Snow in Alabama

[Blackwaterforge]

Snow in Alabama is classified as a natural disaster!
It will send Alabama natives scurrying to the grocery store for milk and bread.
We also collect the snow and make snow-creme by adding vanilla flavoring and sugar.
Snow is an anomaly here. We may go years between snow storms.
Tuesday we received two inches of snow (yankees feel free to roll eyes) and the State was paralyzed.
Everyone had problems including the smug yankees that claim Southern Rubes cain't drive in snow.
When the snow started falling the roads where just warm enough to cause the snow to fuse together into a solid sheet of white ice. I saw people get out of their car and literally couldn't stand up. I saw cars that where sitting still begin to slide out of the road. I was surprised at how ill equipped people where. People abandoned their vehicles and walked home are to shelters, Churches and even to strangers homes looking for shelter. Many of these people didn't even have a coat. They work in stores and offices where there is always heat and air conditioning. I keep a pair of Carhartt coveralls and a hoodie rolled up in my truck year round. I also keep jumper cables, flashlight, tire chains, tools, firearms and ammunition in my truck. When they forecasted snow I also added a 5 gallon can of gas and about 1200 lbs of additional weight in the bed of my truck. I aired the rear tires down to 40 lbs. It took 5 1/2 hours to get home Tuesday evening. Normally it takes an hour.
I passed hundred of cars and trucks in the ditch or abandoned. I chugged passed vehicles in the 66 and made it home without incident. I know slick owners are probably more contentious than most drivers. The reality is that stuff happens!
If you don't have the necessary items in case you get stranded you might want to consider putting together a kit to keep in your vehicle with a few items that would make being stranded a little less inconvenient.

[jkimbrel65]

I always throw a chain and a snatch rope in the truck and make some extra$$pulling folks outta ditches and up hills.99 ranger 4x4 will go almost anywhere.

Mike

[Hoofbeat Racer]

I know its easy for us northern people to make jokes about a little bit of snow falling in the south but I think it is us that don't understand. After reading some of the news articles I was able to better comprehend the magnitude of what was actually going on there. We take for granted the fact that snowplows, sanding trucks and graders are on all call 24 hours a day up here, just about everyone has 4x4s where I live and the cars all have snow tires. Growing up with it we learn from an early age how to deal with winter. I remember even learning how to drive a motorcycle in the snow and ice when I was about 10, it was a 79 Yamaha mx100 and dad made me do figure 8s until I could keep my balance. He said if I could ride on snow, then riding in dirt should be no problem.

I can't imagine dealing with winter without proper resources. I am sure we probably wouldn't do much better if we didn't have the infrastructure. Hope it all melts for ya down there and everyone can resume normal life safely again

[Blackwaterforge]

Hope it all melts for ya down there and everyone can resume normal life safely again

Snow melting is one thing you can be sure of down here. Only once in my lifetime have we had snow that stayed a week.
Our temperatures will be in the forties today and in the sixties this weekend. We will be back in shorts and grillin out!

[kstones63]

If Phoenix got a sudden snow like that, the whole city would come to a stop. The way people drive around here, it would be really dangerous to be out on the streets.
Let's hope that it goes away really quick so things can get back to normal.

Kevin

[Toyz]

Kevin, I suspect a large part of your populance ended up there just because of that white stuff!
How's the recovery going?
Paul

[61blacklowrider]

Preparedness is a way of life around here however there are those that feel that running "Maypops" year round is a fashion statement. It is funny to watch them spin their tires as fast as they can, thinking that their treadless tires will melt the ice so they can continue on. {I've been waterskiing on New Years day and had snowball fights on the 4th of July) so you just never know. We were in the high 60s two days ago, and we had snow this morning. Blackwater forge hit the nail on the head.