It MIGHT snow...quick, close the schools!
@CristiansNana (101)
United States
January 7, 2010 6:12am CST
I am orginally from Upstate NY and I am very familiar with driving in and going to school during blizzards. I have lived in the south (GA) for the last 13+ years. Now, I realize that the south is not equipped to handle having any snow, or at least very little. What makes me laugh is when the forecast calls for snow (maybe). Everyone panicks, runs to the store to purchase 15 gallons of milk and 30 loaves of bread, gas up their cars, buys batteries and every school is closed. All because it MIGHT snow! Half the time they call for snow we get nothing!
5 people like this
12 responses
@owlwings (43915)
• Cambridge, England
7 Jan 10
We have the same thing here in Britain (not so much in the North but in the South). The difference is that they wait for the snow to happen and then, when we get a quarter of an inch, the schools close - no warning to the poor parents!
This winter has been different. Many places have really had snow - several inches - which we genuinely are not equipped to cope with, especially as local councils have not bought in enough salt/grit because of the recession.
Whatever, I guess we shall survive!
2 people like this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
7 Jan 10
-shakes head laughing- I've heard this time and again and STILL think this is funny. Shutting the whole town down JUST IN CASE it snows..oh lord!
1 person likes this
@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
7 Jan 10
Might I add...in the same breath, it also miffs me when people who have always lived in the snowy states STILL don't know how to drive in it years later. The cars and trucks I see in ditches all the time...
1 person likes this
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
LOL yeah, that always gets to me as well. This we deal with every winter and most of the time the freakin sun is shining all day and we don't get anything. Makes me laugh every time as well.
1 person likes this
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
7 Jan 10
it also miffs me when people who have always lived in the snowy states STILL don't know how to drive in it years later
LOL yea that always makes me giggle too..
1 person likes this
@fwidman (11514)
• United States
7 Jan 10
It always has amazed me at how quickly some places close things down because of snow. Here in Southern California it makes sense because we already know that nobody here knows how to drive in it and it is unsafe 
But in places where snow is a normality every year why do they close down schools and other things? Aren't they used to Winter by now? 
But in places where snow is a normality every year why do they close down schools and other things? Aren't they used to Winter by now? 1 person likes this
@rebelann (111411)
• El Paso, Texas
8 Apr 20
That's a really good point. What I think is that they don't close down schools unless the snow will be more than is usual. That makes sense.
@Tallygirl09 (1380)
• United States
8 Jan 10
Thank you for the good chuckle! I'm a transplant too! Lived in Mass for a long while and got used to almost 6 months of cold and snow. Now in NC, they do panic at possible mention of a snowflake coming down! Even the newscasters buy into it...maybe to send the flood to the stores to stock up for the "big blizzar" of like an inch of snow if that. Tho I must admit, I'm not loving the chilly air we've been having lately, think I might be getting southernized!
@sleepylittlerose (1648)
• United States
7 Jan 10
Hadame don't be so quick to laugh at closing schools because it is too hot. In the summer if the air conditioner goes out in a school here they will shut the school down and send the kids home. What ever happened to opening the windows and letting them deal with it?
1 person likes this
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
It can be....the south is really not equipped to deal with snow; very few plows and sand and salt for the roads. Folks here are not used to seeing or driving in it (can be tricky if ya don't know what your doing) so it can make things quite dangerous.
1 person likes this
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
7 Jan 10
That is funny. I did keep my son home today, as he is in a wheelchair and they are calling for nasty weather starting late morning. It is funny how people panic. I am more worried about losing power than not having food. We could live with what we have in the house.
1 person likes this
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
I can see you doing that..makes sense. But for them to close schools the evening before the impending storm....just silly.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
7 Jan 10
LOL that is comical...BUT I'm live in Western NY and I am originally from Southern Ontario and grew up in a snowbelt area...I have to say though that even here in WNY there are times when ppl seem to get into a panic when there is a blizzard on its way etc which to me is just funny I mean bad winter weather isnt something new here ya know but its like ppl experience spring through fall and forget during that time what winter is like...Its crazy
1 person likes this
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
My whole life, while living in Northern NY, we never forgot about the horrible winters we were always in for as we too were in the snow belt. Here it's just funny; everyone runs around to get food and whatever else and it turns out to be a whole lot of nothing!
@syndibee (799)
• United States
7 Jan 10
keep in mind that the south was also built without snow and ice in mind. Little ice is needed to down power lines, there is zero salt to be found for roadways, schools have no salt for their sidewalks to keep the children safe, cars do not have all weather tread on their tires, etc.
Plus add to that all us northerners who "THINK" they can drive in all icy conditions just because they are from "up north". It is unbelievable. Many storms which we northerners call small actually do make it impossible for some to get out, causes power outages in homes that are not equipped to hold up to the bitterness. People actually die because they can't be reached, and they can't reach out.
I have no problem with schools being closed "just in case" because all those childrens safety is much more important to me than them getting a less than mediocre education. The south isn't prepared for quick action within a storm so let them prepare ahead of time and be grateful that so many actually do plan to stay home and wait out a storm which might not even come. Imagine how many more fatalities there would be when that storm really does hit and they didn't pre-prepare.
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
Thanks...this discussion was actually started with humor in mind.
@trickiwoo (2702)
• United States
7 Jan 10
Unfortunately it doesn't snow often enough in the south for them to be prepared for snow!! I have been living in the south for almost 17 years now and I can probably count the number of times it has snowed on one hand. Also, we get ice a lot more than we get snow!
1 person likes this
@rebelann (111411)
• El Paso, Texas
8 Apr 20
It's a little like that here but we rarely get either ice or snow and no one who was raised here has a clue how to drive in it or on ice.
@Ambitiouslyleiah (591)
• United States
7 Jan 10
hi neighbor! I live in Alabama and I understand what you are saying. People get scared and go crazy. Maybe its because we don't have snow plows and everything we need to deal with the snow on roads. There for if its a big chance of snow I guess Its good that we don't have schools open but for people to freak out and think they are going to get snowed in or something... WE ARE STILL IN ALABAMA FOLKS! hehe. I think its crazy for everyone to go so crazy!! I have never seen but a dusting of snow on the ground here, we will live!
1 person likes this
@CristiansNana (101)
• United States
7 Jan 10
This is all we got...not even a dusting! It snowed rather hard for about a half an hour then nothing. Everyone freaking out for no reason and my goodness...everyone should know you can not trust what your local weatherman/woman are saying!
