing a snow dance, hoping, praying that

(33:48):
it gets deep and it stays deep through the first
of the week. Here, with technology, you're able to almost
get it down to the minute to the street. With
the nine first warning weather Jennifer ketchmark, what are you
expecting in the hours ahead?

Speaker 10 (34:01):
So, I mean it's starting to snow. I'm down in Union,
Kentucky and it is full blown snowing now.

Speaker 8 (34:07):
It's blowing around. It's a very light, fluffy snow because
of how cold it is.

Speaker 10 (34:12):
You were talking about, you know, the ridiculousness of the cold,
and yes, that is definitely here. This is like it's
a it's a real slow burn to start. It's just
real slow and steady, and it's going to be a
very slow snowfall here fort throughout the rest of this
evening and then overnight you'll really start to notice it
starting to actually accumulate, and then going into Sunday.

Speaker 8 (34:32):
Sunday is just a day where.

Speaker 10 (34:33):
Like it's a mess all day long, and the mess
just gets worse and deeper as the day goes on.
So even waking up tomorrow morning, we should probably have
three to five inches of snow already on the ground, which,
as you know, three to five inches of snowfall like
kind of shuts down Cincinnati on a good day.

Speaker 3 (34:49):
That's true.

Speaker 1 (34:49):
I mean, let's be honest, Jennifer. When you say snow,
people panic.

Speaker 10 (34:53):
You just have to say, oh gosh, yes, that's why
the grocery stores are empty. Like God blessed are grocery
store workers and getting in there and trying to restock
the shelves as much as they could the last.

Speaker 8 (35:02):
Forty eight hours. Yes, like they are the heroes already in.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
This system absolutely so as we look at this with
the cold, and this is going to linger for quite
a while, which the start of the world. I mean tomorrow,
there's a lot of football people are going to watch,
people who have to go out first responsors pushing you know,
you know, people pushing snow out of their way, gas stations,
some restaurants. I suppose I'll be here doing a double.
You hopefully will be cozy in union, hanging out and

(35:27):
living large. Uh and wait till Monday. How will Monday be?
Is this whips through? Will it be completely done or
is this an ongoing event?

Speaker 10 (35:37):
So the snow will be done accumulating overnight Sunday night
and into Monday morning. But the cleanup, it's just going
to be such a slow, tenuous process. Like it's just
there's way too many miles of interstate and county roads
and you know, all the neighborhood streets, like it's just
so much to cover, and it will be so much
snow to move.

Speaker 8 (35:58):
We had an event very similar.

Speaker 10 (35:59):
To this this time last year.

Speaker 8 (36:01):
We had like ten.

Speaker 10 (36:02):
Point five inches of snowfall in Cincinnati. And do you
remember how long the schools were closed?

Speaker 1 (36:06):
A couple two or three days, right, they had major
problems clearing, you know in Cincinnati, like neighborhood situations, which
made it even worse.

Speaker 8 (36:14):
Down here in Union.

Speaker 10 (36:15):
We were out for the full week because it wasn't
just the snow, it was the cold that came behind it,
which we are looking at a very pronounced cold that's
coming in behind this system. So like I think Monday,
for sure, schools.

Speaker 8 (36:28):
Aren't going to be in session, like we're going to need.

Speaker 10 (36:30):
The time, especially for the rural roads. Buses won't be
able to get out there, and that's the big reason
why they cancel, because if the busses can't get to
the rural kids, they're not going to.

Speaker 8 (36:37):
Do school Tuesday.

Speaker 10 (36:40):
That low is supposed to be around like I think
zero or four, and you had in the wind, it's
supposed to feel like negative fifteen and negative twenty, so
that there as well is like okay, the schools probably
will it a delayed two hours, which let's.

Speaker 8 (36:52):
Be honest, it doesn't feel any better two hours later.
I don't really love the two hours delay.

Speaker 10 (36:57):
They could be another cancelation day. So I'm very full
of opinions regarding conditions for kids up by the two
hour delay.

Speaker 8 (37:05):
Rarely is that much better when.

Speaker 10 (37:06):
It comes to the conditions outside of kids waiting.

Speaker 8 (37:09):
For the bus.

Speaker 1 (37:10):
Talking to Jennifer catch Mark, of course, meteorologists nine first
morning weather was sterling on the big one. This winter
storm is approaching. I'll stop using fern because it just
aggravates me. I'll stop. I just I can't.

Speaker 8 (37:21):
But there you go.

Speaker 10 (37:21):
See, just don't don't add to the fernness.

Speaker 1 (37:24):
Yeah, yeah, I don't want to. I want to bring
the problem. I'm here to help, not hurt, generally for
the people, don't you know. I'm just wondering who draws
the short straw? How does that work? I mean, you've
got some tenure, Jennifer, But how is it that people
end up, you know, in front of that salt pile
and out on the road and the frigid cold. I mean,
you know, if we were in a place where you know,

(37:44):
you have the hurricane, you know, somebody's duct taped to
a post and standing out in the wind hoping to
not hit by a shard of like wood from a
siding or something in a storm like this. Meteorologist and
others on staff, are you the one deciding who goes
out in that situation or you're news.

Speaker 10 (38:00):
Director or no, absolutely not.

Speaker 8 (38:03):
I have no pull.

Speaker 10 (38:04):
I have no I have no authority a little. I
just know that I'm probably going to be in the
studio until they're like, hey, Jed, we want to get
a shot of you outside in the snowfall.

Speaker 6 (38:13):
Let's go.

Speaker 8 (38:14):
So I have to be ready for everything.

Speaker 10 (38:16):
Yeah, you know our our team, some reporters will literally
come in and.

Speaker 8 (38:19):
Be like, I want to go.

Speaker 10 (38:21):
And cover northern Kentucky, Kentucky. Put me at the cut
in the hill.

Speaker 8 (38:24):
Somebody may come in and be like, I.

Speaker 10 (38:25):
Want to be the salt pile, because you know, somebody's
always got the stinking salt pile.

Speaker 8 (38:29):
But like, if I had to.

Speaker 10 (38:30):
Assign, you know, Frank Carzula is like super new on
our show, I would love nothing more than this stick
in butt outside and be like, ah, that's not fun.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
You know, he's such a great egg. He is a
good guy and it's nice to see him there.

Speaker 3 (38:43):
Love him.

Speaker 8 (38:43):
He's wonderful.

Speaker 1 (38:44):
He really is a good egg. And yeah, I could
totally see him out there doing that. Yes, send him.
They'd be good for him. I mean, and I'm a
guy with you know, some hair issues too, so you
just got a weird good hat. Mom was right, if
you don't you lose your heat from your skull, yes,
you do.

