Snoverreaction: does this happen where you live?

[Guest]

Bananas is a grab and go thing. Same with bread---pb&j.

 

Quill, do you have a gas stove or never lose power? In a previous house in the midwest, we routinely lost power for 4-5 days. Ice would bring down trees which would bring down power lines. One would have to have a private electrician come out if the line to the house was damaged and it was always a wait. Because of the number of lines that went down, even if the damaged line was a public one, it could still take a few days. The electric companies often brought in crews from out of state to help get everyone back online. The danger is not snow--that's easily plowed--it's the ice.

I don't have a gas stove (but we have a grill and a camp stove with propane) and we do lose power from time to time. Ice is definitely a force to be reckoned with and we have lost power due to ice. We have also lost power due to summer storms/tropical storms/hurricanes. It's not the most convenient thing, but it hasn't ever been a serious crisis. There have been instances where we didn't get to eat what we would have liked to eat, and I do remember one time we all slept in the family room and fed a wood fire all night long because it was below freezing and we had no other heat. We do have a shop generator; i.e., we can run a few electric appliances if it is necessary, but we don't have a whole-house generator. We have run the fridge and microwave on generator before. Losing power is a hassel, but I haven't had it rise to the level of a crisis. :)

[Jane in NC]

This is the first time I ever noticed bananas as a snow-essential item. Maybe I just never tried to get them before a snow? Generally, I'm comfortable going to the store often because it's very close. However, snow means I'd either have to shovel or walk to get there, so I stock up a bit more so I can just be a shut-in for the entire weekend. Also, it means people are cooking at home instead of going out over the weekend, so that can change normal habits and crowd the stores. I never buy bread before a snowstorm because I like to make bread when I'm snowed in. It's one of the few times I'm home long enough to babysit sourdough while it does it's own thing on it's own time.

 

I live in hurricane country which is admittedly different than snow country but the threat of a tropical storm leads to runs on milk, toilet paper and beer--of course!!  My theory is that one can face anything with homemade chocolate chip cookies.  Start baking people!

[Guest]

Similar in VT. I feel like I see more people (usually men) in shorts during snowstorms than I do in the summer. Also, people like to prove how "well" their snow tires and 4 wheel drive work in snow and drive like idiots, causing events like this to happen that never would have happened if they drove normally.

 

http://www.timesargus.com/article/20160120/NEWS01/160129976/1001/NEWS

 

By the way to the PP's, we somehow have 2 extra snow shovels this winter that I do not remember purchasing. Your shovels may have migrated north. :-)

They wanted to go where they would see some action! No snow shovel wants to wait alone in the garage for five years.

[Tanaqui]

Chips and salsa, that's a good idea....

 

I forgot to get maple syrup when I was at the store, and then I called my sister and was like "I'm ordering some stuff at whole foods to be delivered to you, drop it off when you come home!" and I *still* forgot the maple syrup, so guess who's gonna be outside tomorrow at 7am like a chump? The cashiers laugh when this happens "Oh, you sure love our store!"

 

At least I won't be there at 5pm with all the other poor saps. Maybe I should go to the other grocery store that's a little further away. They're a lot smaller, though... but they should still have syrup and salsa, right?

 

Re: Shovels, last year somebody stole mine. It was a cheapie I bought at the supermarket. The whole rest of the winter I kept sneaking my neighbor's off her porch whenever I had to shovel... which was rarely, because I swept and salted religiously, let me tell you! (She'd lend it to me, no worries, but I feel stupid asking 20 times in one winter, you know?)

Edited January 21, 2016 by Tanaqui

[greenbeanmama]

It does happen here, sometimes.  I think it depends on how much news coverage it gets.  We had about two inches of snow overnight earlier this week, but it was gentle and slow, and nobody freaked out.  Coincidentally, my husband was comparing "winter" states with "nonwinter" states - how our city doesn't even bother plowing if it's only one or two inches of snow.  But south of here, an inch or two of snow will shut down schools and businesses because they don't have the equipment to plow it.

[Junie]

I had to make a special trip to the store to buy gf groceries.  The store was almost completely out of yogurt.  That was a new one for me.

