The Texas Ice Panic

[South Texan]

South central Texas has been hit with an unusual winter storm. This means streets are icing over and sleet is falling. The ice is expected to last until tomorrow afternoon. Naturally for us, this means all schools and highways close, businesses open later, and the local television stations preempt all programming for continual “news” coverage/hype of the weather.

It also means panic at the supermarket. Last night I made my usual bi-weekly trip to the store to buy milk, eggs and dinner makings for two days as I am the type who does not buy in large quantities for an entire week. You would have thought we were in for a month of being snowed in. All bread was sold out. Milk was almost gone. Canned goods were being shoved off shelves into shopping baskets. Velveeta was sold out (one must have queso dip). Hot chocolate mix was almost gone and chocolate bars were depleted. Beer was going fast as were popcorn, tortilla chips, toilet paper, boxes of Duraflame logs, ice cream and bottled water. Candles also were selling in large quantities. Some people had an odd, desperate look on their face as they pushed their carts through the aisles.

It took me almost ninety minutes to get the few items I needed. The cashier told me it had been like that all day.

I love watching this stuff.

[blas]

Sounds like typical winter in WI blues. Despite global warming, we still have the potential to have some killer snow storms and icy roads......but it never fails. People act as if it's never happened before and all grocery stores appear looted. Carts full of jug upon jug of milk and loaf upon loaf of bread and case upon case of beer can be seen......as the cart is violently being pushed around the store by a hyperventilating customer freaking out that everything is going to be sold out and they need it NOW NOW NOW because they're going to be snowed in until May.

Then of course, after you leave the store, you will find many an idiot with flaring arms and an open wide screaming mouth ripping and tearing down the ice glazed highway, fleeing home before they crash and die.......only with their momentum and the laws of physics and adding a bit of ice to it......not a pretty picture.

I called in to work Sunday night. I live 15 miles or so away from work, but the highway was glare ice, no snow for traction. I spun out and did a complete 180 at a left turn (and I was being slow and careful) and I nearly peed my pants. I took the next right and went straight back home. I wasn't going to leave until those roads were safe again.

[kerrisan]

I understand what you mean. Us Texans have no idea what "winter" really is. I had a good chuckle when the weather hit 50* F one day and people were walking around in huge thick fleece coats, gloves and scarves.

On a side note, I am a bit depressed that I am confined to my apartment today. Classes were canceled, so I was gonna go hang out with one of my friends today and watch movies, but I took two steps outside, slipped on the ice and fell on my right side, and decided that driving in this yuckiness was a dangerously bad idea. I'm glad both roomie and I have plenty of food and supplies, and I just bought a 12-pack of water about 3 days ago. We are also within walking distance of gas stations and grocery stores just in case.

[4Gifts4Lisa]

That happens here in California, too. Big rainstorm? The news is all over it, complete with live doppler every 5 minutes. Below 50*? That's coat, scarf, hat and mitten weather! An ice storm or some snow flurries...you better hope you already have some Top Ramen in the cupboard, b/c the stores will be a madhouse...

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

We just had about 5 inches of snow fall by us. Not really a huge deal, but I heard during the day Sunday, before the snow started, people were buying TP, milk and bottled water like nuts.

On a kinda related note, we've been getting in lots of pet food lately; more than we really have room for. I thought we could've done like Apu on The Simpsons did, and take all the bags of Dog and Cat Chow, cross out the word "Dog" or "cat", and write "blizzard" on the bags, and watch everybody pick up bags of Blizzard Chow to tide them over until the storm ended and the roads got plowed.

We don't get much ice or sleet, but I would think that would be more dangerous than snow, because it can bring down trees and power lines.

[Primer]

It also means panic at the supermarket. You would have thought we were in for a month of being snowed in. All bread was sold out. Milk was almost gone. Canned goods were being shoved off shelves into shopping baskets. Velveeta was sold out (one must have queso dip). Hot chocolate mix was almost gone and chocolate bars were depleted. Beer was going fast as were popcorn, tortilla chips, toilet paper, boxes of Duraflame logs, ice cream and bottled water. Candles also were selling in large quantities. Some people had an odd, desperate look on their face as they pushed their carts through the aisles.

