A national disaster was just declared.

[Croye22]

Originally Posted by the_huntsville

"Dont know how to drive on ice or snow"
I think that's called slow & cautious

More like common sense.

[Keeper]

Originally Posted by the_huntsville

"Dont know how to drive on ice or snow"
I think that's called slow & cautious

You may be driving slow and cautious but it is the other idiots you have to worry about. I heard one of the TV guys say he was driving 10 mph and he was slipping and sliding all over the Whitesburg Bridge this PM.

Heck.. back in 66 people put chains on all 4 tires just to get around town.

[hey teach]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I know it seems funny to me too since we use to do the same thing for hurricanes heading our way. However most of you were not here in 85 during the ice storm which caused power outages for 2 weeks in some places. Trees and branches damaged a lot of homes too.

Most folks around here do not know how to drive on ice or snow plus the cities don't have equipment to clear roads.

I remember the ice storm of '85. We had just moved back and were living up in Lincoln County, Tennesses. We were without electricity for 3 weeks. The area we lived in had a "minimal number of residents" and the more populated areas got service first.

[Maya Blue]

Originally Posted by Keeper

I know it seems funny to me too since we use to do the same thing for hurricanes heading our way. However most of you were not here in 85 during the ice storm which caused power outages for 2 weeks in some places. Trees and branches damaged a lot of homes too.

This is what kills me about this town. That was over 25 years ago, yet people still refer back to it and somehow it justifies how they act today.

Same goes for the big tornado back in '89.

Everyone thinks that because it happened once, then there is a good chance that it will happen every time there might be the threat of winter weather or a tornado.

I'm not picking on you Keeper, just your post.

[Mawoods]

We lived in Wisconsin for a few years and people up there can't drive on ICE or for that matter in snow either. There were the same pleas from the police to stay off roads and a huge number of cars in accidents. People just assumed they knew how to drive in all that because they lived in WI and so were careless and drove too fast. The municipalities did put down stuff on the roads and clear them but that was not always enough when it is coming fast and furious. AND the side roads and neighborhoods were never touched. SO my point is that it wasn't a picnic in the great snowy North either.

Stewdog, I think that if you had lived for several weeks withour utitlities ( I remember the 1970s ice storms in GA) or a killer tornado it would scar your psche too. Sort of like our grandparents who actually lived through the GREAT DEPPRESSION and so were very careful/frugal the rest of their lives. It does have an impact.Just a little understanding.

I agree that sometimes it is a little humorous here but honestly these weather people love to pump it up. But I guess better safe than sorry. I can deal with dry snow but no one can deal with ice which is what we get more of here - even with snow there can be a layer of ice.

So all just relax and have some hot chocolate. It will be sunny and warm next week - hopefully!

[HB2HSV]

Yes, all fun poking aside. To be fair, the Californians suffer the same problem every time it RAINS !

OK, so it only rain 2 ~ 3 times a year in the winter time. Sounds familiar ?

But people don't raid the breads and milks isles over there.

You don't need to drive fast to get spun out of control neither. Last winter, during one of those snow/freeze icy time. I drove on one of the quiet street at night at 15 mph and my truck began to skid and spin. Fortunately I was 'well-trained' 30 yrs ago in the North, so I immediately let go of the gas pedal, NOT to step on brakes, and turn the steering wheel at the same direction of where back of truck was heading. Even I stopped it in time, it was still dangerous. So it is really something to be taken seriously.

Today is a warm 50's degree. Go figure....

Now back to your regular programming.....

[skinem]

I was on the road yesterday in the Huntsville area pretty much all day until heading home around 7. Never had any problems...one overpass was a little slick.

What killed me was that it seems so many drivers seem to fall into 1 of 2 categories when the weather gets like this.

One category continues to drive as if there is absolutely nothing any different regarding road conditions. On 565 around 7 last night and some people where still blowing past me at around 70 and some people didn't seem to begin slowing down any earlier coming up to stops and many still seemed to pursue the Huntsville tradition of tail-gating.

Then there's the second category---those that act as if the car actually touches any ice it will immediately begin sliding out of control and therefore they creep along waaaaaaaaaaaay too slowly. Mix this group in with the first group and it gets dangerous.

For instance, again on 565, you had people still trying to drive at or above the posted speed limit and others tooling along in various lanes at 30 (Yes! I got hung behind one) or 40 mph. It's not a good mix.

Congrats to Huntsville's media for again successfully whipping an extremely mild and limited weather event into the coming apocalypse. And, yes...I was here for the winter of '85...a truly unbelievable ice-storm accompanied by the coldest temps I've seen in this area.

It is funny how different weather in different places can effect people. The first Halloween in which we lived in a desert out west it sprinkled that evening. It was the talk of the town..."Can you believe how hard it's raining? This is unreal!" We lived in an area that usually got 6-8 inches of rain a year, and I swear, you could walk between the raindrops. They treated rain there like we do snow and ice here...everyone stays in and stays off the roads...

[the_huntsville]

Is everyone enjoying our national disaster the past two days?