 

 

 

 

[TechWife]

There probably isn't any now, anyway. ;)

 

Score! They had plenty! I can't believe I went out for that. The power of the hive mind - resistance is futile! 

 

 

The store was Saturday afternoon busy - I did see a lot of people buying what looked like a regular week of groceries. I also saw people like me - picking up comfort food! 

 

I did not, however, check on the previously mentioned snow staples of bread, milk, eggs. Nor did I check on the bananas. 

[Paige]

I don't know if it's over reaction in my area. I went to the store today and it was crowded but there was plenty of food and stuff. We picked up stuff because it's my regular shopping day and got extra because even if the roads were passable, we didn't want to go out in it until it is clear. We're in the middle of the predicted "blizzard" area and seeing how terribly the area deals with 1-2in of snow, I'm expecting it will be crazy if we get the predicted snow. It's better to just stay inside. 

 

Some people are worried that power will go out. I hope it doesn't, because we didn't prepare for a long power outage like we probably could have. My parents were out of power in a snowstorm for over a week and it was hard for them, so I'm feeling a little unprepared now.

 

Mostly, though, I've heard of people with kids planning on baking, making special meals, and getting stuff to have fun while they are stuck at home. They aren't scared so much as planning to make happy memories! I think it's nice. 

 

 

[73349]

I think the stores tend to only shelve enough food for about two days' shopping. Then the people whose regular shopping day it is come, plus those who know they will not be able to drive tomorrow, and a few who suspect they may not be able to get out the next day, and it looks like people panicked and looted the place.

[The Girls' Mom]

I contributed to the grocery rush today.  But, I had two extra kids over the past two snow days and had to restock before the weekend hit.  Plus, Blue Bell ice cream came back to my area and it was imperative that some was consumed immediately.

[TechWife]

According to the email I received from my son's uni - they are expecting 12-18" of accumulation. We were advised to get in "contact" with our student to remind them that food service hours are reduced this weekend due to the storm and to make sure they are prepared. Exactly how is a college student supposed to be prepared for a storm? I can just see 15K college students descending on the small town Wal Mart for snacks and beverages. I'm sure that will work out fine.  :lol:

 

On a lighter note, they also said they are selling sleds in one of the dining halls for $4 each. 

 

ETA: I'll bet they are selling the sleds to try to keep the kids from taking the trays out! 

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by TechWife

[Farrar]

Is the banana thing maybe because of the coming banana shortage? Maybe they've had less stock? Or maybe not.

 

I can tell you why we needed another shovel. Ours gets stolen periodically. I know I should be more vigilant about putting it inside, but you think, it's gross, there's nowhere for it, It'll be okay under the porch. But then, obviously, people jump gates and check every yard for the gear they want. Sigh.

 

This reaction really has been a little crazy. Nothing's open tomorrow, but the snow may not start until as late as 6 pm!

 

Also, I'm pretty annoyed that they shut down the bus and subway. Ds has a rehearsal and there's a very good chance we'll have to get to the one on Sunday no matter what. I was like, whatevs, we'll take the subway because no way am I digging out of the alley. But then they suspended the stupid bus and the subway. Why have underground transit if you're going to suspend it!?!? They didn't even do that during the really big storm five (six?) years ago. 

[Annie G]

We live in the midwest so we get a lot of snow but don't often get ice. In the past 20 years we have never lost power for more than a few hours and haven't ever been stuck at home more than 24 hours. So we don't stock up except to avoid having to go out when it's too yucky out.  But when people here stock up, they buy meat- lots of folks buy brats. Grilling brats is evidently something people do around here. 

 

When we lived in Atlanta any hint of bad weather meant the store shelves would be cleared of milk, bread, and toilet paper. 

[Gentlemommy]

I live just outside Atlanta. So yeah. We still get major overreaction here lol.

[Bambam]

Yes, it does in TX. They even cancel school for the next day if snow is forecasted for that day. Truly bizarre because often the snow does not materialize. If a few flurries ever appear, my FB feed will *explode* with everyone posting pictures. Everything in the town will be closed down so everyone can race home. Yes, the stores will be out of water, milk, bread, and eggs.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Not really.

Because it's upstate NY. We are grilling outside when it's snowing six inches.

