Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

(posted by Heather, aka "Snow Scrooge" Hazelwood)
It is true. This morning we experienced our first North Carolinian snow. In fact, Greensboro experienced their first snow in over a year. Total accumulation thus far has to be less than 1/2 inch and the snow has subsided to very wet (almost freezing) rain but by the way people are talking and acting, you'd think we're in the midst of Blizzard 2007.

It's also true that because people here aren't accustomed to dealing with snow, they:
(1) get excited at the mere mention of snow and spend hours planning how they will handle the looming emergency
(2) overreact, run to the grocery, and buy bread, milk, and eggs - and the local news has "Loaf Alerts" about where these items are still available
(3) cancel things (businesses and schools CLOSE at the threat of snow) and/or call in sick to work
(4) have accidents when they do drive because they are not only inexperienced at winter driving, they don't have tires that handle snow & ice very well at all, and there is virtually NO organized system for sanding/salting the roads, much less plowing
(5) have no real sense of how/when snow happens - if it drops below 40 degrees, many think "snow is on the way!!!" - even if the temperature is too warm or too cold for snow...

All of this started out as very amusing to me and my cynical view of when it might actually snow earned me the title "Snow Scrooge" in my office. But now that snow has actually happened - it's become the bane of my day.

If I had a quarter for every person I've handled today inquiring to me about whether or not the University will close due to the adverse weather conditions and whether or not the media is taking this "snow situation" seriously enough, I wouldn't need this job...

With love and the threat of possible flurries or freezing rain,
The Snow Scrooge

PS: Ernie experienced snow for the first time ever today and it was pretty funny. He sniffed and licked at the back steps and then raced around the yard NASCAR style. Excellent.