‘Give me totals or give me death!!!’

Before announcing the possibility of a major snowstorm Friday night into Saturday, the Boston branch of the National Weather Service tweeted something a little uncharacteristic.

A caveat if, you will.

“The NWS would like to emphasize this weekend storm will not even BEGIN to develop off the Carolinas for another 72 hours,” it said in the tweet.

Then came the bombshell.

“It is still too early to provide specific outcomes (such as snowfall totals) for this storm. A lot can change between now and then. However, the potential exists for an impactful winter storm Friday night into Saturday,” the NWS tweeted, along with a map showing the probability of at least 3 inches of snow.

Responses to both tweets varied widely, from snark to anger at the service’s lack of prognostication power days before a storm develops.

One follower, perhaps sarcastically, asked for a snow prediction for the Brighton/Newton line.

Others were also on the lookout for exact numbers.

One paraphrased Patrick Henry’s famous quote, with “Give me totals or give me death!!!” along with an angry emoji. (If only the Founding Fathers had those in their repertoire).

Another said they would like to schedule their freakout for later in the week, but they needed to head to the store for the proverbial eggs and toilet paper. (Assuming no supply chain issues about finding either on the shelves.)

One follower responded with a classicly styled oil painting — of milk, bread, and toilet paper.

Another noted that important life decisions — such as ordering pizza on Thursday or Friday — hung in the balance.

And then came the GIFs.