Speaker 8 (38:58):
And you know I honestly I could see Frank.

Speaker 10 (39:00):
So he's going to be in tomorrow mornings. Also, I'm
working tomorrow morning. I think Frank and Kristin are both
coming in to help anchor the show and help you
cut ins throughout the day. But like, Frank is the
one that will be itching, sitting at the desk being like,
but guys, but guys, I want to go outside.

Speaker 9 (39:13):
Guys, I want to go outside.

Speaker 8 (39:14):
Can you give me a camera?

Speaker 3 (39:15):
Like?

Speaker 9 (39:16):
That's totally going to be him in the morning, and
I want.

Speaker 10 (39:18):
To be like, hey, Frank, we talked about this very
scenario yesterday.

Speaker 8 (39:21):
On the Big One.

Speaker 3 (39:23):
That's it.

Speaker 1 (39:23):
That's hilarious. He's like a little kid, which may it
could be brothers from other mothers. I suppose why if
I not ask Jennifer ketch Mark about the forecast about
this weather situation. I mean, if we covered everything, you.

Speaker 10 (39:35):
Haven't asked how much to know?

Speaker 8 (39:36):
That's what everybody wants to know.

Speaker 10 (39:38):
That's the only question I feel like I get asked.

Speaker 1 (39:40):
Well, all right, so we'll get there they're saying a foot,
or so are you saying a foot? Is also the
case looking at models and doing what you do because
you're a meteorologist, you know this. I just read your weather,
that's all, and then I complain.

Speaker 10 (39:51):
I'm glad you read my weather.

Speaker 8 (39:52):
I'm glad you read it, and I'm glad you complain.

Speaker 10 (39:54):
Everybody is entitled to an opinion, although according to Tom Brenneman,
we are not allowed to complain about winter when winter
is happen because we choose to live here.

Speaker 1 (40:02):
Just because my family's wagon wheel broke and every time
I've left, I end up back here at this station
on the Big One or whatever else, time and time again.
There is something to what he's saying, I suppose, But
what else are we going to do if not act
like we're scared of the white death and also complain
at the same time we complain when it's too hot
and humid. Again it's the tri.

Speaker 10 (40:21):
State, Yeah, yeah, exactly, the snow that was coming our
way when we have the two and three and four
incher events like, yeah, those happen, but this is the
kind of event that.

Speaker 8 (40:31):
Puts life on a pause for a day.

Speaker 10 (40:33):
Although I will say It's a beautiful thing when everything's
shut down and your only option is to be at
home and have.

Speaker 9 (40:39):
That family time, or to go outside and act.

Speaker 8 (40:41):
Like a kid and play in the snow with your kids.

Speaker 10 (40:43):
Like, we don't get many of those moments in life
where we don't have to go out and adult and
do things. So take this as a gift, like, have
fun with it when.

Speaker 8 (40:52):
You get these big events.

Speaker 10 (40:53):
And I do think we're looking at.

Speaker 3 (40:55):
Nine to twelve.

Speaker 10 (40:56):
We could even have some locations up to fifteen inches
of snowfalls. Make some memories, have some fun with it.
Also for folks listening, send us your pictures. I'm on Facebook,
I'm on Instagram. I'm also on x. I don't check
that one as much as the others, but send us
your photos. Let us know where you live, give me

(41:16):
your snowfall numbers, and we'll give you a shout out
on the air. But like these events, we can only
get so far with our teams, Like we.

Speaker 8 (41:23):
Have only so many reporters, And I love hearing.

Speaker 10 (41:25):
From folks all the way out in like you know,
up to countering out to Maysville, all the way.

Speaker 8 (41:30):
Down past dry Ridge, Like we can't get our arch.

Speaker 10 (41:32):
Crews all the way there, so send us your.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
Photos there you go.

Speaker 1 (41:35):
Same for me. Add at Sterling Radio on x or
Sterling at seven hundred w WELW dot com and we'll
do it. I roll till seven to night. Chick follows
basketball Bearcats later on after Xavier loss earlier, let's not
talk about that to Patinos getting at it at Centas
and it was a great game, just didn't go the
right way. And then tomorrow I'll be doing a double,

(41:55):
so maybe if you're not too busy, we'll check on
you again and we'll see exactly how you're nine to
twelve is and maybe fifteen. I don't even want to
say that.

Speaker 3 (42:04):
I don't.

Speaker 1 (42:04):
I just I don't.

Speaker 3 (42:05):
I don't want.

Speaker 10 (42:05):
I know, I know, and I will say tomorrow, at
some point, probably from like one pm to three pm,
I'm going to nap, So if you call me, I'm
not answering.

Speaker 8 (42:14):
Really.

Speaker 10 (42:15):
The other day telling him he called me was when
I was napping and I hit the climb on his
phone call three times, but I finally answered. He goes,
He goes, well were you doing?

Speaker 3 (42:25):
What were you doing?

Speaker 8 (42:26):
I was like, Bill, you're great, but I need sleep.

Speaker 10 (42:29):
He goes, I'm the great American, I go, I know,
and the great American can wait.

Speaker 1 (42:33):
That's exactly correct. He's not used to having to wait
because he is Willie. I mean it just as the
way it is, so I don't think people.

Speaker 10 (42:40):
Really hang up on him.

Speaker 8 (42:41):
I kind of felt very empowered.

Speaker 3 (42:43):
In that moment. That's true.

Speaker 1 (42:44):
He has hung up on me, but it was only
because I called him out. And but I mean, I
love him. He didn't fire me, and when he was
the boss, and he may or may not have actually, well,
I hired me.

Speaker 3 (42:52):
I don't know. I'm not sure how that worked out.

Speaker 1 (42:55):
Yeah, because I was doing FM stuff and then he
was like, you should be on the big one. You
talked too much for them. I can't imitate him like
Sloan he does. And then the next thing, and that
was like, you know, when that was about is before
the biggest snow I think we've had on record, which
is ninety eight. We were still in Mount Adams and
I was in East One at Hills and I was
the only idiot living close enough who wasn't already in

(43:15):
Mount Adams. I was on the other side East One
at Hills, and they were like, well, you're close enough.

Speaker 3 (43:19):
Just you could walk.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
So yeah, so I walked on that big record breaking
ninety eight snow and then I was stuck in the
building for I don't even know how long. So yeah,
somebody's going to do it. Here we are. I've certainly
moved up the totem pole, haven't I. There you go, Well,
thank you for making time, Jennifer. Catch mark up early
tomorrow on of course Channel nine nine, First Warning Weather.

(43:42):
Thank you for the forecast and making time for me
and the Big One.

Speaker 10 (43:46):
Of course, I'm honored to be on your show, and
hopefully I'll be on again soon.

