Crazy Weather in North Carolina
By Ali Canary
@AliCanary (3041)
February 15, 2016 12:21pm CST
Well, it's winter, but it's winter in North Carolina, so that means craziness. A few weeks ago we got almost a foot of snow, but then it was close to 70 degrees a few days, and last night it snowed again. We've even had a thunderstorm, in the middle of winter, a couple of weeks ago!
What's even stranger than the weather is the way some people react to it. No one in this NASCAR-happy state seems to know how to drive properly in any kind of precipitation. There are so many fender-benders, even on days that are simply rainy, because many people follow way too close and drive too fast to stop on wet pavement. The problem is exacerbated by people who have no concept of using their turn signals to let people know that they are going to slow down or change lanes. And that's just in the RAIN--forget about snow and ice!
It always amuses me how people rush to the store to buy up all the bread and milk if so much as a FLURRY is in the forecast, like we're going to be snowbound for weeks. First of all, I'm not sure why bread and milk are going to help with that, and secondly, did you hear me say we got almost a FOOT of snow? Well, that was on Sunday. By Monday evening, the main roads were completely clear, and by Tuesday afternoon, the small roads were clear, as well. "Snowbound" is not a word one associates with this state...it just doesn't stay cold for long, which is why I moved here in the first place.
I was born in Maryland, and I grew up in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. WE KNEW ABOUT SNOW.
What we DO get down here in the sometimes-sunny South is hurricanes. The same people who lose their minds and buy out the grocery stores at the thought of a snowflake or two don't bat an eye at the thought of a category 5 hurricane bearing down on them, frequently refusing to evacuate their homes (and sometimes dying). I guess you just don't get scared of what you know...or think you know.
15 people like this
16 responses
I'm not sure what holiday you're talking about.@AliCanary (3041)
•
16 Feb 16
@JudyEv - We're Americans. We understand the holiday part and the buying part, but not the panic part!
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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15 Feb 16
Yes, it still surprises me all the time when people are afraid of animals, but I guess if you don't grow up with them, you might not understand them .
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205316)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Feb 16
@AliCanary I'm always surprised when people are afraid of horses. I forget that they are kind of big.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
17 Feb 16
i would worry about snow but i`d go out of my mind over hurricanes and tornadoes
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (45002)
• Preston, England
19 Feb 16
@AliCanary we get very occasional slight earthquakes - not experienced mudslides though
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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17 Feb 16
Fortunately tornadoes are very rare, here, but we do get them occasionally. They are the scariest ones to me because they are so unpredictable. You can see hurricanes coming for days and take appropriate measures. How do you feel about earthquakes and mudslides? We get those quite frequently in the US on the west coast, as well as wildfires. I'll bet all that makes you glad to just have rain and fog, lol
1 person likes this
@simone10 (54189)
• Louisville, Kentucky
18 Feb 16
@AliCanary Flooding can be really scary. Hopefully you are on higher ground where it wouldn't affect you.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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17 Feb 16
Well, unlike tornadoes, you get a lot of warning with hurricanes, since they can be easily tracked on radar. So you usually have several days to make plans for evacuation or at least for securing your home. We are far enough inland that we don't have to worry about the fatal winds--it's usually just a huge rainstorm by the time it reaches us. Sometimes that's bad enough--we can lose power, and people have been killed by flooding or by trees falling on them. It's always good to be as safe as possible!
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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20 Feb 16
@simone10 - Yes, even though we actually live by a lake, we are on fairly high ground.
1 person likes this
@KristenH (33351)
• Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
17 Feb 16
@AliCanary Lucky you. I have to wait a couple more days. It was 30 degrees last night though.
@AliCanary (3041)
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17 Feb 16
I'll take the rain and warmer weather--we got that today!
