As Georgians, we are used to the unyielding heat. When the winter season arrives and brings snow along with it, many of us aren’t prepared for the cold temperatures that overtake the state throughout the winter months. Somehow, we have managed to convince ourselves that one inch of snow is equivalent to a full on blizzard. We all have different ways of coping with this weather, but as Georgians, we are all united in the many emotions we feel during this cold, cold time.
1. Panic
Surely, none of us southerners have had experience driving in the snow or even shoveling our driveways. After the snowpocalypse in 2014, where thousands were stuck on the roads in a mad rush to get home, officials would rather be safe than sorry. With snow in the forecast, state offices shut down, schools opt to have a cyber learning day and everyone is urged to stay home. However, an unlucky few of us have to wake up early to see if our school has closed. Bring on the snow days!
2. Confusion
We’ve all seen that one guy who is out in the frigid weather dressed like it’s summer. He’s clothed in his shorts, flip flops and t-shirt and is forced to stand there and pretend that he isn’t cold for the sake of his pride. We all look at people dressed like that and wonder what went through their mind when they got dressed this morning. Do they not know it’s winter? Or are they just someone from the North who thinks this is summer weather?
3. Discomfort
There is something about knowing that it’s frigid outside that makes it that much harder to get out of the bed in the morning. Suddenly watching Netflix all day under our covers becomes that much more appealing. When it’s this cold out, we cut back on going out. If we must leave our house, we wrap ourselves in as many layers as possible and hope our exposure to the cold air is brief. You would have to be crazy to stay outside for extended periods of time by choice.
4. Panic Again
Grocery run after grocery run. Suddenly every store is swarmed with people and the shelves are empty. Why do people who have never bought bread or milk in their lives suddenly feel the need to raid the grocery store and buy out the shelves? We’re all afraid that we will be barricaded in our homes by the snow with the power out and our cars dead. Our minds immediately go to the worst case scenario which sends us all to the store to buy a bunch of food that will continue to sit on the shelves of our pantries into the summer.
5. Anger
While the majority of the North sections of the country are suffering through blizzards and actual freezing temperatures, we still do not appreciate getting made fun of because we shut down school at the threat of snow. In the South, we are simply not accustomed to operating during frigid temperatures. Although we are slowly getting better at having an action plan for the event of snow, the shutdowns and store runs aren’t going to be stopping any time soon.
While we are in the depths of winter, we long for those warm summer days. But they will be here sooner than you think so all we have to do is hunker down and wait for April to arrive.