We left Savannah about 1000 yesterday (unfortunately, we had to work today, and most of this week), and it was still just raining, with said precipitation having started the night before… However, by the time we crossed the I-95 corridor, it was snowing – yes, snowing, in the Deep South of Georgia – and when we stopped in Ellabelle for gas at about 1100, my sister-in-law reported that Savannah was finally receiving snow. Snow. In Savannah, GA. Granted, none of it was sticking… but still… snow.
We drove in active snowfall for over half of our trip home, and the worst area was probably around Dalton, with about 2-3 inches on the ground… Thankfully, the roads remained clear, and traffic was still moving. Atlanta received its first white Christmas since 1882ish, and apparently various other cities across the Deep South had snowfall on that day in the first time since ever. This morning, all three airports in the NYC area were shut down, as were a smattering of airports across Europe, as well as most of the cities around the Chesapeake Bay area.
I blame global warming. On the other hand, Knoxville got a dusting, if that. *sigh* Stupid weather.
However, a few notes for Georgia drivers, and one for drivers in general:
1. I know the signs on the side of the road say “LIGHTS ON WHEN RAINING”, and I know snow is not exactly a common event in southern Georgia, but it sure as hell helps to have your gorramed lights on when it is snowing hard enough to appreciably reduce visibility.
2. I have said it before, and I will say it again – sweep the gorramed snow off your gorramed car. We were two lanes over and at least five car-lengths behind a panel van when a sheet of ice separated from its roof and made a bee-line for our windshield – I slammed on the brakes and it shattered harmlessly on the highway right in front of us, but I would not want to op-test what frozen plates of snow do to a car windshield at highway speeds. The short and the simple is that if anything other than liquid water is falling off your car, YOU ARE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
3. If you are so tired that you cannot keep your gorramed vehicle in your own gorramed lane, GET OFF THE ROAD. We just about had a Ranger climb into the passenger seat with Better Half, and it was only through nearly running off the road and generous applications of my horn that we were able to avoid it… No blinker, and no cellphone in the driver’s hand, but she was holding a cup of coffee. *sigh*
Despite all of this, though, Better Half made it back home unscathed… though I cannot say the same concerning my ear drums after Christmas with a one- and three-year-old…
Dude, I’m glad I’ve been able to stay off the road for the last few days. I did some shoveling and some dog walking, but mostly stayed inside. Not the best Christmas evar, but certainly a safe one.
Y’all got about ten times as much snow as we did, so I think it is eminently fair that you stay off the roads as much as humanly possible… for which, of course, I am absurdly jealous
.
Jealous of the snow or the lack of driving? I did have to drive to my parents house for thanksgiving. 10 hours up and 14 back, and the wife couldn’t help except to keep me awake.
Erf… we had to fly cross-country for Thanksgiving, and then 8-9 hours each way for Christmas. The way down was fun. The way up, what with the snow and Geogia drivers, was… entertaining.
I definitely agree with your #2. The worst I’ve ever seen was a car which had ALL windows completely covered in snow, except for a small patch directly in front of the driver that could have been covered with an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. I, in a fit of boredom, actually read the traffic regulations in the state in question, and the law requires that ALL snow and ice be removed from cars to avoid the problem you’re writing about. There’s also the problem of reduced visibility as you follow a car that has fresh snow on it, and is acting like a mobile mini-blizzard as they drive down the road.
I put it down to oblivions being allowed to drive (an oblivion is someone who doesn’t realize that there are other people on the planet that might be inconvenienced, injured, or killed due to the oblivion’s actions).
Passed one of those on the way home, actually, and I completely agree that it is a case of complete and absolute obliviousness: about the danger to other people, the danger to themselves, the danger to their car, everything. They simply do not care, and, worse, they do not care about the costs they will entail when they get in an accident, especially, when the police officer arrives and sees the condition of their car.
I would simply refuse if someone told me to drive a vehicle like that… I do not even come close to comprehending how people can think it is anywhere near safe.