 

Same here except for grilling.  I can't ever seem to get my grill to turn on when it's snowing and very cold. 

 

We don't usually lose power either. And if we do we are usually the first the power company tries to get back on-line because I live in a densely populated area.

[KungFuPanda]

Overreaction OR preparation for Cozy Family Time? You lay in enough supplies and you can party until Sunday without shoveling.

[SparklyUnicorn]

Overreaction OR preparation for Cozy Family Time? You lay in enough supplies and you can party until Sunday without shoveling.

 

I hate shoveling it, but I do like that I have an excuse not to leave the house for a few days! 

[TechWife]

We've got that here.  Wanna come over?

 

 

Oh, if I'd only seen this before I went to the store. Maybe next storm! 

[Pawz4me]

I do want to add that in the southeast "snow" is often a mix of freezing rain, sleet and snow. So, we may in fact start out with freezing rain (rain that freezes when it hits the pavement), then move on to sleet (frozen rain falling) and then snow as the temperature drops. Then, that cycle reverses itself during a warmer period and can repeat several times over the course of a day or two. At this time of year it is possible for temperatures to dip below freezing, warm up to the point where things start melting, then dip again at night so everything freezes again. This means that the top layer of any precipitation is ice more ice than anything else. 

 

I do realize that in other areas of the country that people drive in snowy weather. However, no one can drive on ice. Well, you might do okay driving, but stopping is going to be a real trick! Having a 4 wheel drive doesn't help (unless you've left the road and trying to get back on). When people move here from other areas of the country, they often get a big surprise because they assume the white stuff is all snow. They get pulled out of ditches a lot. 

 

We call our typical winter mixture sneet.  Or the winter parfait if there's substantial freezing rain layered in. ;)

 

My parents owned a business that received frequent deliveries from a company in Michigan that had their own truck drivers.  The drivers hated coming down here (the piedmont of NC) n the winter.  They said the demarcation line between real snow and our sneet/winter parfait was usually somewhere in West Virginia, and that the driving got significantly more treacherous past that point.

 

 

According to the email I received from my son's uni - they are expecting 12-18" of accumulation. We were advised to get in "contact" with our student to remind them that food service hours are reduced this weekend due to the storm and to make sure they are prepared. Exactly how is a college student supposed to be prepared for a storm? I can just see 15K college students descending on the small town Wal Mart for snacks and beverages. I'm sure that will work out fine.  :lol:

 

On a lighter note, they also said they are selling sleds in one of the dining halls for $4 each. 

 

ETA: I'll bet they are selling the sleds to try to keep the kids from taking the trays out! 

 

If your DS is where I think he is I doubt they'll have much of a problem with that amount of snow.  They're used to it.  I suspect the surrounding ski slope operators are jumping for joy. :)

Edited January 22, 2016 by Pawz4me

[ScoutTN]

ETA: I'll bet they are selling the sleds to try to keep the kids from taking the trays out!

LOL! When I was an undergrad, I worked for dining services and students ran all the dining halls on evenings and weekends. We ALWAYS left a huge stack of clean metal sheet pans on the loading dock whenever snow was predicted! This was actually written in the student managers' handbook.

;)

[TechWife]

 

If your DS is where I think he is I doubt they'll have much of a problem with that amount of snow.  They're used to it.  I suspect the surrounding ski slope operators are jumping for joy. :)

 

I think they'll be fine with it, too.  Once the snow stops and the plows run, I think it will be business as usual. It snowed a little bit there over last weekend, but it melted off. This is their first big snow of the year. We were told at orientation that once it snows good, it stays on the ground until spring. This has been a weird winter, so we'll see if that holds true. We were also told that  the first snow is often on Halloween. That didn't happen this year. 

 

I'm sure the people who operate the slopes are thrilled! The hotels and restaurants are going to be packed full over the next several days, too. 

 

[marbel]

Overreaction OR preparation for Cozy Family Time? You lay in enough supplies and you can party until Sunday without shoveling.

 

That's exactly right.

 

I was out today because we were out of a few of our typical items, so it was mostly just a regular grocery run. But we also needed chocolate chips, and potato chips and the makings for onion dip.  Yeah, family party time!   I did try to buy a case of water but ended up with 2 gallons jugs.   I try to keep extra water, but it's easy to let the stock get low and then, whoops, something happens to remind me and I'm joining the rush.

