this stuff. they fan out, dig in, and measure up the white stuff. many with a breathless, heart pounding doomsday delivery. >> a beatdown this afternoon. >> conditions are atrocious. >> this is like getting hit with a big crashing wave. >> reporter: snowmageddon, snow-zilla monster. and mother nature's wrath. and almost everyone gets into the act. cnn included. with a promo that could easily double as a trailer for a hollywood action film. >> cnn is there. >> reporter: scary stuff for a time-tested weather formula that follows a simple tv equation -- they frequently start with dire warnings of an impending apocalypse. scary. very, very scary. >> weather not fit for man nor beast. all the kids rather enjoying this snowstorm. >> reporter: then you know by now what comes next. the live shots, from the salt trucks and airports to the roads