Can't you feel the anticipation? The magic words were spoken yesterday, “The Raleigh Durham area is preparing for a snow event.” Yes, that's what we call it here; a “snow event.” That's because snow in the Piedmont of North Carolina is always an event.
The technical reason is that we see so little snow, and it is so 
infrequent, that the cities and towns around most of North Carolina don't have budgets for the equipment and manpower to stay ahead of mother nature's winter kiss. We have none of the mountainous salt hills of the north. No massive snow moving equipment or fleece clad armies ready to spread out in the middle of the night to take care of the business of erasing the effects of the latest snowfall so business as usual can go on. No, the irritating inconvenience of chipping ice off a windshield experienced by most northern dwellers is unheard of here. We aren't going to work.
Southerners know that a “snow event” means everything will stop. And I mean STOP. School will be canceled in anticipation, meetings and other less climatic events will be postponed. Parents who work will stay home, no discussions. Who would watch the kids if they went to work? But no one else will be at work either. Southerners have no “snow driving skills.” I'm not kidding. You take your life into your hands by attempting to drive in snow in Chapel Hill. Any amount of snow. Half an inch or half a foot, no matter. Ah, you're from the north you say. You KNOW how to drive in snow! Take my advice...don't do it. It is really irrelevant that you know how when absolutely no one else does. The only folks out on the road will be in a 1975 Chevy Impala with bald tires, driving around in the silence, just because they can...they CAN walk away alive from a slow motion slide through an intersection which ends in a shallow ditch.
Yet we still make sure the car is full of gasoline and we fill the extra gas cans, just in case the power goes out and we have to crank up the generator. A truly prepared Chapel Hill homeowner has a gasoline powered generator in the garage just waiting for the next “great snow event.” I've been there. Five days with no power. Blankets hanging over room openings and the biggest neighborhood party on record. For us, snow is a magnificent unplanned event. But that doesn't mean we don't plan for it. Far from it. Southerners race to the grocery store at the first hint of a snow advisory to buy up all the bread and milk available. We haul in the wood and check the pantry. We need all the fixin's for homemade vegetable soup, chili and applesauce cake.
Which brings me to the best thing about snow events. Party in the 'hood! Southerners have party skills. Skills finely honed during that other kind of weather event we occasionally endure; the hurricane. Neighbors come and go, eating together, cooking together and just hanging out by the fire. It's true what you've heard about us. We know our neighbors. On a normal day we think nothing of borrowing a cup of sugar to finish a recipe and understand that returning with a bit of the resulting treat is part of the process. A southern snow event is simply an excuse to do what we do best...take a party to another level!
Gotta run now...Greg Fischel, our perpetually reliable local weatherman, just announced that we are “under a winter storm warning” and I just realized I need some more egg nog before the neighbors arrive!
Let It Snow!!!
It's Simple...When You Have A Great Agent!
SarahGray Lamm is a licensed, full time, residential real estate professional in the Raleigh Durham area of North Carolina with over 60,000 hours of experience. She specializes in serving the real estate needs of home sellers, home buyers and investors in Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Durham and Northern Chatham County and is proudly associated with Allen Tate Realtors, the Carolinas #1 independent realty company.
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Hi SarahGray - "Southerners race to the grocery store at the first hint of a snow advisory to buy up all the bread and milk available."
Not in Houston, inevitably the evening news is panning empty grocery shelves that used to be stocked --- with toilet paper ... and beer. Yup, that seems to be the stock-up of choice. We DO the party thing though ... if you have a gas stove you for sure have a big pot of chili, or soup, or stew going at all times!
Judith, ;-) I have a feeling those two items disappear from the shelves here too! I was never really sure what we were supposed to do with bread and milk anyway! LOL
lol, even here in the foothills snow seems to shut things down. I agree with staying off the raods - people get crazy driving around on the ice. We usually set or steaks and things, because if the power goes out in our neighborhood it tends to last for a few days, and I end up cooking on the gas grill out on the porch. I don't get the bread, milk, & eggs things either -maybe we're supposed to be making French toast?
We had a major ice storm in I think, 2004 and I remember having out of town clients that wanted me to show them around town. Half the area was without power and we were staying withwith my brother's family because he had a gas fireplace to keep warm. My wife said it best when she explained what I should tell my clients [From N.J.] "Negative ghost rider, the pattern is full." Some folks just don't quite understand how we operate!
I'm so jealous! All we got was a wet, wet MESS in Charlotte! We haven't had a decent snow here in 4-5 years - not since Santa brought my son a KILLER sled for Christmas. Yep, it's all Santa's fault!!!
Enjoy!
SarahGray....
Looks like we're not going to get any snow here in Newnan, but good luck to you. I hope that you have your milk and bread bought and your flashlights ready!
