let it snow

Every year when it drops into the mid-to-low thirties, a magical event occurs. If it's cloudy enough, and you wait patiently enough, you'll start to see strange little white flakes come out of the sky. If you wait for them to reach you, they melt quickly on your skin at first; but if you adjust to the temperature and try again, you may just catch one on your sleeve. White and crystalline, infinitely fragile and tiny, this shining creation is a testimony to the season, the start to the wondrous landscape we call "winter wonderland." What is, you ask, this insignificant white flake?

It's called snow, people, and every year everyone forgets how to deal with it!

I won't lie to you, I love snow. Snow, snow, snow everywhere, I LOVE SNOW! I live in Pennsylvania and I long for white Christmases and New Year's snowball fights. Snow is fantastic. Not only is it fun, but to me it's the better alternative, because around here we're most likely to see snow when the air temperature is between 15 and 32 degrees. (facts.) I would much, much rather have it at a snow-worthy temperature than deal with the blistering, icy wind that accompanies a "feels like" temperature of five degrees or less. Shudder. I do not like those days.

So anyway, what IS it with people and snow? Now, I'm currently at college, so yeah, maybe we have that gaggle of foreign exchange students who have no idea what to do with themselves, or those Southern Cali transplants who are so excited to see snow up close and personal you'd think it was some rare wonder. (Why you'd want to come to Western PA from SoCal, I have no idea; hey, it's your prerogative, it's nice ta have ya.) Aside from that, most of the people around have grown up around here or within the tri-state area, where snow is NOT a big deal. It happens all the time, steadily, sometimes from November onward but almost always from December through March. Without fail, though, at the first snowfall there are about seven accidents in a three-mile radius, people creeping down the road at ten miles an hour, and people waiting in a long line at WalMart to buy their toilet paper, milk, and canned goods as if they're preparing for a perpetual winter in Narnia under the White Queen.

People.

The snow didn't even last overnight.

This is one of those mysteries I hold akin to the ever-present question, "Why does everyone slow down before the Squirrel Hill tunnels on the Parkway East inbound?" Maybe it will never be answered. Maybe just like those commuters feel that maintaining speed through the tunnels will create a vacuum behind their car and cause the tunnel to collapse, there are people that see snow and assume it's going to block your in your house for the next few weeks.

Take a deep breath and put down the extra gallon of milk. It'll be OK.