Thursday Thirteen #21: Uh Oh: NC Reactions to Ice and Snow

Being originally from Long Island, NY, and having lived in Boston, MA for over 20 years, I'm used to winter weather. That's more than I can say for the people here. So, these are 13 things I've observed in North Carolina when either a 'wintry mix' or actual ice and snow are predicted:

1. At the first mention of the words on the local weather report, panic sets in.

2. Each successive weather report is watched. Panic increases.

3. The weather report becomes the sole broadcast on all local stations. In the face of such wall-to-wall coverage, panic seems reasonable; even necessary.

4. When snow is actually sighted, kids rejoice. (This one added by my 14-year old son)

5. Even if no snow is actually sighted, schools either close, or go on 2-hour delay, causing further panic and chaos with parents' schedules.

6. Salt, sand, and chemical trucks go out to treat the main roads. Okay, this is a good reaction.

7. Spurred by the panicked thought of not being able to leave the house for days and days, people race to the supermarkets to buy up all the milk and bread in sight.

8. After the supermarket, they crowd into the home improvement warehouses and snatch up all the batteries, flashlights and gas generators in stock.

9. Instead of wisely deciding to stay home from work, people don't allow extra time, so traffic is more congested than normal.

10. Even in the midst of bad weather, drivers pay little notice--driving like they're at a NASCAR event, as usual.

11. And, as a result of never having learned ice and snow driving skills, they spin out, get stuck and/or have fender-benders.

12. Kids build snowmen, have snowball fights, slip, slide, and have great fun,

13. Unless, as is often the case, nothing actually comes of the prediction, and the weather has the last laugh (Mother Nature is an excellent comedienne!). Then, what does everyone DO with all that extra bread and milk?

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