Hi SarahGray -- I used to live in the D.C. area and if they got 1-2 inches of snow, people raided the supermarkets and bread and milk was gone for days. A one-hour commute could take four and the list goes on. One time, there was a foot of snow, a rarity, and people went out and bought 50K Hummers. It's interesting to see the regional differences. In Cleveland, we can get 12 inches and most of the time, school and work goes on.
What is dangerous is the "black ice" that can cause skids and you can't stop and you can't see it. I hope you don't get any of that.
Hi SarahGray - We were supposed to come down to Raleigh tomorrow morning for a U16 girls hockey game against the Hurricanes - playing at the IceRink in Wake Forest - we were going down on a bus - the whole team with parents. Until the weather threatened, the worst worry was who was going to bring the mimosas and who was bringing the bloody mary's - the kids would get juice and gator ade - Suddenly I found myself making a run to Target for nutrigrain bars, cookies, granola bars, etc. I felt like I was packing for the Donner Pass - but cooler heads prevailed and the games and trip were cancelled!
SarahGrah: Ohhhhh man ... I can't quit chuckling at your fuss over the snow. Here in IL .. that's just business "as usual". You just throw boots, gloves, flashlight and a few more items in the car and get moving. I can remember as a kid, riding in a school bus heading out to the rural areas to pick-up the farm kids. Snow was plowed out and towering over both sides of the bus .. kinda like going down a tunnel in a luge. Stay home?? Close schools?? No way! As a kid, a ride like that was too much fun! As an adult ... I think I like your southern way of doing it better. Can you find me a home so I can move to your neck of the woods??? I'm ready to party!
Stay warm ... stay well fed ... stay safe ...
Gene
SaraGrey, where do I start? before I moved to NC I lived in Philadelphia, where snow tires and shovels were De norm. Upon moving to NC I was told, sell the snow shovel ...you won't need it!!!!!
Our second winter here we had snow drifts three feet high, I'm talking, we were snowed in for three days because they had no way to get us out...here in Clayton, I cleared the driveway with a spade.
Anyway I'm showing houses at 9am tomorrow.
Got Milk?
Hey girl,
After reading your post, I think I'd really love Chapel Hill. Your comment about "Southerners have party skills..." is so true you're all so dog-gone nice! No doubt we could hang-together!
My brother lives in Chapel Hill. He's going to be trailing the snow event all the way up the coast on route to our holiday gathering. Hope it doesn't stop him.
You can have the snow, I want to move to NC because I want it to be a "event" also!
I was watching the news today and it sounded like a total maelstrom is about to come through. Hard to believe when it was 72 degrees here today. But, hey, I am off to Europe which is being hard hit also. Stay warm.
I was just pondering writing about the "snow event" here in Hendersonville but I'll wait for the next one -- you did a super job on explaining how NC deal with snow.
Generally if it snows at all here in Hendersonville it's a dusting or an inch or 2 of slush that's gone by noon -- but, as SarahGrsy says, every thing shuts down and it's like a holiday! This event was a little different in this area.
I'm an import from WVA since 1994 and was a government
worker in the D.C. area. When the government would shut down because of snow you knew it was serious. That made you just really want to get out and check it out. Anyway, when I was younger that was how it was!
Hendersonville got 9 inches of snow, sleet, ice and freezing rain and actually it was quite an event!! Many, many fender benders and as beautiful as it was I think there are many folks who were stuck/stranded out on the roads who have rued the day. Folks down this way just don't seem to understand they either should not be out on the roads, or, they should at the very least -- slow down!!
Watch out up north -- it's coming your way and has probably
already arrived.
Sue of Robin and Sue
I loved reading your post. It brought back many "Southern" memories.
I lived in Spartanburg, SC years ago and was priviledged enough to experience a few "snow events". Although very funny to a northerner at first-EVERYTHING did shut down including the banks & grocery stores! The most hilarious was the amount of cars abandoned on the highway because drivers were to scared to drive and left their vehicles to walk home (much more dangerous in my opinion, but what did I know I was a Yankee?).
The parties were the best! Lots of us just enjoying a bit of fellowship and commraderie and a much needed break too! We are not supposed to get a big "event" here in Pittsburgh today so it will be business as usual. Too bad, I enjoy a good snow event.
Merry Christmas!
SarahGray,
You made me remember a blizzard when I was at Duke in neighboring Durham. My car was one of the few that had real snow tires to get around. I sure was popular that week!
Sarah,
Sounds like you've got planning down to a science for your pending snow event. Enjoy. Merry Christmas. :)
Steve
I remember living in Miss and a day it snowed. Oh my did everyone have fun. NO sleds to be found but they went and used garbage can tops and had a blast.