Speaker 1 (43:49):
Always welcome anytime, Jennifer, take care of yourself. We'll catch
up again tomorrow. Of course you're here her bright and
early with Tom Brennaman doing what he does in the
morning as well. So there you go. Let's hope up
the phone so see if we can't get some people
interactive five point three seven four nine seven eight hundred
the Big One. If you're on the iHeartRadio app streaming
and it's not July for some reason, on a hot, humid, uncomfortable,

(44:13):
sticky day waiting for Red's Baseball Great American Ballpark, you
know you can listen back and go man, I remember
when we got all that deep snow and Fern came
through and she just whooped us in a big way.
But you're listening now. You can get interactive by clicking
the microphone and you can leave a message too. I'm wondering,
are you prepared? Have you done your shopping? Are you

(44:33):
out pushing snow around or going to be like one
of my cousins and some friends of mine clearing up
like parking lots at like restaurants and strip shopping centers
and all the other stuff. And as we already heard
talking to Kathleen Fuller from ODOTT, who will check into
again later after six point thirty, we got Jay Ratliffe
coming up after six, aviation expert for the Big One.

(44:57):
We'll talk to her. U. Let me just revaluate. Jay
Ratliffe is on after six. Not hear him, of course,
aviation expert for the Big One. We'll talk about the
storm and what that means for flying in and out
of CVG and everywhere else, because there's gonna be a
whole lot of aircraft that they positioned all over of
multitude of places to make sure once this is cleaned up,

(45:19):
have you seen the video. I gotta ask Jay about this.
I've seen film or video of I love the big
plow trucks you see on seventy one, seventy five, maybe
in Kentucky, you know, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet pushing that snow
out of the way when it comes. Or Indiana Department
in dot As they call it doing their thing.

Speaker 3 (45:38):
But you know, you.

Speaker 1 (45:39):
See it at CVG they have these super size, mutant
large plows and they were showing them in other snow situations. Well,
they all have two or three in game plow like
runways in the area on the tarmac so people can
get in and out. Of course with all the other
treatments they have to do with the aircraft as well.
So there you go again. Xavier loss earlier. I'll mention

(46:02):
it only because I have to and not be I mean,
it was a great game. I just wish it would
have gone the other way. Xavier falls eighty eight to
eighty three. Rick Patino fall winning and beating Richard Patino
of course Xavier's coach in a Big East matchup, and
then later on Big twelve, a very nice break for
the warm Normally I wouldn't necessarily say fifties sixty degrees

(46:26):
is super warm, but when right now I look at
the thermometer and we are at fourteen degrees. The basketball
Bearcats and anyone who made that trip out to Arizona
State where they are taking on the Arizona team Teppe
after ten o'clock tonight, probably enjoying some nice warm weather.

(46:46):
Bearcats after a loss at Arizona, had a couple of
days to study up or do whatever they have to
do to get ready and almost like a little mini
vacation in the midst of what we're getting. But they
will fly back to the ugly, uncomfortable misery of deep
snow and cold, but maybe off a couple of days
to start the week. Five three, seven, four, nine hundred,

(47:07):
the big one, Your chance to get interactive. We got
your five thirty report coming up. James Rapine will join
me after the news. We'll see if he's gonna take
the kids out and maybe do some sledding and maybe
some fun in the snow as it approaches. Also talk
about NFL playoffs. A whole lot of people are gonna
be staying inside watching a whole lot of football tomorrow

(47:29):
afternoon and evening Patriots in Denver to take on the Broncos,
and of course the Nick's with the issue with it.
He's got that leg broken or ankle or whatever that was.
He's gone for a while. So we'll see injury with
them Rams and Seahawks later on in Seattle tomorrow night.
We will know who is in the Super Bowl Sands
the Bengals of course by probably what ten eleven o'clock

(47:53):
tomorrow night, so we'll see how it all comes together
straight away. Five point thirty report James Rapine talking Bengals
maybe a little bit, but mostly NFL playoff stuff and
some snow talk Jay Ratliffe. Later on O dot's Kathleen Fuller,
more to do. It's Sterling getting you where you've got
to go on the Nation station, your home for severe
weather coverage and all the news you can stand. News

(48:15):
Radio seven hundred WULW. Well, as we wait for the cold,
as we wait for the snow, and it's already giving
us a little taste here in the Tri State. Sterling
hanging out keeping you all over at here, your Severe
Weather station seven hundred WLW. Tomorrow, AFC Championship, NFC Championship games.

(48:37):
It's not the Bengals. I'm not real happy about that situation,
but it is what it is, as they say, a
lot going on. A guy who knows from all of this,
James Rapine, a guy kind enough to give us some
time for Bengals Talk and the bear Cat Talk and
locked on Bengals and Cincinnati Bengals talk on the YouTube

(48:58):
where you can see him and watch him and interact
with him if you care to. James Rapine, how are you?
How's everything? Are you ready for the snow?

Speaker 3 (49:05):
Ready or not? It's coming? So yeah, as ready as
you can be. Right?

Speaker 7 (49:09):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (49:10):
You do you have like a shoveler or comes to
the house or Rapeine? How do you handle this to
clear the driveway the sidewalk or do you have like
a crew of people on staff? Because I know you're
a busy guy with the family, Rapeine and doing all
the coverage and even talking to me for some reason.

Speaker 3 (49:25):
Uh, what is your plan? Oh? When I when I
look in the mirror, that's my team of shovelers. So yeah,
I do the driveway, I'll do I'll do all of that.
You know you can have someone do it, And there
are times when I guess that makes sense, But no,
that's uh, it's called some good cardio. That's true. That's true.

Speaker 1 (49:45):
Yeah, you got to be careful and pace yourself. A
lot of people end up in the emergen cream out
there in the cold and doing it too fast and
too much, and you don't want to be that guy.
I God forbid. Uh. So it is coming. Uh in
the midst of this, you figured this is perfect, but
while whether kind this sort of but then again maybe
maybe not. Patriots on the road in Denver, that's the

(50:06):
first game. Three was at three o'clock kickoff tomorrow. And
then in the NFC it's the Rams in Seattle taken
on the Seahawks. You pick where you want to start.
Let's break these down if we can in short order.
I mean, here's the thing. I don't really care, but
I find myself drawn to it like gawking, like a
car crash, which is weird. I think it's an addiction
to the NFL. I think a lot of us have

(50:28):
a sickness.

