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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Here is an example, this morning it looked like just a minor dusting that wouldn't bother anyone, but it was not slush or powder. The snow fell last night and then some freezing rain coated it, so the road was hard ice. It was hard to even walk on the driveway without falling. I had to wait a while to let it thaw some before leaving and then made it down the hills to where it cleared. We are at 600' elevation but the snow line was just a few blocks below us. If this had continued farther down, schools would have closed and everyone would have stayed home.
Hearing "it's going to snow" has the same meaning to me as "it's going to rain" or "it's going to be cloudy". Just regular weather that requires no additional prep. No panics at grocery stores or states of emergency. Roads get salted and plowed quickly and thoroughly in the Chicago area. Power lines in the city are underground so power never goes out. It would take a truly massive blizzard to shut things down.
I get a nice, snugly, comfortable feeling when the weather is bad outside, bad enough that the only people out and about are those who have no choice. Meanwhile I'm all cozy in front of a warm fire with all my creature comforts.
I love the feeling of having a well stocked refrigerator, freezer and pantry where I have a variety of my favorite foods and endless choices of which delicious dinner I'll have.
Perhaps people are simply trying to create this feeling of being cozy and tucked in while the wild weather rages outside, the feeling of safety that you have everything you need and the weather can't touch you!
Maybe you can create that cozy feeling even knowing it's only for a day or two.
This is generally how I feel about it. I know that barring a rare event, I'm not going to be stuck for more than a day. I will go to the store before a storm because I like knowing that I have everything I need, and I can stay inside with something nice in the oven while it rages outside.
Last edited by fleetiebelle; 02-03-2017 at 09:31 AM..
I was amused by an earlier post "snow in the north" vs. "snow in the south."
Here in Southern California it rains so seldom that vehicular oil leakage saturates the top of the road surface after long periods without rain.
Then the first storm of the season arrives, all the drivers have forgotten how to drive in rain, and the oil floats on top of the rain water and forms the SoCal equivalent of black ice!
I'm fortunate to have experience driving in all climates and all road conditions, but most So. Californians never leave the city, and it rains so seldom that they don't even have experience in driving in rain, even light rain. Accident rates shoot through the roof even with light rains. So. Californians can't handle weather unless it's the sun block required kind.
Well, if you have a family and the kids will likely home instead of in school, you might want to make sure there is food in the house for meals. If the kids are going to playing outside in the snow, then you need milk for hot cocoa, and you sure need coffee for yourself.
I didn't do this too much, actually. But I do understand the mentality.
When we were being told there would be a winter storm, we did go to the grocery store beforehand because we need some stuff, and I doubted whether I would be able to get out the next day.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,576 posts, read 81,167,557 times
Reputation: 57813
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lovehound
I was amused by an earlier post "snow in the north" vs. "snow in the south."
Here in Southern California it rains so seldom that vehicular oil leakage saturates the top of the road surface after long periods without rain.
Then the first storm of the season arrives, all the drivers have forgotten how to drive in rain, and the oil floats on top of the rain water and forms the SoCal equivalent of black ice!
I'm fortunate to have experience driving in all climates and all road conditions, but most So. Californians never leave the city, and it rains so seldom that they don't even have experience in driving in rain, even light rain. Accident rates shoot through the roof even with light rains. So. Californians can't handle weather unless it's the sun block required kind.
Here we have that problem (accidents) when it's sunny, in fact the traffic reporters will say that the traffic is slow due to the sun. We only see it 2-3 months and it gets in people's eyes when driving and they forgot how to use the visors.
In the South, "snow" means "possible snow but more than likely freezing rain (ICE)." Did you know that some southern states don't even HAVE salt trucks/supplies for clearing roads? And that's assuming we're talking about urban roads. If we're talking about country backroads, well if winter weather hits and you have to commute between rural/suburban areas and downtown, you could run (or skid rather) into trouble. Literally.
I was amused by an earlier post "snow in the north" vs. "snow in the south."
Here in Southern California it rains so seldom that vehicular oil leakage saturates the top of the road surface after long periods without rain.
Then the first storm of the season arrives, all the drivers have forgotten how to drive in rain, and the oil floats on top of the rain water and forms the SoCal equivalent of black ice!
I'm fortunate to have experience driving in all climates and all road conditions, but most So. Californians never leave the city, and it rains so seldom that they don't even have experience in driving in rain, even light rain. Accident rates shoot through the roof even with light rains. So. Californians can't handle weather unless it's the sun block required kind.
Yes, this is hilarious. Saw this all the time growing up in SoCal. I would SLOW WAY down in rain, but no one else would---so accidents everywhere. They think they can drive just as fast in pouring rain.
When I did live in snow country, the power would often go out. Or roads might close. I never did get used to driving in it. And in urban areas, many drivers don't have AWD, much less 4WD.
In the South, "snow" means "possible snow but more than likely freezing rain (ICE)." Did you know that some southern states don't even HAVE salt trucks/supplies for clearing roads? And that's assuming we're talking about urban roads. If we're talking about country backroads, well if winter weather hits and you have to commute between rural/suburban areas and downtown, you could run (or skid rather) into trouble. Literally.
I learned that when I moved there. "Are you telling me this isn't going to be better by tomorrow?"
I get extremely excited because I grew up in Florida, and here in Texas it still doesn't snow much more than once a year. I love snow. I feel I belong up north
Some people complain about the cold but put me in 90 vs 12 degrees, I am more content in 12 given proper clothing.
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