What Big Snow Storm? I am 62, I grew up with winters just like this, in Minnesota. When did weather become a Big News Story?

This latest winter snow storm, that is effecting a reported 30 States. Is not what most people in those areas, have ever experienced.

Newark, N.J., was hit with 62 inches of snow through Jan. 27, compared with the seasonal average of 25 inches. In New York City, 56 inches of snow has fallen on Central Park, compared to the 22-inch seasonal average. Chicago's 20.2 inches of snow was the city's third-largest amount on record. Cities on the Great Lakes should be aware of the Lake Effect causing massive snow accumulations in the winter. You don't hear Buffalo NY, or Cleveland OH complaining!

Newspapers are attempting to make this the "Winter Storm of the Century" even though we are only into the 10th winter of the century. Oklahoma reported about a woman dying while being pulled behind a truck on a sled when the sled hit a guard rail (whose fault was that), another report from Oklahoma about a pickup with 3 people, plunged off a snow covered highway into the river (again whose fault), final report from Oklahoma...Five to Eight people in a truck jumped over a guard rail on Interstate 44 (whose fault). Was it the storms fault, the guard rails fault, the river's fault, or the people's fault?

People need t understanding, that when the weather turns nasty, you stay indoors.

Minnesota has 60 inches of snow fall this winter (no big deal, actually many of us are enjoying all this snow), and we expected another 20 or more inches before the end of April. I have over 3 feet of snow in my yard, and the snow banks along the road edge are 6 feet in height, my mailbox would be buried, but I dug a hole into the side of the snow bank, creating a cave for my mailbox....

When there is snow or ice on the roads you do not drive with your automatic transmission in "Drive" or "Over Drive" (those are for on the Highway when the pavement is dry). In winter you should drive in 2nd Gear, so your engines torque does not cause your tires to lose traction with the road.

Too much snow on the roof, in Minnesota we have roof rakes ( handle extensions), to remove most of the snow off the roof (do not go down to the roof shingles or you will be installing a new roof in a year or so).

Big News Stories about roofs collapsing, Hubert H. Humphrey Metro Dome Roof collapsed, big deal not really, the roof was somewhere around 30 years old, and was due to be replaced.... You have too much snow on your roof, remove the snow, otherwise it will be too much load for your roof struts to support all the weight the roof was not meant to support. If something is overloaded, something will break, is that so hard to understand or remember?

I grew up in Minnesota walking to school in weather like this storm, served in the U.S. Army in weather conditions worst than this storm (Alaska, Korea, West Germany, Iceland, Norway) Global Warming also means Global Weather Changes..... Summers will be warmer, Winters will be colder, Storms will be stronger, and some areas will get more moisture, and others will over time become much drier....

I just hope Summer falls on a weekend this year, and it does not rain that weekend! ~Parnelli