 

I think that's what happens to a lot of people.  They want to keep extra food on hand for an emergency - I consider a blizzard to be an emergency - but things happen and stocks don't get replenished.  Then, the forecast says "2 feet of snow" and everyone realizes they need to get with it.

 

I don't get the bread and milk thing but we don't drink a lot of milk, and bread is for toast or grilled cheese sandwiches... if we lose power we're not eating bread. 

[swimmermom3]

This thread makes me feel infinitely better about  "snoverreaction" in Oregon, particularly Portland. However, we are the people who will barrel down the highway at the prescribed nine miles over the speed limit through pelting rain, zero visibility, and enough standing water for a bit of hydroplane action and then, with a straight face, look at a whiner and say, "What rain?"  If three snowflakes fall and melt on the roadway, we stock up on craft beer and head home to park the car until the rain returns (but not freezing rain).

 

For all of you that are experiencing bad winter weather conditions, take care and stay safe.

[TechWife]

Is the banana thing maybe because of the coming banana shortage?

 

There's a coming banana shortage? Snow and a banana shortage? Oh dear. This could be a real problem.

[Junie]

I bought bananas at the store today because according to the Hive, it's the in thing this year to eat during a snowstorm.  :)

[Tanaqui]

There's a coming banana shortage? Snow and a banana shortage? Oh dear. This could be a real problem.

 

There's no snow shortage. However, Cavendish bananas are falling prey to the same fungus that made Gros Michel commercially nonviable 60 years ago. There are other varieties of bananas, of course - just like there are multiple varieties of apple! - but most of them either don't taste as good or don't travel as well. (Actually, Cavendish was considered not to taste so good back in the days of Gros Michel. I'm told that the flavor of banana candy is formulated to taste like Gros Michel, which explains why it tastes so little like the bananas we buy in the store today!)

 

Part of the problem here is that domesticated bananas are seedless. So think "Irish potato famine" except with less famine and also less potatoes (but more bananas, except not) and not taking place in Ireland. When each tree in a variety is a clone of all the others, they're exceptionally vulnerable to disease.

[Ottakee]

If you aren't from West Michigan than you just don't understand that a snow storm or blizzard REQUIRES the making of french toast............hence that is why the stores are all out of milk and bread and eggs.  Maybe you really need bananas to round out the meal.

 

For us it isn't so much the AMOUNT of snow we get, it is the visibility that does us in.  A foot of fresh lake effect with no wind, we just plow through.  3-4 inches of fluffy stuff with 40+ mph winds out in the open here and you can't see the hood of your car.

[skimomma]

I live in snow country so no one does anything different when big snow is predicted.  We got 36 inches last weekend.  I did my normal grocery shopping somewhere between inch 24 and 30.  The stores were normally stocked and had about the same amount of people as usual.  The schools did not even call a snow day.  We always have enough food in the house to theoretically be stranded for at least a week so no real need to stock up.  We never lose power.  The airport does close though...often for days upon days....which is why it took dh several days to get back from his last business trip.

 

We do have to buy new shovels every year.  We buy two a year and they are always broken by the end of the season.

 

ETA - We never get the big weather coverage because we are very low population and isolated.  Once in a while the Weather Channel will do a story about the crazy snow here but we don't get the pre-storm hype or 24/7 panic-inducing coverage.  That might be fueling the fire.  Like I said, we got 36 inches last weekend and this did not make the news anywhere.

Edited January 22, 2016 by skimomma

[foxbridgeacademy]

We're expected to get 5-9 inches tomorrow on top of the 2-4 we still have from earlier this week..... but no, people usually plan ahead around here, after all we're having an unusually mild Winter :glare: . I always thought it was funny how in Charlotte they'd get an inch of snow and go nuts, Dh will be driving to work tomorrow morning about the time it's forecasted to be at it's worst.

 

*We don't even own a snow shovel, we either drive on it or use the garden shovel to dig the tires out.

 

*I bought bananas, milk, and bread today but I always buy bananas, milk, and bread on Thursdays :D .

