Snowaphobia

[Beeman]

What is it with people today that freak out when the weather man mentions snow or they see a little flurry? It seems to get worse every year to the point that kids at school start crying and acting like it's the end of the world if there's a little snow shower. My daughter left this morning to go do a community service project, she's a teen and drives. It started flurrying a little and next thing you know she's back home. One of the other kids parents called and raised such a fuss over the snow they sent all of them home. 10 minutes after she gets home the flurries stopped and it's fine out.
I'll bet the store is sold out of bread and milk.

[babygoats!]

The media has done it. Weather people have got people believing every single thing that ISN'T a warm, sunny, beautiful day is gonna kill us all.
They're usually telling us how awful it is in some place while at the same time it's much worse here. And we're doing fine.
Makes me nuts. But - lots of things do...

[stanb999]

It's because we have been in a period of solar peak for the last 30 years (peaking in 1998). The temps have gotten a little warmer because of it. So their has been less snow. It is projected to calm around 2010. As this happens the people will really go nuts. But we will get used to the winters again. It will just take time. Just think how the people in Virginia will deal with a frozen Potomac again like it did in the past or several feet of snow in NYC lasting for months.

[Madame]

Hah - around here, the kids love it! Sledding, snowmen, and even snow days off from school. The only time the grocery gets swamped is when there are predictions of severe weather and folks figure they'd best shop now so they don't run out of essentials and have to risk dangerous roads.

Maybe it's a matter of geography. Here is Wisconsin, snowy winters are the norm.

[marvella]

i think most people are afraid of nature anyway. it's just getting a lot worse.

i saw pics of those snows in ny and thought, good grief, that's what it looked like every winter in buffalo when i grew up. why is everyone getting their panties in a wad over some snow?

[moonwolf]

Love snow. Most folk here are crying because there isn't enough for snowmobilling. The trails can't be groomed due to lack of snow, and are dangerous. Septic fields can freeze due to lack of our needed usual snowcover. Nothing really 'stops' here because of snow. It's just part of the year to expect between December and March. I think also further south, the news media hype up a snow 'event' as something unusual because there are fewer than used to be (snowstorms, that is). They give it a 'human mysery' index. If you have to drive much in it, than it is. Otherwise, snow is what we like to have here in winter.

[A'sta at Hofstead]

More please!

[jross]

Originally Posted by moonwolf

Love snow. Most folk here are crying because there isn't enough for snowmobilling. The trails can't be groomed due to lack of snow, and are dangerous. Septic fields can freeze due to lack of our needed usual snowcover. Nothing really 'stops' here because of snow. It's just part of the year to expect between December and March. I think also further south, the news media hype up a snow 'event' as something unusual because there are fewer than used to be (snowstorms, that is). They give it a 'human mysery' index. If you have to drive much in it, than it is. Otherwise, snow is what we like to have here in winter.

My drain field is frozen for the reason you state, lower than normal temperature and no snow cover. Lucky the wind blows away from it. I did put wood ash on the field and now it appears to be working better. Don't ask me why I did it, because I have no idea why. When I was stationed in New England, we had snow until spring and no one thought about it except where they put the skates and skiis. The media is so afraid to to err in the direction of being terribly wrong and not be the "first" to tell us how accurate they predict the weather. The biggest headache here in Jersey are the "other" folks with suv's who think that allows them to keep up their speed, not realizing 4 wheel drive means nothing when they are trying to put the brake pedal through the floor.

[OmaMutti]

I know one reason people freak out in our area--because we don't get enough snow. We can go a couple of winters without any. When it does snow it can be just a trace or several inches in one day. People don't know how to drive in it (accidents galore), towns don't have enough snowplows or sanders, power outages can last for days and days. The schools are often closed for road safety (I'm all for that) and because teachers who live out a way can't get to school...But also, as babygoats said, the media perpetuates it! On our local news, the field reporters are in their parkas on street corners waiting for a few flakes of snow. And sometimes that's all they get! I have to say though, the forecasters have been much more accurate in the last few years (better technology?). Fewer unexpected storms and fewer predicted storms that never happen.

[mink]

every time the weatherman says flurries here we get at least 6 inches......just another day...mink

[Queen Bee]

I know what you mean. I hate the fact that the news reports are over and over on any one subject. It's like they are drilling it into us. I really don't think that snow--storms,blizzards,hurricanes, tornados etc.. are all that new and different. It seems like it runs in cycles but NOW we hear about every storm, no matter where it is and what the damage...20 yrs ago. We heard about the local/state news,weather etc. It's drama and they love it!