This is why I absolutely refused to let the hubby stop at the store on Sunday while we were out and about doing some other things. We have plenty of food at the house, and what we don't have, we don't need.

I also e-mailed and phoned as many of my students as I could letting them know that regardless of what the school says, MY classes for tomorrow are cancelled.

I live 45 miles away from work, out in the boonies. I'm not about to compete with the amateurs out on the roads. I have get in to town to put the hubby on a plane on Thursday, but otherwise we are staying put!

[BookstoreEscapee]

It's the same way here in Jersey (New, not Isle of) and snow/ice are fairly common occurrences around here (well, not this year, though it is at the moment only 1 degree above freezing). The newspeople (I get the New York Stations) act like they've never seen winter before... every year!!

It amazes me how many people will hang out in a bookstore and shop when it really does snow enough to get dangerous. It's gotta be pretty bad for them to close early and people will still say "Why are you closing?" and take their sweet time getting the hell out. We're closing because we'd like to make it home alive, thank you. Feel free to buy your book and sit in the parking lot with your double venti cinnamochapumpkinchai latte.

One night there was about an inch of fresh snow on the road when we left after closing. I made the left turn onto Main Street in town at about 5 miles an hour and I still did a 90 degree slide into the other lane. Ended up facing back the way I had just come Luckily the car coming in the other lane was far enough back and going slow enough to stop.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

One night there was about an inch of fresh snow on the road when we left after closing. I made the left turn onto Main Street in town at about 5 miles an hour and I still did a 90 degree slide into the other lane. Ended up facing back the way I had just come Luckily the car coming in the other lane was far enough back and going slow enough to stop.

I did the same thing last winter--with my girlfriend in the car.

Not a great way to make a good impression.

[ArenaBoy]

Living in the hand state people are like that too when it comes to winter. Bonus points if people are bad drivers and the road happens to be next to a lake.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I used to date a guy who moved here from northern Michigan...he just couldn't understand what all the fuss was about...

[Gurndigarn]

I'm having trouble understanding it, myself. I'm hearing about massive snowstorms everywhere, and we finally got our first snow that stuck around for more than two hours today.

All 4mm of it. Where the drifts have piled up.

[ahanix1989]

I live in Wisconsin.
I drive a 7,000 pound van, rear-wheel drive, no antilock brakes.

""I spun out and did a complete 180 at a left turn (and I was being slow and careful) and I nearly peed my pants.""
I did the exact same thing. Nothing like a 17 foot van going sideways down Main Street. Also sucked that I had just paid ~$60 for an alignment job, and promptly slammed into a curb on my first turn.



Stores here are strangely empty before storms. 40°F out == hoodies. Maybe a jacket if it's windy.

[Rine]

Today it started off warm and nice and by the afternoon it was frickin' cold.

I learned about the temp. change because we were selling an abnormal amount of winterwear and it had been a very warm Jan. I love it when it gets cold because everyone in Florida freaks out and goes to the store to by gloves and hats. They act like the world is ending. Then you get the tourists that are all, "I thought it was Florida, the sunshine state? Why is it cold? Where is the sun?"

The cold weather never lasts long, but at least we get rid of some of our stock.

[Drakstern]

I love that in Ohio people act like turkeys on the first day of winter.

They say "Wait, it snows in this state? WHAT? I WAS NEVER TOLD THAT!" and then proceed to drive like idiots.

Not like it doesn't happen every year or anything...

[Der Cute]

Heh.

I'm here in Seattle, and going nuts due to the idiots around here.

It's snowed, about 3- 6 inches and everyone driving around here is really really really realllllyyyyyyyyy stupid about it.

For pete's bloody sakes, just sit down, buckle up, and drive!
Took me about 15 minutes to get 6 miles today, and that was LUCK. I saw many cars in ditches & flashing their warning lights.

I laugh, and keep driving my FWD car on SUMMER tires.

Cutenoob