Y'all.
Not exaggerating.
I love it.
Ice Storm 2009 almost did me in, but I'm still a fan.
This weather system that is apparently taking over the majority of the USA is almost upon us.
And the weather people are ecstatic.
Ecstatic.
Yesterday, we were either getting a dusting or 12 inches of snow.
On top of 1/10 to 2 inches of ice.
Give or take.
Today, things have escalated.
The grocery store was out of 1/2 gallon milk.
Which makes me wonder why, if the population is planning on being stuck at home for days, wouldn't the gallon milk be sold out?
I bought the last 24 pack of bottled water on the shelf.
I didn't really plan on buying it, but if everyone else wanted it then I did, too.
And I bought toilet paper (we mustn't run out).
And a candle (if I'm stranded for days, the house needs to smell like fruit).
And razors (I can't be held hostage with hairy legs).
And septic system cleaner stuff (I couldn't remember when I did that last).
Then The Princess and I went to the Little Debbie store. We stocked up on Oatmeal Cream Pies and Swiss Rolls.
(They sold out of bread at 10 a.m., by the way.)
So far, I've read these subtle headlines on our local news...
SNOWPOCALYPSE IS COMING
THE SNOW SLAM.
And we've gotten just about all we can from the terms...
THUNDERSNOW
and it's close relative,
THUNDERSLEET.
Personally, I'm just about to bust to witness some good ole thundersleet.
And there is some new scale graph thingy that can predict how long your power is going to be out based on ice accumulation and wind speed.
We're looking at 5 to 10 days, people.
The weather people are saying that this has the potential to be a system of historic proportions.
Or a bust. Something about 20 miles one direction or another.
The latest update that I received said "New Ice Estimate: .46 inches".
That seems rather, um, specific.
So y'all. Stay warm and safe.
And please. PLEASE. Send me your weather headlines. There is not much that I would enjoy more.
Oh, I hope your power doesn't go out again. My family lives all across North Arkansas also and are impacted in varying stages based on mere miles also.
Our words are a little more boring. Blizzard is one. 18-24 inches is also being thrown around. White-out and don't drive, the obvious.
Your words were much funnier. I need to know where to find the graphic. My husband would have a ball with that and drive us all crazy.
Posted by: Kayren | February 01, 2011 at 06:04 AM
Oh my gosh, I love this post. I had to run out yesterday with the masses not because we needed milk or bread, but because I needed googly eyes to make Valentines with my boys. If we're going to be stuck here for days we'd better have something to do on our snowcation (sounds more fun than "snowed and iced in without power" right?).
All of the weather headlines are killing me, too. Each news station has its own lead-in to the news with a full-screen "WINTER STORM 2011" blasted across it. We live in St. Louis, and they're predicting this will be the biggest storm since 1982, so I really hope they don't let me down.
Stay safe!
Posted by: Nicole @ Here's The Diehl | February 01, 2011 at 07:20 AM
You have a Little Debbie STORE?
I'm moving near you. Look out for houses for me.
And stay warm in the meantime. It's WARM and thunderstorming here - which usually means tornadoes. I'd rather have snow.
Posted by: Robyn (3GirlsMom) | February 01, 2011 at 08:48 AM
Oh, our weather people are in a FRENZY too! I am ready, I have cream and butter, bring it on!
* SNOW WILL SPREAD NORTH INTO SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN THIS EVENING AND BECOME HEAVY OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY.
* NORTHEAST WINDS WILL GUST TO 40 MPH TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY MORNING... CREATING AREAS OF BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW... AND WIDESPREAD BLIZZARD CONDITIONS.
* THE HEAVIEST SNOW AND STRONGEST WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO COINCIDE BETWEEN 10 PM TONIGHT AND 10 AM WEDNESDAY.
* HEAVY STORM TOTAL SNOW ACCUMULATIONS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 INCHES ARE EXPECTED.
* WIND CHILLS BETWEEN 0 AND -5 DEGREES ARE EXPECTED TONIGHT.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
* A BLIZZARD WARNING MEANS SEVERE WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. FALLING AND BLOWING SNOW WITH STRONG WINDS AND POOR VISIBILITIES ARE LIKELY. THIS WILL LEAD TO WHITEOUT CONDITIONS... MAKING TRAVEL EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. DO NOT TRAVEL. IF YOU MUST TRAVEL... HAVE A WINTER SURVIVAL KIT WITH YOU. IF YOU GET STRANDED... STAY WITH YOUR VEHICLE.