Speaker 3 (50:31):
I agree, And I woke up bummed that there weren't
games today. Yes, so that gives you an idea of
my sickness, because this should be the time when I'm
not thinking about football and yet I was like, ah, dang,
the games are tomorrow, and tomorrow I'll be excited that
there are two games and Championship Sunday in a lot

(50:52):
of ways that I think is better than Super Bowl
Sunday because it's two games, two chances at having games
that go down to the wire and memorable moments, and
the chance to go to the Super Bowl is on
the line, which is obviously super exciting. We could start
first with the with the AFC, if you want, With
the Broncos in a really unique situation and a Patriots

(51:12):
team that I don't know how they've done it, but
they put themselves in position to get to another Super
Bowl post time brading.

Speaker 1 (51:19):
It really is strange. And I have friends who live
up in New England and it'd be nice. I mean,
I enjoyed it when they had to shut up for
a while because it was so annoying for so many years.
I mean, you know, and then I get these text
hey man, who's playing Who's not? I'm like, shut up,
But it just is the way it. Let's start with
Denver in the ugliness that they have to navigate, and
there's been some severe injuries on a team or two

(51:41):
here just in the last week. But I mean there's
a lot. I mean it reminds me of just devastating
history and what the suffering Bengals fans have had, or
even Reds fans have had in some fashion. Obviously with
a quarterback who's not going to be able to go
in the championship game for the AFC.

Speaker 3 (51:59):
Yeah, it's such a bummer because I think this game
would have been awesome and you want the teams to
be whole. I think that's why it's a bummer. I
expect this game to be awesome, which I think some
people are going to laugh at this miss whatever. I
think that the Broncos have a real chance in this game.

Speaker 8 (52:21):
One.

Speaker 3 (52:21):
They're at home, yep, and that's a huge advantage, just
huge advantage in the against a young quarterback and Drake May.
You have a coach in Sean Payton who's been there,
done that in these type of scenarios, and all week
long you can say, no one believes in US, US
against the world, and so you have Jared sit him

(52:41):
at quarterback instead of bow Knicks and he operate the
offense well enough to get to twenty points, avoid those
big mistakes, those big turnovers. If you can get to
that twenty point range, this Denver defense should be able
to disrupt Drake May some And so I think it's
a tough spot for Denver to be in. But I'm

(53:02):
not dismissing the possibility that they could win the game
and we could be discussing Jared Sidham in Super Bowl sixty.

Speaker 1 (53:10):
I wouldn't necessarily have a problem with that. I don't
know how much do. I know we're not here to
talk about betting, but I'm just curious as soon as
that injury occurred, even though they got out of there
with the win, and here we are, you know, talking
about Patriots and Broncos and Denver tomorrow with three o'clock kickoff,
I would imagine a whole lot of money started going
the other direction really fast.

Speaker 7 (53:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (53:31):
So I looked earlier this week just on FanDuel, and
it was at four and a half, and I think
at that five or at five and a half, and
it's down to four and a half. And look, it's
very rare that you see a home team had been underdog.
It's certainly in this scenario, even by a point or
half a point or anything like that, for it to
be that big of a spread. It sucks to be

(53:55):
quite honest with you, But I look at that and
I'm like man young back on the road. This team
last week was it was a really ugly win over
Houston for the Patriots. They were they were at home,
but it wasn't it was. It was far from pretty
when it came to Drake May and company. So like

(54:17):
in this Denver defense, do some of that? I think
they can. I think they have a good pass rush,
they have good cover guys, and uh, and so there's
there's an opportunity there. Do I love their chances? I
wouldn't go that far, but do I do I think
we could be in line for a game that goes
down with a wire. I do. And that's uh, that's

(54:37):
kind of what you want, not something that I think
a lot of people would necessarily agree with right now.
Considering Jaredston into the quarterback.

Speaker 1 (54:43):
No, And I'm just looking at these like stacks. So
the Patriots are the third best total offense, Is that
right in the NFL? And the second best scoring offense.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
No.

Speaker 1 (54:53):
Yeah, the third best total offense, second best scoring offense
in the NFL this season, And that that does and
even seem possible to me. But those are the right numbers.
That's crazy.

Speaker 3 (55:03):
Yeah, no, it is, you know. And Drake May to me,
he should be second in the MVP race. I would
put Matt Stafford, who will talk about here shortly. First.
I think he is the most valuable player. But no,
that the Patriots they are a pretty complete team. And
so if I'm picking them or the Broncos, of course
I would. I would take the Patriots, even though they're

(55:25):
on the road and those circumstances, because they do have
the better quarterback and it's very clear cut, and they
have a really good head coach like the Broncos, and
their defense is really good, and there's there's reason I
believe that they'll force some turnovers as well. So, yeah,
the offense has put up numbers, but that they are
a complete team. And I certainly think if it'll surprise

(55:49):
a lot of people, if the Patriots lose tomorrow, won't
surprise me. But like those people, I lean New England
and their offense, and Drake May is a big reason why.

Speaker 1 (55:57):
Yeah, for sure. Talking to James Rapine kind enough to
give us some time. I don't know it just cause
which I do appreciate, of course, locked on Bengals and
Cincinnati Bengals talk on YouTube and he got the book,
entered the jungle. Let's switch to the NFC then, So
you've got these Rams, and I don't are you annoyed

(56:17):
by them? I don't know why I'm annoyed by them?
And as a kid, even I always was a sneaky fan.
I mean, I grew up a Bengals fan. You know,
I'm a kid from the region here, and I've always
liked the Seahawks. And I don't even know why. It's like,
as a kid, I rooted for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
when they had those old school like unis and they sucked,

(56:38):
and I always like, man, I like the underdog.

Speaker 3 (56:40):
I like the underdog.

Speaker 1 (56:41):
I have no understanding as to why I've always been
a Seattle Seahawks fan. And I'm looking forward to this game.
You like the Rams, you like the Seahawks. I mean,
it was kind of tight, the way the Rams got
by him. I guess it was what five, six, seven
weeks ago, maybe now week eleven, I think is what
it was.

