NOW PLAYING: Wacky Weather Week

21 January, 2000
It's been an interesting week, to say the least. We had snow which actually accumulated on two days, and according to the WeatherPeople, we've got more on the way for the weekend.

Yet, about three weeks ago, the temperatures were hovering near 70°F. Go figure. Add in a spectacular lunar full eclipse, and there's some interesting phenomena going on in this part o' the world right now.

Another interesting phenomenon is what happens in this area when there's snow (or even the threat of snow):

• The grocery stores are packed, with the bread, milk & eggs flying off the shelves.
   
• All the schools close (or delay opening), and so do many businesses
   
• People drive like they're on crack

Having grown up in the arctic wilds of Minnesota, I of course find this behavior rather amusing. Up there, even if three feet of snow fell, you could pretty much count on going to school (or work). The plows would have cleared the main roads right away, and all you had to worry about was getting to them from your house.

Rush the stores for staples? No way -- you knew that at any time a blizzard could blow in and/or the power would go out for a day or three. So you always had a decent supply of stuff on hand. Besides, down here how long do these people think it'll take before the snow melts? Here these people are, buying several gallons of milk, three loaves of bread and two dozen eggs -- and in a day or so there won't even be a hint of the snow left even in the shade! It's not like we're going to get eight inches of snow and it'll stay at 10°F for weeks. Sheesh!

Drive like a maniac on snow and ice? The climate there had a way of winnowing out those folks pretty quickly. You simply didn't last long on the roads if you didn't drive carefully. Take a curve too fast, you end up in a ditch. Your car is wrecked and you're recovering in the hospital (if you're lucky).

The TeeVee Nuze has shown plenty of video these past few days, with people playing Highway Hockey and sliding off into ditches. Not me, pal -- I stayed home. When I had my 1976 Land Cruiser (the "Green Pig"), I didn't mind playing a little Highway Hockey if it came to that -- the only thing that posed much of a danger to me was a semi-truck. With my little white Miata, I'm much more the puck than the goalie, and even if I know how to drive in the frozen stuff, I can't trust the moron behind me (or along side me, or in front of me).

Nope -- now when there's winter weather, for me there's "snow place like home."

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