In many parts of the world people have to deal with deep snow on a regular basis. But in other places everything grinds to a halt the minute there's a few flakes on the ground.
So if you live in a place where winters get bad how do you feel when you hear about people not going to work when there's a light dusting on their driveways?
How do you feel about people who won't go out when there's a little snow?
California is a state that features almost all climates. In the Bay Area near sea level where I live, it's a very Mediterranean climate (with plenty of wine grapes and olive trees nearby), and we get about a half-inch of snow once a decade or so, and it rarely stays on the ground more than a couple of hours.
But you drive 3 hours to the East and you are at the summit of the Sierra Nevada mountain range, and there is snow on the ground 5-6 months a year. During winter months it's not unusual to have 10 feet of snow on the ground. It's a major snow skiing destination.
I also spent a year working in Cleveland Ohio, right off Lake Erie, and they get months of snow and freezing weather. I remember a day when the HIGH temperature was -17F, which is right around -17C. We literally couldn't work because it was so cold that you couldn't bend the cables without snapping them.
But it's true that if you get snow in an area that isn't prepared for it, it takes very little to cause complete disruption. Cleveland expects a lot of snow every year and they are prepared and equipped to deal with it, so most days are manageable.
This is a place near Truckee that one of my customers owns and where I've put in (and maintain and upgrade) all of the audio/video and tech infrastructure. This is what it looks like in winter. Note the height of that snow compared to those lifted, full-sized 4x4 pickups, and that's what 12 feet of snow looks like.
The floor of that gazebo is about 3 feet above the ground around it, so you're looking at maybe 8-9 feet of snow.
It depends how prepared they are. I've visited Switzerland and Austria on many occasions. A good night's snow fall of 60 cm (2 feet) is dealt with within half an hour. They clear the streets and the sidewalks with special machinery. Evert¡yone goes to school or work and it's business as usual.
In other places, for lack of adequate equipment, everything grinds to a halt. That being said, we used to take out the rear wheel driven car to go for a spin and slide our way through town where it was 'safe' to do so.
I had to chuckle, had a cousin that moved down south from Michigan and he called one day saying the whole town where he lived had shut down due to an inch of snow. There was no snow removal equipment of any kind and nobody knew how to drive on the slippery roads, accidents everywhere and everything closed up. All though many people in Michigan forget how to drive on icy roads the first ice storm of the year, then they're mostly okay after that, there's always the exceptions. Word of advice to our warm climate friends with 4 wheel/all wheel drives- the extra traction gets you going faster but doesn't help you stop.
Very occasionally in West Cumbria we'll have very heavy snow around once every 10 years or so, over the last Weekend we had about 3" which only sat for about 12 hours, the two previous heavy show falls were over 6" and persisted for a couple of weeks, and I still made it into work, BUT I would not blame oldsters for not leaving their homes with even just a light dusting of snow. Though I've lived in the US where Rural Areas carry on with their lives no matter what amount of snow falls, but in the cities they panic when a couple of flakes fall and schools and businesses shut down with 'Snow Days'.
I find it amazing that schools close before the first snow flake falls. The state declares an emergency that all nonessential (?) employees have the day off. In my school days. School buses had to put on tire chains just to pick up the kids! Farmers would haul their milk through the fields to the nearest road that was open. So it could get to the dairy. Snow fence was a common sight. Being snowed in for a few days was an every year occurrence. Though I never seen six feet plus deep of lake effect snow. The world would stop turning for most people! Heaven forbid if the electric should go out!
@purplepoppy The problem with people in light dusting of snow areas and driving is the hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of drivers that still drive like the roads don't have snow on them.
No proper distancing, speed is still way too high, and not stopping slowly enough
I've lived in both areas, snow people need one snow to remember their snow driving skills. The other places never learn and it scares all of us that know better.
So I feel safer at home with a few flakes on the ground when the other fools just think it is another day to drive like normal.
"Everything grinding to a halt" Yep, That's the world I know. "Snow in winter? So all snow ploughs are getting maintenance right now. We didn't expect snow in winter !"
But I would definitely go to a pub or buy beer like the person in the image, even if I have to use a husky sled to get there. Winter preparation here are just a joke.
I love it because that just means less crazy on the road.
I'm surprised more pub drinkers don't give you a call asking if you're going to the pub today and if you are swing by their house they need to get out of there front door you could have free beer all night
I can see it in the Southern U. S., which usually has little snow, but folk who totally avoid a little snow where I live, where snow in an inescapable winter weather fact, are WIMPS unless they have a condition which could be aggravated by snow and cold.
Living in North Dakota, I'd have to stay inside for months. I may not spend as much time outdoors in the winter as in the summer, but it doesn't stop me from going out.
Some places are just better prepared than others.. You can't really fault a place that hardly even gets cold to halt everything if some sprinkles fall on the ground..
Where I live a decent rain will flood the streets. If it snowed any amount here it would be catastrophic.
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Anonymous
(18-24)
1 y
I love the snow, it always makes me happy. Unless it's icy, I don't mind leaving the house. If circumstances are dangerous, however, I wouldn't recommend it.
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