Speaker 3 (56:59):
I believe it was the Thursday night. It was late
it was late December because I think I was slamming
Miami the next day. I'm pretty sure. I'm I'm pretty
sure that was it is that Miami weekend. So yeah, Look,
I think this is a really tough game for me
because you have Sean McVay, who I think is probably

(57:20):
the best head coach in the NFL. Like it to me,
feels like he's the best head coach in the NFL.
I love that he admits, hey, I screwed up here,
I did this, I did that. He's really blunt. Last
week wirked me with how he handled things down the
stretch a little bit, but I'm not going to go
down that path too much because that was days ago
and we're looking ahead to tomorrow. This Rams team, they

(57:41):
don't irk me. I like how they're built. I love
what they what they've done. They have explosive weapons, they
have the quarterback, they have the offensive minded head coach,
but their defense gets pressure and their defense as quality
cover guys and and so nice mix of talent throughout,

(58:03):
and I liked them a lot. I also get why
people would feel that way because won Super Bowl fifty
six two. They've been around, and you look at the
Seattle team and it's kind of an upstart. Who's Mike McDonald. Well,
Mike McDonald's a great coach and someone that gave the
Bengals fits as the Ravens defensive coordinator for years and years,

(58:23):
including the fumble in the jungle with Sam Hubbard, like
that game Joe Burrow. In this Bengals offense, they were
stuck at utral and it was because of that Mike
McDonald defense. And he's brought that to Seattle. He's had
a ton of success. So I'm really excited about this
game because you have, in my mind, the best head
coach in the NFL in the MV Yar who I

(58:44):
would vote for for MVP and Matt Stafford, and a
lot of talent around them, versus the best defense in
the NFL, a guy in Sam Donald who's clearly resurrected
his career. Oh, by the way, they have Jackson Smith
and Jig but who's arguably the best receiver in the
league this year. And they have a running back in
Kenneth Walker who had three touchdowns last week that's right,

(59:05):
and is just one heck of a player. So I mean,
there's there's talent all over the field for both of
these teams, really good coaches, like really excited about this game.

Speaker 1 (59:14):
Yeah, it really should be good. Do you have a
pick or no? Did I miss that? Somewhere in the
midst of that. Are you trying to get You didn't?

Speaker 10 (59:22):
You didn't.

Speaker 3 (59:23):
It's really close. And maybe it's because I'm trying to
be Switzerland here, because it's it's a tough one. I
lean Rams, and naturally I always default to coaching quarterbacks.
Who has the edge there? But would it shocked me
one bit if Seattle wins by fourteen because they have
eight sacks and three turnovers forced, And like, it wouldn't
shock me. I just Matt Stafford or Sam Darnold's right,

(59:46):
which won. I thought that when they played on that
Thursday night the last time, Brams sort of blew that game.
That's how it felt to me in the moment, and
so this kind of feels like there their opportunity to
get revenge. Maybe not shock me if Seattle ends up
winning the Super Bowl or getting to the super Bowl
at least, but I would lean Rams if you if
you forced me to pick one.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Side or the other, I got cha. I like to
Seattle to win. But you know, just me week w eleven.
You know, the Rams got by the Seahawks. Seattle gives
them back, like you talked about there a couple of
weeks back. I mean, it's just amazing how much. I mean,
the weather's not going to be an issue really so
much in Seattle obviously, and maybe for the play or
they are doing the game. You know, for this New

(01:00:27):
England and Denver game one, it's in Denver and it
will be Denver cold. It may be warmer than here. Actually,
I think it's something like what fifteen degrees expected I
think for kickoff in that game tomorrow. Maybe if they're lucky.
I mean that's extreme to me. But when you look
at a New England team and you know, a Denver team,
I kind of think like, maybe that's just what they

(01:00:48):
should be used to, am I wrong?

Speaker 3 (01:00:50):
Sure? No, No, Like I think I don't think it
should affect them the way the way it would affect
like a Miami Dolphins, right right, team like that a
Chargers if the Rams were forced to and they did
last week, and it's tough, like when you have to
play in that kind of cold and you're not used
to it, that's one thing. But you're right, I mean,

(01:01:11):
they can practice outside. I know the Patriots do who
practice outside to get used to it. Denver has the
home field advantage. I think both teams should be fine. Now,
what's interesting is that the altitude part of it with
the cold, and I don't know the answer there, but
how much of that could impact my New England players

(01:01:32):
in the Patriots. I'm not sure. It's certainly something though
that I know NFL teams are so aware of going
into Denver. The Bengals obviously went there earlier this year
in September, and I know altitude was a part of it.
So overall, I'm not sure the cold's gonna have a
huge impact on things, but it's certainly going to and
it is no fun football weather football from weather Man.

(01:01:55):
I think that it's a certain point once you get
under thirty degrees, it isn't necessarily fun to be out
there and on the sideline. And I would say some
Bengals players agree with me too.

Speaker 1 (01:02:05):
Well, yeah, a whole lot of Bengals fans for that matter.
I mean, how many people over the years, and you
probably more. I know you and Lance both have talked
to Lance about this before over the years, and you
may not have been alive or just like very young
at best, and probably not like the so called Freezer
Bowl or whatever. I guarantee you I've talked to at
least a thousand people over the years who told me
they were there, some of which weren't old enough to

(01:02:26):
be there. It is amazing for an event.

Speaker 3 (01:02:28):
Like oh, yeah, I was there, my dad.

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
I'm like, dude, you're twenty. Is it possible?

Speaker 3 (01:02:33):
No, yeah, it's nuts. Yeah, I'm glad you've threw in.
That last part wasn't even a thought I would. I
certainly didn't exist, and it was years and years away
from being a thought of Yes, but I have heard
the tales of the Freezer Bowl, and well, hey, a

(01:02:53):
year from now, if the Bengals do what they need
to do and our host and then AFC Championship game,
we're going to get this kind of weather a year
from now, I think anybody would take it a modern
day Freezer Bowl. But love day, yes, yeah, yeah, most.

Speaker 1 (01:03:06):
Definitely anything that we've not talked about about these matchups
tomorrow in the division or conference championship games. Before I
let you go, and I mean, will you or will
you not be doing snowmen and snow Angels and snowball
fights with the family, Rapine, or will you be locked
away hermetically sealed in warm, dry confines, or will you

(01:03:26):
get out to play in the midst of everything with
the snow Oh yeah, I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:03:31):
Sure I'll be summoned to do some of that, I
would say for sure. At the same time, I'm not
going to miss these games. We have three football games left.
I'm going to try to enjoy all three, so it'll
be a nice mixture. Last thing would just be from
a Bengals lens, And this is part of why you
do watch. There are plenty of free agents, plenty of

(01:03:52):
guys that are going to be free agents in a
few months that the Bengals might target. From the Seattle
Seahawks is a nice pass. Sure you got Cam Curl,
a safety from the Rams like there are guys like
that that who knows, maybe playing for the Bengals in
a few months. So I think that's kind of fun
watching through that lens a little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:04:12):
Most definitely, James Rapine, thank you for making time. I
do appreciate it. I prefer to be talking about a
Bengals game rather than these other games. But either way,
it's football. And we all seem to like it. So
we'll see what tomorrow brings. Have fun in the snow,
stay warm, and my best of the family. Repeat. I
appreciate you, you know, making time you didn't have to, and

(01:04:34):
I really do appreciate it.

Speaker 3 (01:04:35):
I do.

