Posted on 01/09/2025 12:30:49 PM PST by DallasBiff
The South has experienced some pretty abnormal weather in the past few weeks, including snow, ice, and other winter weather that we're just not used to. Some people may say we're overreacting for cancelling school and closing roads because of a few inches of snow, but we really aren't crazy. Here's seven reasons why you shouldn't judge Southerners for freaking out about snow.
1. We literally never get snow in the South
(Excerpt) Read more at theodysseyonline.com ...
It was about 1961 when I first saw snow in Houston, to a Houston kid it was magical, in 1972 I was stationed in Washington state and was surprised to learn in a phone call that it snowed again in Houston, I was sorry I was missing it.
Our banana tree in Houston had produced bananas but I think one of those cold times killed it, I forget what year.
Exactly. Proves a point I’ve made many times. Northerners don’t drive in the snow. They’re set up to clear the roads immediately. They drive in freshly plowed and salted roads.
When they move to the south and it snows, they always be crashing, because there’s actual snow on the road.
And don't do anything suddenly, like try to turn.
From a former Buffalonian.
You are correct, it was 1960, not my 1961 guess. Houston got 4.4 inches of snow, it is a wonder that any of us survived such a fantastic event.
ABC13’s Vault: Houston’s huge snow storm of February 1960
https://abc13.com/when-it-snowed-in-houston-historic-snowstorm-snow-film/1197144/
Yes, no sliding 6 lanes over because you missed your turn. I always put myself in the lane I need as early as I can.
I remember the winter of 73 in Houston!
I learned to drive in the Appalachians of North Carolina.
When I moved to Columbia, SC, I was in the office one day and one of the owners came running in and shouted to his wife that it was snowing and to grab her stuff and get in the car. They took off in about one minute.
I looked out and there were some flakes coming down.
I worked several hours and decided to head home. It wasn’t bad: maybe a couple inches of snow. But on the way home there were wrecks all over the place and watching the other cars it was obvious many people had no idea how to drive in this situation.
I stopped at a red light. There was a car beside me, with another car in front of him, both waiting for the light to turn green. The guy beside me had his tires spinning like mad, but he wasn’t moving. Two women crossed the road between his car and the one in front. If his tires had caught a little traction they could have been crushed.
From that point on, I always waited until everyone had had their wrecks before driving home.
A couple inches of snow in the winter is what we call “Tuesday” in the north.
The Storm of the Century of March 1993 was definitely one for the books. I was 18 when it hit. In north central North Carolina we got 13 inches of the white stuff. We hadn’t seen a snowflake in three years. Then Dad and I got out of his truck after running an errand and we saw a very few flakes falling. That’s how it started for us.
Used it to shovel oak leaves into bags in fall/winter.
Wore it out years later and got a grain shovel. Noticed other neighbors now using grain shovels to bag leaves.
I lived in Spokane and Germany for 4 years each, have plenty of experience in driving in wintry conditions. It’s the other yayhoos that make it miserable.
So we’ll have 2-4 inches of snow over the next few days, and DFW will be shut down…I’m fine with that.
and don’t get me going on Indian drivers.
You and me both....And they almost all exclusively drive Teslas, and go about 10 MPH when driving around the neighborhood.
One thing you can do, if you know that a snow storm is on its way is to cover your sidewalks and driveway with tarps, so they stay ice and snow free.
It will also speed up the melting prulocess by creating a heat sink.
LOL, and watch out for the “All Indian” Driving School!
“Us Gen X’ers and older haven’t forgotten it and think about 1993 every time there’s a forecast of snow flurries. LOL”
I haven’t forgotten. I’m a Minnesotan and was in Atlanta for the ‘93 Superstorm. They got about 6-10 inches of snow.
It was waaay beyond crazy. Nothing was open except a Shoney’s near us - until they lost power. There was an Albertson’s nearby and we picked up a few groceries before they closed.
In an effort to be nice, I gave driving suggestions to several Georgians. I told ‘em where I was from and how to make it from Point A to Point B w/o an accident.
Underground Atlanta was partially open after two days and MARTA was running. We went down there and ate and drank because it beat sitting in the hotel room listening to school, church and business closings.
On Day 3, the airport re-opened and we got out. The roads really looked like something out of a Mad Max movie.
I will never ever forgot that experience.
If you can get in trouble with a 2 wheel drive, you can really screw up with a 4WD. Normally it helps. But I saw a guy in a 4WD during a snowstorm royally screw the pooch. He went from the left lane, fishtailed across the grass median, into opposing traffic, barely missing a semi and into the ditch on the far side. I was going 40-ish and he blew past me at 65 just before he lost it.
CC
My first duty station was Ft. Riley, KS where, due to it being an active army base, I got to see the driving habits of folks from all over the country, readily identified by their license plates.
My general observation was that if you saw a vehicle in a ditch or a snowbank, it was actually more likely to have a northern plate, whereas cars with southern plates tended to be driven across post at 5 mph or less. My conclusion was that a lot of yankees (myself included) tended to be overconfident with the, "I grew up in this," attitude, and perhaps even felt the need to display their prowess, while southerners tended to white knuckle the steering wheel and felt they could not be too cautious.
Yeah, but you are driving with other Albertans. I live in New Orleans. Imagine what that’s like when we get a little frozen precip. Not to mention the preponderance of uninsured or under-insured motorists.
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