 

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by foxbridgeacademy

[Annie G]

I bought bananas at the store today because according to the Hive, it's the in thing this year to eat during a snowstorm.   :)

 

I was kind of laughing about that and then I opened my local grocery store ads to start working on my grocery list and the store has a full page devoted to foods you want to serve at your football playoff party this weekend. And bananas were front and center. Who serves bananas at a football party???  So I guess those of you who bought bananas for the snowstorm are all ready for kickoff. 

[Random]

Not really.

Because it's upstate NY. We are grilling outside when it's snowing six inches.

 

Ha!  Same here.  I live in the Western US.  We got 3 feet of snow last week, but it wasn't on the news. It was a blowing, freezing, blizzard-like, zero-visibility storm.  Tons of accidents on the roads, but they were mostly visitors from other areas who wanted to play in the snow. 

 

The only people 'stocking up' were the people who recently moved here.

 

I'm pretty sure the rest of us just went about our daily lives.

 

I love the word, Snoverraction.  Love it!

[momofkhm]

I forget is on has lark feet or inches?  We are expecting inches here.  I had to go to the store b/c the boy scout camp out was cancelled so I truly do not have enough food to get through the weekend.  Bread and milk were both needed items.   There was bread, the kind I wanted.  Milk, not the kid I wanted, but there was an organic whole milk so I was ok there.  Eggs though - I usually buy cage free eggs, then organic.  Both were out unless I wanted to spend almost $5 for a doz.  So I got plain factory eggs.  I figure one dozen isn't going to do any lasting harm.

 

Snow shovels will likely be gone.  Propane for camp stoves.  Sleds.  By tomorrow morning they will all be gone from the stores.  I'd say we get 1-3 snows per year.  So like someone else said, how many people really need a shovel and a sled every. single. time.   The propane I understand.

 

 

[Guest]

I live in snow country so no one does anything different when big snow is predicted. We got 36 inches last weekend. I did my normal grocery shopping somewhere between inch 24 and 30. The stores were normally stocked and had about the same amount of people as usual. The schools did not even call a snow day. We always have enough food in the house to theoretically be stranded for at least a week so no real need to stock up. We never lose power. The airport does close though...often for days upon days....which is why it took dh several days to get back from his last business trip.

 

We do have to buy new shovels every year. We buy two a year and they are always broken by the end of the season.

 

ETA - We never get the big weather coverage because we are very low population and isolated. Once in a while the Weather Channel will do a story about the crazy snow here but we don't get the pre-storm hype or 24/7 panic-inducing coverage. That might be fueling the fire. Like I said, we got 36 inches last weekend and this did not make the news anywhere.

That's impressive. I can't say I love big snowstorms, but I think it would be neat to be where it doesn't freak anyone out. I think the hype is what I like the least.

 

I do like to get a good snow from time to time. I would not want to live where it is always mild or hot. :) I could stand getting more snow than we get here in the Mid-Atlantic. But probably not anywhere that 36" of snow garners no attention. :)

[Carrie12345]

Just got back from the store.  While some shelves looked a little low, they had plenty of milk, bread, AND bananas! So I bought some.  :coolgleamA: (I didn't check eggs b/c we have plenty.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

Sandwiches, cereal with milk, and bananas are all easy things to eat without cooking. 

[creekland]

I do like to get a good snow from time to time. I would not want to live where it is always mild or hot. :) I could stand getting more snow than we get here in the Mid-Atlantic. But probably not anywhere that 36" of snow garners no attention. :)

 

The latter is why I moved south (from really upstate NY).  The former is why we moved north (from FL).  I like where we live, though I also like escaping in Feb 'cause I like a short winter...  This year we won't be able to leave until late in Feb - if then.  I'll admit to being a little bummed at that (compared to last year).

[KarenNC]

In Germany, power outages are a rarity. It is stunning with what frequency we experience power outages here in the US. So even if it snows and ices, people have power. Even the communists managed that in the time before the fall of the wall.

 

 

 

Out of curiosity, are the power lines in Germany primarily above ground or below ground? Our issue around here is that even though some areas like newer neighborhoods have the power lines below ground, the main transmission lines are above ground. When we get a quarter or more inch of ice built up on tree branches, the branches break and take down those main lines. Add that to power crews then having to drive on roads that may or may not have been salted or plowed due to lack of equipment, and it takes a while to get things going again.

