Tomorrow’s predicted snowstorm reminds me of that Raleigh snowstorm three years ago made more entertaining thanks to the work of some enterprising NC State pranksters:

A cable news channel in Raleigh, North Carolina shut down a Web application designed to allow local schools and businesses to report weather-related closures last week, after a handful of puckish university students discovered they could use it to add textual graffiti to the station’s newscast. …

Before a submitted announcement would appear on the air, it had to be approved by a reviewer, said Schell. But once approved, the system allowed a business to change their name and the details of the closing through the website without any further human attention.

“They didn’t actually get in there or compromise any of our equipment. They just signed up as a legitimate business, and then changed their information half-an-hour later,” Schell says.

A prankster with the online nickname “underPSI” discovered the loophole Thursday, and, posting to a Web forum for students at North Carolina State University, extolled others to try it. “Be creative,” he wrote. “It’s pretty neat.”

The frenzy of fake announcements that followed included “Windows32 Exception Error. If this is your first time seeing this, please reinstall Windows,” and several adult-themed puns.

Here are several screenshots of the prank listings, and referring to one listed above, here’s what “PWNT” means.

**Update**
Here is the actual thread that started it all. Don’t click on it if you’re offended by gratuitous vulgarity, profanity, etc.: origin of the prank.