As I was on another one of my morning runs, I'm reminded that only a few weeks prior, the ground I was viewing was covered with snow and ice. We are currently in a mild weather week featuring a nice spring preview in the Atlanta metropolitan area in late February 2014. A few days back, there were warnings of a spring-like storm overnight. That event brought yet more pine trees down upon structures stretching from Marietta, Georgia on the west side of the metro over to the east.
Welcome to probably one of the most zany winters that the Southeastern United States has experienced in years. Well, the whole country has had a roller coaster winter with extreme snow in the Northeastern and Midwest regions over to California with exceptional drought conditions. Here in the Southeast, it seems that one minute you're in shorts and the next, you're back in the parka braving cold temps back in the low 40s, 30s or even, dare I write it: 20s with the possibility of freezing rain, sleet, snow or solid ice. Nature in this chameleon-like state wreaks havoc upon one's body and mind.
Perhaps this roller coaster effect upon us in the Atlanta area is what contributes to our collective lack of preparation for quick bad weather changes. But we learned how to handle things quickly for the most part in early 2014. The January debacle put us on alert for the next event only a few weeks later. Most of the Peach State came out of that storm unscathed except for the power customers down in Augusta who lost power for what seemed like days on end.
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Do not get wrong: I would not wish to have constant miserable wintry weather from December through March. But, we need to be reminded just how quickly the weather can turn when we are in a comfortable state like we are in late February 2014. Let's face it: we have short memories. Life moves quickly these days due to major technological advances in how we receive and consume information. So, it's not surprising when a "snowpocalypse" hits us one week only to be followed up by what happens in our own lives. Add on things happening in the world that we pay attention to including the latest changes over at The Tonight Show, the Winter Olympics, unrest in Ukraine and the most important item in the news that has been impacting us lately: Is it proper to let Justin Beiber move into an Atlanta-area neighborhood? And then wham! The snow returns! Well, let's hope that will we will not get walloped by another major snow storm this season, but the truth is that it could happen. Our weather professionals mildly talk about long-range forecasts, but never wish to commit to them. Indeed they must know things that we do not know thus making them "hold back disturbing news." As of this writing, we have about a month more of winter. Remember that the Storm of the Century happened in mid-March over 20 years ago. So, freeze that bread and stock up on milk, canned goods and toilet paper. Heck, it's probably just best to have that stuff on hand year-round any way.