[Shepherd]

I've lived with snow and freezing temperatures in the winter all my life. But after getting caught out on the road in 3 different blizzards, I'm a lot more cautious. The first one paralyzed the city for 2 days and we couldn't get back to our home in the country for 3 days. This was in a city that was as well prepared for bad weather as most were back in the 70's. We spent the first 12 hours in a gas station (I nearly died trying to walk to it after we had to finally abandon our car); called everywhere and everyone we knew to no avail and finally remembered I had a client that lived not far from where we were. She said if we could get to their house, we were welcome to stay with her family... which we did.

We were pretty young and didn't keep an eye on weather forecasts back then. But when we went to leave that morning and I saw the sky out to the NW, I told my husband I didn't think we should leave... I had a bad feeling. He however was the diehard type that - you go to work no matter what! Humpf.

The next one caught us equally by surprise. It was April and spring was in the air. We decided to go to a friend's out of town for a little visit and when we left that morning it was in the mid 50's... so we wore shorts. On the way home (about half way) we ran into a blizzard. We had about half a tank of gas left, shorts on and no food with us. We'd already passed the last truck stop and after awhile we realized we were the only car on the road that we could see... not that we could see well anymore. The snow and ice was accumulating on the windshield wipers and weren't doing much good at all. It got so bad at times we actually were driving in 1st & 2nd gear with our car doors open to make sure we were still on the highway. Young and stupid!

By the next one, we'd learned our lessons and kept an eye on the weather reports each day. A winter storm was forecast and due to hit midday so we decided to go to work and we'd leave if it got close... figuring that with 30 minute drive home we could get home before it got too bad. We were told by our employer we could leave 2 hrs before our normal quitting time. I told our Personnel Director we'd be leaving sooner than that, once it was obvious the blizzard was starting up. She looked at me like I was crazy for saying that and I told her "Look, if we don't leave soon, we won't GET home!". We finished what we had to and headed out... not realizing how bad the roads had already gotten. It took us almost 2 hrs to get home and we had to reroute over and over to get past traffic jams, stalled cars, etc. We were home 20 minutes before our house was surrounded on the North & West side by 4 and 5 foot walls of drifted snow. Back then we lived in the country up on a hill with farm land all around us, so we had a lot of trouble getting drifted in.

After that I told my employer - I'll work day and night and weekends if need be, but if there's a blizzard in the forecast, I'm staying home! ROFL. I also think after moving to the country, I've learned to keep plenty of 'necessities' on hand in case there's no way to get to the grocery store for awhile.

I'm just thankful for the client who was able and willing to take us in and welcome us like their own family during that first blizzard. I honestly don't know what we'd have done if they hadn't. And that often comes to mind when I look at my food pantry.

I imagine for the southern states that don't usually get snow, they panic a lot when they get unexpected bad winter weather.

[Timberline]

We're in the mountains of central Colorado and just love the snow, and wishing we had more here. Snow in the forcast means we get the snowmobiles ready, get out the snowshoes and skiis and get ready for fun. It's also good for business. We have a tire store and had a good snow tire season (hasn't been too great the last few years). What really kills me though, is all the people who move here and then whine about the snow and cold. I'm not even very nice about it anymore, just speak right up and say "If you don't like snow, why in the he** did you move to Colorado?!?" Not real popular when I say that, but oh well.

[Shepherd]

Originally Posted by Chalk Creek

What really kills me though, is all the people who move here and then whine about the snow and cold. I'm not even very nice about it anymore, just speak right up and say "If you don't like snow, why in the he** did you move to Colorado?!?" Not real popular when I say that, but oh well.

ROFL CC !!!!

[Metagirrl]

Snow? We LOVE SNOW!!! Click below for a video of my dd(11) being rotten to her friend on a sled!



Note: No children were hurt in the filming of that. Most of the "rolling" was for show! Her friend is as big of a clown as she is!

[tamsam]

We have had snow on the ground here since the ground hog didn't see his shadow. It doesn't bother us that much but our 0 and below temps at night have put a strain on our wood supply as we can not get coal right now because it is all going to the power plants. We won't run out as we have found a good place to get wood at a saw mill. The only problem now is the snow and being able to get in to get the wood. It is susposed to warm up middle of the week so maybe we will be able to get a load but if not we have lp gas heater for back up and 2 kerosine heater if needed. Right now it is 27 and snowing hard. We have enough food that we can stay in for quite awhile. Hope everyone else is staying warm and has plenty of milk and bread. Ha ha I never figured that one out. Stay dry and warm Sam

[sparrowinsky]

I can see why people might freak out a bit if they're not from snowy places. I've only been in snow three times. I've never lived anywhere that snows. Lemme tell you, snow is WEIRD if you're not used to it.

I have arguments with an East-coast friend over weather.
"You mean it's raining? But it's summer!"
"Of course it's raining, it's summer. When does it rain for you?"
"Winter. It gets rainy and cold. Down below freezing sometimes."
"...ahahah. That's not cold."

And so on. Snow in winter? It just ain't right, I tell you!

[TxGypsy]

This is NOT normal! People panicked just a wee bit!