[G5052]

Full, outright panic here.

 

I went to the grocery story at about 8:45am today after dropping off DD. All I needed was yogurt, and they had almost none. I got the last 6-pack of store brand blueberry. Not much else available. The milk and bread were almost gone. Then I got to the front, and they had ONE guy checking people out. There were ten people in line. There was one other employee that was handling self-check, Starbucks, and trying to help the other guy load carts all at once.

 

So I bought my yogurt and got out of there.

 

It cracks me up because I'm from the Rockies. They only cancelled school if it snowed 3 feet overnight. I don't ever remember my mother worried about a storm. We kept staples that we could eat, and even if the power went out, we could cook in the fireplace (which we did several times).

 

But this is supposed to be a biggie over a short period of time. Maybe the worst in 20 years. And yes, our power will likely go out. It always does with these types of snowstorms.

Edited January 22, 2016 by G5052

[Liz CA]

Out of curiosity, are the power lines in Germany primarily above ground or below ground? Our issue around here is that even though some areas like newer neighborhoods have the power lines below ground, the main transmission lines are above ground. When we get a quarter or more inch of ice built up on tree branches, the branches break and take down those main lines. Add that to power crews then having to drive on roads that may or may not have been salted or plowed due to lack of equipment, and it takes a while to get things going again.

 

When I lived there as a child at Grandma's house in the "deep south", they were in the process of transferring all lines underground which is probably why so few outages.

 

Edited January 22, 2016 by Liz CA

[Arcadia]

Bananas go well with hot fudge and ice-cream that is starting to melt.

 

No snow here but the supermarkets look raided all the same because of the rainy season. People just buy more when the rain stop so that they don't need to shop for groceries in the rain.

We were in Switzerland during winter to enjoy the snow. The supermarkets in the cities were well stocked.

 

There are more power outages here than I had growing up in Asia so we are used to having standby food that is ready to eat out of a can. I am near enough to the Superbowl stadium to have to worry about a power trip causing power outages in my area.

[Donna]

Yes, where do all the snow shovels go each year?!

 

I always wonder this. Do people think snow shovels are disposable and throw them away after every snow?

 

I had to stop in a grocery store for a couple items for a new recipe I wanted to try this weekend and to get some extra snacks because ds and his band are recording in my basement all weekend. Bad idea. The stores were mobbed! 

 

We are expected to get 12-18 inches and high winds so I will fill the bathtubs with water so we can flush and will start chili on the stove in the morning in case we lose power. We have no water when we have no power and we lose power regularly with any sort of bad weather plus are in the country so are the last to be turned back on. Hoping we don't lose power with the extra people in the house trying to record music.

 

The roads here will be clear a day or two after the snow stops…by the next day on highways but a little longer on the back country roads. I have no idea why people need to run out and empty the grocery stores.

[Catherine]

Over reaction?

 

Our governor declared a state of emergency more than 24 hours before the first snowflakes were expected to fall.  What more could I say?

[Garga]

Keep an eye on the forecasts Quill, they're upping the inches. We might be getting closer to the 20-30 mark rather than the 10-20 they were first saying.

 

It seems to me that the posts here have answered the question. Lots of people have written saying, "But today is my normal shopping day!" So...if today is your normal shopping day, and tomorrow evening is your next door neighbor's shopping day, but she has to go today because the snow starts tomorrow at 7 so she can't wait until then, and Saturday is the next-next door neighbor's shopping day, so she goes today for the same reason that the next door neighbor goes, and Sunday is the next-next-next door neighbor's shopping day, but she also goes today...then all 4 of you are going on the same day. Do that times thousands (or tens of thousands) of people = no milk and bread. Those are the staples everyone buys. I get 3-4 gallons a week on my regular shopping day and so do lots of people.

 

Now, the snow shovels...I just don't know about them. But, how many snow shovels are in the stores? Maybe 20-30 at Walmart and 10-20 at Ace? (I don't know how many they normally carry, does that seem right?) And then last year out of the thousands of people nearby, 5% of them broke their shovels last year then that's a pretty good amount of people buying shovels. And don't forget people who have newly come to the area from somewhere warm or kids who've moved out of the house and need a shovel for the first time. It's not like the stores have 500 shovels and all 500 get sold. They have maybe 20-30 IF they're a big box store and those 30 get sold. That's my theory!