Speaker 1 (01:04:37):
Of course, you can see him on YouTube with Cincinnati
Bengals Talk. You can check him out on locked on Bengals,
a host of other things, and get the book. It's
a nice thing. And he asked me to the voiceover
after the fact that there's a reissue, and I said
no on the air, and then I felt horrible. I
was just joking, and I people mail emailing me and
messaging me going, how could you tell James that? How
could you say no? And I'm like, I was just joking.

(01:04:59):
It's just a joke. So I just want to make
sure because people acted like I'm.

Speaker 3 (01:05:03):
The voiceover is on hold now now we don't know
if we're doing the audio version. Oh sure, blame me
held up.

Speaker 1 (01:05:09):
I cannot handle that type of stress and responsibility. The
burden of keeping the Try State safe and aware in
the midst of snowmageddon, that is the burden that matters.
But now that's in the back of my head too,
So thank you.

Speaker 3 (01:05:20):
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
James, have yourself a fantastic night.

Speaker 6 (01:05:24):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:05:24):
We'll catch up sooner than later, all right, buddy, we'll
see you.

Speaker 3 (01:05:28):
All right.

Speaker 1 (01:05:29):
Listen, there's a lot going on. We know about the snow,
we know about the cold. It's gonna get deep. It's
gonna get deep fast. It's already coming down here in
parts of the Try State. The wind will come. It's
wicked cold. It's gonna get deep. This event is expected
to last through into the first part of Monday, so
likely Monday Tuesday gonna be somewhat suspect for a whole
lot of people looking for childcare, whatever else, or maybe

(01:05:51):
just back to working from home for a lot of people,
including maybe some of the kids. I was always we
would do the snow dance as kids. We would pray
for snow and an opportunity to not have to go
to school and go play and shovel some snow and
make some money and you know, have a good time.
So I don't know how many kids are out there

(01:06:12):
doing that anymore, but if you are, just make sure
you do it safely. And if you're out there and
going to be pushing snow around, and we'll talk about
this more again tomorrow. It is a serious issue. First
responders will be getting call left or call over the
next couple of days and into the first of the week,
unfortunately with people who did too much out in the cold,

(01:06:33):
either with a frostbite or hyperthermia or issues God forbid
of heart attack or whatever. So if you got to
do it, get out there, do it safely and make
sure you stay hydrated, warm, and just don't push it,
and have somebody with you if you can, a buddy
in case something bad happens, so that they at least
can have your back. So again, thanks to James for
peen talking NFL playoffs coming up, Jay Ratliffe after your

(01:06:56):
six o'clock report, Jay Ratliff going to join us WLW
aviation expert talk about travel in and out of CVG
and all over the country as this huge winter storm
so called fern. She's tougher than that though fern sounds
soft and weak, but the storm is not. Jay joins
me after the six o'clock report. Also another update from

(01:07:17):
O dot Cincinnati's Kathleen Fuller straightaway too. Here the home
of the Reds as well as those Xavier Musketeers who
took one on the chin earlier against Saint John's the
Patinos facing off and it did not go Xavier's way. Later,
basketball bear Cats in the desert about fifty degrees warmer
than here, tip off ten o'clock. Chick follows me and

(01:07:38):
gets you ready for Bearcats in Arizona State. Here on
seven hundred WLW, Cincinnati. Ferns make air away through the
tri state right now, the early early stages of what
she will bring. And then you're going Fern whose fern?
They gave the storm a name, and Fern seems pretty
weak to me. But the storm is certainly not the White.

(01:08:00):
The death is coming to snowpocalypts, the snow them again
and whatever you want to call it. You've heard the
forecast time and time again. My guests last couple of days.
They've said it was coming. It's getting here right about now.
Expectation in and around Cincinnati about a foot more or
less north the south, and then there's the issue of
sleet and everything that can mess stuff up. Later we'll

(01:08:20):
talk to Kathleen Fuller from O dot Cincinnati to sort
of break down their plan of attack and thinking about
people maybe coming home like you see from Tempe after
hopefully you'll win tonight taking on Arizona State. You kind
of go, yeah, that would be nice, and what will
be like for them to return. A guy who knows
about getting around in metal tubes five miles up going

(01:08:41):
five hundred miles an hour and how they disperse them
and handle them in times of crisis with bad weather
is the seven hundred wlw aviation expert in mister Daytrade
fund dot com. Jay Ratliffe, Howard you it's been a while.
I appreciate you making time for Stirling and the big
one here on a Saturday.

Speaker 11 (01:08:58):
Well, brother, my phone number is not change, so you know,
if you need me, give me a call, let me know.
And I tell you it's been ringing like crazy with
everything that's been going on for the last couple of
days because we've got this massive storm that's creating that
the weekend of habit that we thought it would be,
and we're seeing airlines continue to adjust their flight schedules.
And I tell you it's all hands on deck with

(01:09:19):
everything that's going on right now.

Speaker 1 (01:09:20):
For those who don't understand and logistics of this is
a little bit different than trying to arrange cars in
the driveway or get them into the garage or under
the awning or whatever it is that people have to
do with their homes. Generally, when we're talking about aircraft
being parked and ready to go, where there are I
guess the most number of passengers Jay Ratliff, How do
they determine where? I mean, obviously where the storm isn't

(01:09:41):
I'm guessing where they can try to maybe park some
aircraft or do they keep them here and hangers?

Speaker 3 (01:09:46):
How does that work?

Speaker 11 (01:09:48):
Well, you normally don't have enough hangars to take care
unless it's a maintenance of to take care of all
the aircraft that you might happen to have, And depending
on the nature of the event, will dictate if you
stage aircraft outside of an impacted area. For example, if
we know that we've got a hurricane that's coming through
Miami and Fort Lauderdale, airplanes that might be on the

(01:10:08):
ground there would be taken to airports maybe further north
where they might be in Tampa, Pensacola's there Sota, somewhere
out of harm's way where the winds perhaps wouldn't be
as strong. Because one of the things you're worried about
is a foreign object, debris, flying debris that's going to
come flying all over the place, and that debris could
impact an aircraft, which means, well, now you've gone from

(01:10:31):
just an aircraft you can't use the one you can't
use because it's been damage, requiring a maintenance s team
to come in and get it fixed and back in
so they can start using that silver revenue tube.

Speaker 7 (01:10:41):
So what airlines have been doing.

Speaker 11 (01:10:43):
Is this storm has been approaching, sterling is what they're
very good at. They will go ahead in advance and
start canceling flights. American Airlines is known for the last
couple of days that the Dallas hub was going to
be impacted with twenty hours of in essence freezing rain.
That's one of the reasons when you look at it
right now that American Airlines has about thirty five percent

(01:11:04):
of their flights that have been canceled today. That's just
over one thousand, but the Dallas Airport seen about eighty
five percent of the flight operations. They're impacted to one
degree or another. Where Airlines days ago canceled their flights
in essence didn't put the aircraft in harm's way because
if it's a snow event, we can throttle back and
we can go a little bit slower because we can

(01:11:27):
operate in snow.