1 person likes this
@Missmwngi (12927)
• Nairobi, Kenya
15 Feb 16
Despite all i hope you stay safe
I wonder how those who drink and drive are doing there? It must be even harder for them
2 people like this
@AliCanary (3041)
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15 Feb 16
Good lord, I hope people don't drink and drive. Fortunately the weather will get better throughout the week.
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
15 Feb 16
I used to think it was only Michigan that had the crazy weather changes, but I'm starting to learn more from those out of state! We always joke Michigan Weather - it's below freezing today, high of 57 Friday, was almost "spring" a few weeks ago. You really never know how it will be here and we have the great lakes that change weather all the time. It's fun if you ask me ;) Never boring weather in MI :-D
@vivasuzi (4127)
• United States
17 Feb 16
@AliCanary I've seen that here too! I remember one day where it was raining at my neighbors house and sunny at my house, it was sooo weird. This was in the days before we all had digital cameras so I couldn't take a quick pic
@AliCanary (3041)
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16 Feb 16
The weirdest thing that it does here is pour rain out of a sunny sky. I've seen it a dozen times!
1 person likes this
@kamel622 (310)
• United States
16 Feb 16
I moved from California to Wisconsin so traded earthquakes for snowstorms and tornadoes.
It is funny how people react to snow and how they forget that slowing down and using turn signals are really important to do. I don't love driving in it, but like your state when we get a lot of snow it is only a matter of a day or two before the roads are fine.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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17 Feb 16
Yes, and the driving rules for snow are so simple--drive slower, take turns wider and more slowly, allow more distance for stopping--basically just pretend you're driving a semi, lol
@Shellyann36 (11385)
• United States
21 Feb 16
Yep here in NC if you don't like the weather just hang out for five more minutes and it will change. It was beautiful outside here today as well. Nice and sunny in the low 60's. We live more in central NC though.
1 person likes this
@MandaLee (3756)
• United States
16 Feb 16
@AliCanary
I am in MD. We've gotten a lot of snow so far this winter.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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16 Feb 16
Oh, yes--I have cousins who live in western Maryland (Garrett County). That week we got almost a foot of snow, they got well over three feet!
@kkaria309 (297)
• United States
16 Feb 16
I know just what you mean. I live in New Jersey. The temperature goes from 'summery' to 'frozen winterland' all during the course of the same week. And this happens almost every week. Beginning of the week seems okay, not so cold, but the end of the week is extremely cold. And then repeat.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205316)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Feb 16
I think of NC as on the cusp between states that get snow and those that don't. I'm not surprised that it tends to melt pretty quickly when it comes. The worst drivers I ever encountered were in Indiana. But here in California, many people are entitled and impatient. Like your drivers, the tailgate and have no clue how to drive in the rain.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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16 Feb 16
I have a friend who moved here from southern California, and she said that rainstorms there get the same level of hysterical coverage that snowstorms do here.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (205316)
• Walnut Creek, California
16 Feb 16
@AliCanary I kind of chuckle when I see the current media trying to turn a snowstorm into some catastrophic event.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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17 Feb 16
Yep, we got less than two inches of snow, which was gone the next night, and there were over 100 accidents, the last time I checked. *sigh*
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
15 Feb 16
People all over don't know how to drive in any kind of weather.
1 person likes this
@whiteream (8567)
• United States
15 Feb 16
@AliCanary That true. It's snowing here and people are flying down the roads.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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15 Feb 16
LOL, I guess that's true! People in West Virginia are good drivers, though. I think when you might die from rolling down a very steep hill, if you run off the road, you learn to be more careful.
1 person likes this
@AnneEJ (4917)
• Dollard-Des-Ormeaux, Quebec
15 Feb 16
You are right about people not knowing how to drive in the snow. There have been a lot of accidents around here the last few days, mainly because of black ice, and people do not slow down. But, I think I would rather have the snow than the hurricanes.
1 person likes this
@AliCanary (3041)
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15 Feb 16
Driving in the snow is one thing, but black ice is a deal-breaker. I wouldn't even go out at all!