Hope you don't lose power again!
Posted by: Capri Kel | February 01, 2011 at 09:05 AM
In Rogers, we're having a "Winter Blast"...it did sleet from 3am -8:30am, and then the snow started...big,fluffy, cotton ball snow! They're saying up here in the NW corner of Ark, we might experience a blizzard. That means the snow blowing so hard that you can't see in front of you! And it's calling for 12 in. We'll see....I stocked up at WM yesterday and now I have so much food I'm having a hard time deciding what to fix for lunch and dinner tonight....soup, chili, chicken pot pie...? It's also really hard to stay on my "beach diet" when it's like this...I really want cinnamon rolls, cookies, hot bread with butter....Well, anyway, I'm happy sitting by the fire reading books, magazines and forgetting the outside world (except for the beautiful snow) for a little while :)
Posted by: Michele | February 01, 2011 at 11:04 AM
I live in Minnesota. Where you'd expect snow. Our headlines **IN THE WEATHER SECTION** of our local news website? Wrestle Mania is coming next week. :)
Posted by: Tara | February 01, 2011 at 02:19 PM
My friend in Illinois posted these:
Snowmare on Elm Street
Snonami
Snowado
Snowicane
They are supposed to get up to 20"!! Eeeeek!
Posted by: Cary Garner | February 01, 2011 at 02:27 PM
The headline of our local paper is boring: "City workers ready for storm".
I'm very sad about our weather - our weatherpeople were WRONG (shocking, I know)-We're not getting anywhere near the 12-18" of lovely snow forecast in North Central OH-IO! All we've gotten thus far is... sleet! With more sleet to follow. And, possibly, "freezing rain".
I am intimately acquainted w/ "freezing rain" - (just google "Ice Storm Mansfield Ohio 2005" & you can read all about it). That 3/4" of accumulated ice left us w/o power for 6 days!!! I'm not a sissy but, I wouldn't make a very good Amishwoman, either.
After many false reports & near-misses, on the 3rd day of said power-outage,a rumer was swirling around the radio waves that Home Depot was getting another shipment of generators in - so, there I was @ 3:00am w/ a bunch of good ol' boys - I was the ONLY girl - what's up w/ that? Thankfully, I got my generator. So, at least we're prepared if the ice storm cometh again.
Even w/ the generator (it doesn't run EVERYTHING) let me tell you, I've never been so happy to see the power company trucks come our way - I seriously CRIED w/ joy!
Good Luck to all - hope everyone stays warm, dry & safe.
Posted by: Kelly | February 01, 2011 at 03:59 PM
We had fifty inches in one month, and now we're getting two more storms in the next two days!
Crazy winter!
Posted by: Just Me | February 01, 2011 at 04:13 PM
We didn't get anything really but a little sideways sleet and snowdust!! My trash can is down the street ...somewhere..I have the lid!
Posted by: PeepOne | February 01, 2011 at 05:30 PM
Sadly we have no Little Debbie store here. Here in East Tennessee we have rain with chance of thunderstorms overnight.
My husband drives a truck and is stuck somewhere in Texas due to ice.
Posted by: Marie | February 01, 2011 at 05:34 PM
What a wonderful adventure! My forecast: rain. Boo hoo. But I believe it's supposed to be in the 70s tomorrow; yay! ;) I either want it to be snow, or 70s. :P
Posted by: Bethany Ellis | February 01, 2011 at 05:37 PM
We're having a blizzard. Seriously.
I do like this line from a local news story though: "A winter weather colossus...."
Other than that, they're just calling our blizzard a "Winter Blast."
Posted by: Heather | February 01, 2011 at 08:44 PM
I'm with you I love this weather. We are suppposed to get sleet and some snow here on Thursday. The lows for the week are around 27-29 every day. And the highs are 36-38. This morning with the wind chill it was 8! 8!! Here in Southeast Texas that's a bit cold. I love it. I'll take the cold any day over the heat. I mean seriously in July we will be screaming we want some of this cold weather. Stay warm!!!
Posted by: rrmama | February 02, 2011 at 09:23 AM
How is your Mom doing? Is she home yet? I just wanted to check on her and make sure she was ok.
Posted by: jean | February 05, 2011 at 01:37 PM
I am so jealous! All the snow went to YOUR HOUSE. I know you have 2 ft. and I have 2 inches. The store was OUT OF BREAD and I don't have a LITTLE DEBBIE STORE.
Posted by: Your mother | February 09, 2011 at 09:42 AM