Speaker 7 (01:11:28):
The aircraft.

Speaker 11 (01:11:28):
Airport may have four runways, we may keep one or
two open and do a great job of doing that.
Flight operations continue, but they do so at a reduced pace.
When you're talking about ice and inches and inches and
layers and layers of ice, it's a totally different scenario
because then you have a situation where aircraft, regardless of
how well you try to keep the conditions clear, you're

(01:11:50):
going to have freezing patches which could cause that aircraft
to slide off of a tarmac or runway or around
the jet bridge. And that's where damage, injuries and other
types of things could occur. And that's why they've taken
the precautions they've done canceled a lot of flights just
to make sure that they don't put people in harms way.
In fact, I'm looking at tomorrow's cancelations for the airlines

(01:12:12):
and we're seeing that American Airlines is already canceled for tomorrow.
From a percentage standpoint, Stertling, they're getting rid of forty
three percent of their flights tomorrow an't going to be operating.
Delta's already canceled thirty four percent of theirs, in part
because what they're expecting this is going to be taking
place in the Atlanta Hub Southwest twenty five percent of

(01:12:32):
their flights have been impacted. PSA eighty four percent of
their flights. I mean, you can see this from coast
to coast, depending on where that storm is hitting the hardest,
it's impacting flight operations, and that's why airlines no part
of the week said that they were issued a weather waiver,
meaning if anybody's flying to or through any of these
impacted areas, they could put off their itinerary to a

(01:12:55):
later date and notot be hammered with that change fee. So,
you know, airline, I think when it comes to customer service,
you and I've talked about that for decades, But when
it comes to irregular operations, they do all they can
to try to take care of people before the storm
impacts an itinerary, so that they can take care of
things in advance, because waiting to get to the airport

(01:13:16):
to find out what's going on is the last thing
that airlines want to see happen. Especially was as dangerous
as it is to get to many of these airports
across the country.

Speaker 1 (01:13:24):
Talking to aviation expert for seven hundred WLWJ Ratliffe was
sterling seven hundred WLW the storm is here. You mentioned
the preparation and the relocation of aircraft and canceling of
flights in advance and giving people a waiver to sort
of get out of that situation as best they can,
but they also will have to play catch up and

(01:13:46):
move these populations as well as these aircraft from point
to point to point over the next few days. Once
this gets cleaned up and this storm has moved through.
How long does that process generally take. They're saying that
this storm is affecting somewhere the neighborhood one hundred to
one hundred and fifty million Americans, which is a ton
of people, but not necessarily that nice population obviously flying,

(01:14:07):
but we're talking stacking days of people trying to play
ketchup for work or leisure or whatever it is that
they're trying to do in those aircraft.

Speaker 11 (01:14:14):
Yes, it is, and one of the nice things is
this is not an extremely busy travel period.

Speaker 7 (01:14:22):
From this standpoint.

Speaker 11 (01:14:22):
We normally don't have three million or two point eight
million people flying whatever, and we've seen a reduction in
the number of people that have been flying because obviously
we don't have that many flights, but because it's happening
this month and not last month. I mean, imagine if
this is a December twenty fourth conversation starting nightmare.

Speaker 7 (01:14:40):
What would be on top of a nightmare.

Speaker 11 (01:14:44):
So at least now we have the ability when flights
were zoomed, you're not gonna be talking about every flight
already being booked to capacity at the time that things
move through. So what's going to happen is it'll take
us a couple of days once everything passes through to
accommodate most of the past that need to be at places.
And again, this is something that the airlines are very

(01:15:04):
very good at because once the storm gets through Dallas,
American airlines can begin resuming their normal operations to try
to get everybody out of Dallas and to Dallas.

Speaker 7 (01:15:14):
Which is good.

Speaker 11 (01:15:15):
Now, Houston kind of caught a glancing blow on this
and it wasn't nearly as bad as what we thought
it could have been there, So United's hub there has
been okay. And then as we move forward farther East.
You've got the hubs in Atlanta and Charlotte again, Charlotte
being American Airlines Atlanta for being both Southwest Frontier, and
you have obviously Delta's mega hub there as well. That's

(01:15:38):
going to be impacted, and that's going to be through
the weekend. And what's going to happen is a lot
of the Sunday night flights that are scheduled to get
into specific outstations that make up Monday mornings originating flights.
There's a good chance that many of those will be
delayed and or canceled because it will probably be Tuesday
or Wednesday before we see everything back on schedule to

(01:16:00):
coast as it would normally be. Weather issues passed us,
and that's going to be the problem. And a lot
of these flights that come in late, if the crew
has a minx rest period of let's say eight or
ten hours between flights they operate. If they come in
late the night before, it means the originating flight the
next day is going to be delayed. And that's why
it's imperative that airlines have a way to get a

(01:16:22):
hold of us, typically by email or a text message,
to let us know if our itinerary has been impacted. Now,
one thing that's very important to keep in mind during
times like these is if your flight is canceled, don't
necessarily assume it has.

Speaker 7 (01:16:36):
To do with the weather.

Speaker 11 (01:16:37):
Now, it probably does, but if they've got a mechanical
situation or something else that's not weather related, well then
the compensation that we're entitled to is totally different. Because
if my flight's canceled due to weather, well that's an
act of God, nothing that the airlines can control. They
are not responsible for giving me food, overnight accommodations, ground transportation,

(01:16:57):
or any of these things. But if it's a mechanic
situation or something that's outside of that, that's when the
compensation changes quite a bit. So you want to make
sure that if your flight does get canceled, you need
to find out what's going on, and if you feel
like maybe the person talking to you is not giving
you the right information, and get a hold of reservations
or somebody and see if you can get to find

(01:17:18):
out exactly why it was canceled. Now, the other thing
is trying to call reservations right now is going to
be a nightmare. So keep in mind that if you
are at the airport. You can turn to the social
media teams. A lot of times, you can go to
Facebook and to ask you can do other things and
contact the airline through there and Facebook just a message
to the airline through the messaging app there. They've got

(01:17:39):
social media teams that monitor things and there's meant, many
times during the regular operations, you can send Delta a
simple Facebook message says here's my six digit I tenor
my flight's been canceled, what options do I have? And
many times they can respond far faster than you can
either a get through a line or be on hold
for like I hope forever. There's been times during the

(01:18:01):
regular ops you call like Delta and they say our
agents are busy, call back later.