[pehp]

We do stock up (tonight I stocked up on the leafy greens, almond milk, avocados, chocolate and perrier--you know, survivalist foods) because if we get two feet of snow, we are snowed in for several days.  We live in a rural area off of a secondary road that *might* get plowed on Saturday.  Our own road/driveway are hilly gravel and private (so, no state-supported snow plows here), and a neighbor will plow them...eventually.  (He'll sometimes plow the lane before the secondary road is plowed!)  In any case, a few years ago we were snowed in for a couple of weeks due to snow + ice + more snow and the temps never getting above freezing.  *That* was unusual!  It was the ice layers that made it impossible to get out. 

 

If I lived in walking distance of a store I'd probably barely even think about the groceries. 

 

As for things like snow shovels--no, we never buy new ones!

[J-rap]

I'd guess that happens in regions where big snow storms don't happen often, so it is really not a very typical winter occurrence.  I'm sure those states feel so responsible, so they may go overboard to prepare/protect.  Understandable.

 

I live in a state that gets lots of snow and lots of blizzards regularly in the winter, so it's not such a big deal.  But, everyone is really prepared all winter long.  We always have extra food, shovels, salt for de-icing, and are in the habit of planning ahead.  All of the students from rural homes have an assigned "city/town family" where they can take shelter.  Most people have a back-up plan in case they can't get home from work.  

[TammyinTN]

I'm 50 miles from DC and I did stock up yesterday.    I did next weeks grocery shopping yesterday.  I also made dh birthday dinner tonight and picked up a cake today and we celebrated because we maybe stuck at home next Tuesday from all the snow and craziness.      

 

I lived in Germany for 7 years...when a really bad snow storm was coming I did stock up.   I didn't really want to drive in it and spent a lot of time on my own with our son while dh was deployed.    In our village people shopped for several days of groceries at a time and by the time they needed more things were back to normal.  

 

I just love spending time with my kids and hubby.  We love to load up on yummies we don't usually have time for and watch movies and hunker down until it's all over. 

 

[regentrude]

Out of curiosity, are the power lines in Germany primarily above ground or below ground? Our issue around here is that even though some areas like newer neighborhoods have the power lines below ground, the main transmission lines are above ground. When we get a quarter or more inch of ice built up on tree branches, the branches break and take down those main lines. Add that to power crews then having to drive on roads that may or may not have been salted or plowed due to lack of equipment, and it takes a while to get things going again.

 

Most low and medium voltage power lines in Germany are below ground... because otherwise, stuff happens... like ice. It's mainly the long distance high voltage lines that are still above ground.

There is a push to increase the proportion of ground cables even further.

[kewb]

Everyone goes snow crazy around here. The supermarkets here get wiped out of bread, milk, eggs, and meat. But all the canned goods are on the shelves. I always think if the power goes out don't you need food that won't spoil?

 

I can tell you, even during the blizzard of '78, we were back on the road 24 hours later and the stores were all stocked.

 

 

I think everyone must make a lot of french toast when it snows since all the milk, bread, and eggs are gone.

Edited January 22, 2016 by kewb

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

... so I stock up a bit more so I can just be a shut-in for the entire weekend.

I think people start thinking of all the things they may want if they are stuck inside for 3 days and they go buy them all just in case. What if you really want a banana and can't get have one 😄

 

This. We're in the 12-18 inch prediction zone right now. I don't think most people here are panicking, I think they just want to be able to hunker down for the weekend and not worry about whether or not they forgot cream for their coffee or milk for their hot cocoa (or maybe that last one's just us!). Also, I do think people around here are still a little gun-shy after Hurricane Sandy. We had no power for five days, and we were among the lucky ones--I don't know of anyone who had power back sooner than we did. My parents were out for over two weeks!  :svengo:

 

Anyway, I don't think it's panic for the most part. I think it's mostly convenience and hibernation prep :D

Edited January 22, 2016 by ILiveInFlipFlops