Change in the Weather

 OMG... The world is going to end. Armageddon is in sight. The weather prediction for this coming weekend is snow (and ice). Say it’s not so!

The TV program I was watching was interrupted by that loud horn indicating an emergency situation. Rather than an announcement of impending war, the banner said (in bold type and all caps) : “Inclement weather is expected in your local area.” My program resumed, albeit with the crawler in red continuing to run across the bottom of the screen. “The National Weather Service is predicting a 20% chance of snow this weekend. Local residents are advised to prepare.”

Ten minutes later, the crawler continued, with the customary advisories to fuel your car, supply your pantry, have plenty of batteries on hand, take care of the animals, etc.  Temperatures are expected to dip into the high 20’s.

Needless to say the grocery stores were packed and very soon the shelves were empty. There were lines at the checkout with buggys filled with popcorn, chips, Little Debbies, bread, milk, eggs, bacon, and a good supply of wine and beer. I understand the chips and other snacks (and wine). I can only assume the milk, bread, and eggs is for French Toast? (Fun fact: the most popular food bought in preparation for foul weather- PopTarts. Who knew!)

The suggestion to get the car fueled, is followed by the warning: “With the chance of 2 inches of snow, Citizens should avoid driving.”  Now this part is true, folks down here have no business driving in snow. Only the large trucks with serious tires should be out there. Contrary to popular thought,  most SUVs do not fall in this category. Even though the advertisements show the car being safely driven on snowy roads, anyone paying close attention would have read in the very small print at the end of the commercial - "The previous exercise was on a closed track by professional drivers. Driving in frozen or inclement weather should not be done by amateur drivers.”

Weather radios are brought out, as well as Jigsaw puzzles and the Monopoly game.  Whatever “cold weather” clothes one may have are pulled out of the attic. For those lucky enough to still have it, the sled that was bought 7 years ago after the “The Once in a Century Snow Storm”, is still in the garage.

Now that everyone is prepared there is nothing left to do but wait for a change in the weather. Down here one of three things may happen. The temperatures will stay in the mid 30s making for a cold soggy mess. We will get a smattering of snow - just enough to barely cover the ground that will be gone by lunch. Or there will be an ungodly snow and ice storm that will block the roads, cause limbs to bring power lines down, and traumatize the area for a week or so. I'm not sure which scenario to wish for.

Time will tell. So much for snow in the south.