Speaker 7 (01:18:05):
Click. I mean, that's great service, right.

Speaker 11 (01:18:07):
But that just signifies how many people are trying to
get through to them during a.

Speaker 7 (01:18:12):
Time like this. So yeah, use every tool available to you.

Speaker 1 (01:18:15):
That's for sure a lot better than it used to
be when I first got old enough to fly on
my own and trying to navigate these situations. Technology has
made life a lot easier in the midst of something
as nasty as what we're dealing with aviation expert for
seven hundred w WELWJ. Ratliffe. You can also find him
daytrade fund dot com. With Sterling on the big one. Now,
we talked about all the revenue tubes as you'd like

(01:18:37):
to call them, which is exactly what they are, moving
us us pieces of meat from one place to another
and emptying our wallets. But in that's very well put. Yeah,
and that's okay. I mean, I liked I don't have
any problems spending money to get someplace when I got
to go, and they're in the business getting it done.
The airport though, has a lot to do as far
as those ground crews and everything else personnel. Why also

(01:19:00):
to get these runways and tarmacs clean once these aircraft
are moving again, I know they use like some type
of mutant super size like a snow movers, a little
different than when O DOT or you know Kentucky Transportation
cabinet uses. Can you break down what goes into the
airport and what they need to do or do regularly
to keep us in and out of CBG safely?

Speaker 11 (01:19:22):
Well, you know, I mean you look at these things
and it's a city. I mean when you look at
different types of things that you know that go on
at an airport. So it's literally a city within a city.
And when you look at all the preparation that that
cities make and different types of things make, then you

(01:19:42):
obviously understand that there's a lot of preparation that goes
in because they want to keep that airport moving as
much as they can. And when you've got you know,
runways that are you know, four or five thousand feet long,
and you've got them, you know, eighty hundred feet across
whatever might happen to be in certain places, there's a
lot of real estate you've got to keep clean. And
if you've got blowing snow in an event like this,

(01:20:04):
airports will fight many times just to keep a single
runway or too clear many times, so that because you
can't keep maybe all four runways or three runways open
and operating, you have to reduce with what you can.
Now the wonderful thing that we've got here at Cincinnati
is we've got a proven hub, which is a situation
where you know, in all kinds of weather, we've got

(01:20:26):
an all star team there that does a very good
job as much as possible staying ahead of the weather,
keeping things treated, keeping the runway surfaces clean, and not
only the runway. Keep in mind, you've got to make
sure that the aircraft can taxi back to the gate
areas safely. You have to make sure that the tarmac
areas are safe so that people that are operating the
ground equipment can drive and walk and do things without

(01:20:48):
being you know, impeded in such a way that it's
either dangerous or.

Speaker 7 (01:20:51):
Not possible to do their job. The cold is obviously.

Speaker 11 (01:20:54):
Going to impact the employees, and that's an issue. Doesn't
really do anything to the to the airplanes because there
used to you know, flying in sub zero temperature, so
that's not a problem. But airports are very very good
at doing this now. Look some are not. They're just
overwhelmed in something like this. You look at like the
Little Rock Airport, I think like ninety percent of their

(01:21:16):
flights today are canceled simply because they are in a
position where it's difficult for them to make things happen.

Speaker 7 (01:21:23):
Oklahoma City, I think ninety.

Speaker 11 (01:21:24):
Percent of the flight operations there are impacted or canceled
today as a result. So when you see these airports
that are you know, I think Little Rock was ninety
six percent total today that was impacted or canceled to
one degree or another. It shows that they're just not
able to keep that airport up and running as they
should because they simply just don't have the equipment, the

(01:21:47):
manpower things of this nature in an event. Again, some
of these airports aren't used to having these weather events
as much as possible. And you know it's like when
you're talking about I think it was for a lot
they had a de icing team picture of you know,
they point the nose of the airplane towards the sun
and wait for the sun to come up to the iceing.
But you know it's Cincinnati. You know we're looking at

(01:22:10):
you know, you've got five, maybe ten percent of the
flights are being impacted to one degree or another. And
when you understand that this proven hub that we've had
here before, uh, look again, this is an all star
team that does a very good job. So if the
air airlines can get the aircraft to us, uh, there's
a gonna be a good job that we're going to be.

Speaker 7 (01:22:30):
Okay.

Speaker 11 (01:22:30):
Now, the problem, of course is snow is one thing,
but when you're talking about that freezing rain or the icing,
that's something that can be quite problematic now. Fortunately for us,
what we're looking at is more snow than anything else,
and that's something that we can operate through, even if
it's several inches of snow. We're just going to do
it more more slowly. So you typically don't see the

(01:22:52):
airport closed. There's going to be some operation that's ongoing,
unless you just have a severe event as we had
many many years ago in Detroit when the airport should
have closed and did not, and there was such a
severe snowstorm that the ground crew in Detroit could not stay.

Speaker 7 (01:23:08):
Ahead of it.

Speaker 11 (01:23:08):
Wow, and you had aircraft that got trapped out on
the runways and taxiways stuck in the snow for eight, nine,
ten hours. This was back in the late nineties, and
that's when it was determined, Hey, you know, we've got
to stop doing this. From a pride standpoint, we never
closed kind of thing to recognizing that, you know, there
are times when the airport has to kind of come
to a stop if the weather conditions get to be

(01:23:30):
too severe. So I don't see that happening at Cincinnati,
certainly not now. And the team there that can handle
the snow, it's it's that ice. I mean when you've
got inches of ice two three four inches that freeze
and aircraft's tire to the to the tarmac. Oh, that's
certainly nothing is going to happen when that happens, until
you know, things start to melt that and sadly, that's

(01:23:52):
what we've got going on right now through Texas and
several states out of us.

Speaker 1 (01:23:56):
Well, they'll be playing catch up for a while and
there are a lot of moving parts, but I know
they're getting done at CVG dating as well, and we
can really appreciate you making time seven hundred WLW Aviation Expert,
Jay Ratliffe. I'll reach out to you again. I just
don't want to bother you. I know you're day trading,
you got other stuff and judging.

Speaker 11 (01:24:11):
You know, if things are crazy and I can't do it,
I'll say no. But by all means, if it's not
the case, especially in a situation like this, I'll always
make time for you. Just let me know what you
need and I'll do everything I can to make it happen.

Speaker 1 (01:24:24):
You're a beautiful man, Jay Ratliffe, Aviation expert, best of
the family. Take care of yourself straight away. We got
a conversation I have with Kathleen Fuller from O dot
Cincinnati about what they're doing to keep our highways clean,
as this is getting nastier effectively by the minute and
the deep stuffs in front of US six point thirty
report straight away more Sterling coming back Nation Station seven
hundred WLW