We awoke this AM to snow and snowing. It is beautiful but things don't slow down too much in MI. Lots of salt trucks.
Have fun!!
SarahGray, I'm all for party events following snow events. Like you needed an excuse. Loved the video.
Apparently after living here for several years, I too have become a Southerner with Southerner driving skills. I went out in that mess, slid of the road, almost hit a house but took the lesser of two evils, jumping the curb and taking out the bottom half of my bumper instead! Yikes!
It's a rare occasion that I see snow here in Columbia, but I would like to see a white Christmas once.
We had a snow event here in Houston a couple of wks ago. It snowed for about 6 hours. The first 3 hours the snow melted as soon as it touched anything. The next 3 hours it tried to pile up. Then, the clouds parted and the sun melted everything, and all evidence was completely evaported before the sun set that day. It was great! Judith was right. Most people completely freeked. They rushed to the store to get the fixings for chili and beer, and no one wants to run out of T.P. in a snow storm. They went home and threw snow and ate chili and feared having to drive. I had the privilage of showing houses during the record breaking snow, and there was no traffic, and we had a blast. If you're tired of shoveling snow, move to Houston!
I am so glad that a good southern agent, wrote a good southern blog, about good southern practices.
Saying, "hay ya'll," from Richmond Virginia! We have some snow this weekend as well! Cheers!
I've been to a few of those... During a bad storm here in Atlanta, our house was the one with a gas stove (c-o-o-k-i-e-s) and fireplace. We had LOTS of friends over that day.
I remember not just snow in the Piedmont...but a silver thaw: Freezing rain turning to ice... weighing down every tree branch and twig. Followed by a Chinook wind: warming all that ice into a quick-melting mess.
Every part of the nation has it's weather "events".
Here in western Oregon a little snow closes schools...local governments are simply not equipped for the unusual.
Raine - I'm all about the french toast! Thank goodness for gas stoves!
Jason - Great first lesson in being a southerner for your Jersey clients! I'm sure they loved the Top Gun reference too!
Melissa - I've noticed that about "snow specific' purchases...safer to go with the cookie pan!
Richard - I was too late for the milk and bread but got all the chili fixin's! ;-)
Russ - It's been years but I just remember being awed by the ugly, dirty salt mountains in some northern (but better prepared) cities!
Chris - DC probably would have been happy with just a foot of snow this time...probably not too many hummers sold this time around though!
Lise - See, we southerners DO know how to party! Hope you found a good use for those granola bars...stir sticks for the bloodies?
Gene - I KNEW you'd laugh at this post! There is no comparison to our winter realities! And I do know of some good homes for sale in paty neighborhoods...just say when!
David - How'd those showings go? My guess is the sellers (if they were actual southerners) didn't figure you'd show up!
Lynda - Thanks for checking in from the "other" Orange County! ;-)
Marian - I hope he made it to! My bet is he drove right into the worst of it!
Jason - Yet another way our two cities are "twins separated at birth"!
Larry - Come on down! You can go to Wilmington and not even have to change your business cards!
Jane - Have a blast! I spent Christmas in Germany a few years back...very classic and traditional...just like a postcard!
Sue - Thanks for the great pic! I would love to be in Hendersonville for a "snow event"!
Diane - The truth hurts. A few years ago the back up during an "event" was so horrible that kids walked home from stranded buses FIVE hours after getting out of school!
Irene - I participated in a "Drive the Doctor" during a bad snow storm a few years ago, using my personal 4 wheel drive vehicle for taking hospital staff home who'd been on duty for days after getting stuck at UNC Hospitals! I'm sure Duke did the same! Talk about popular...I hear ya!
Steve - That's the nice thing about understanding "southern etiquette"!
Missy - Isn't much colder than MI in the winter! But I'm a winter fan ( as long as I don't have to LIVE in it!)
Gary - Thanks! Trying out my new handycam...toe in the water of v-blogging!
Nogui - Amazing how fast our skills disintegrate without practice! Hope your bumpber was all that took the hit!
JL - If the white stuff makes it to your neck of the woods, we're all in trouble! I'm afraid you'll need to travel to see a White Christmas...or rent the movie! ;-)
Karen - I noticed that and I'm envious! However I don't like to travel in it. I just spent a couple of days in NYC to see the lights. Talk about getting out of Dodge just in time!
Amy - I would never move! The anticipation of snow is too much fun, even when it melts before noon! ;-)
Lane M - Aren't you sweet...and I believe a master of understatement if you call your 2' blanket "some snow!"
Lane B - I know that story...it's good to hve cookies!
Jim - You remind me that I got stuck at Portland airport several years ago during a HUGE storm that hit over New Years and paralyzed the city. Spent New Years Eve with the UPS drivers at the airport Holiday Inn!