Are we in for a Blizzard?

A couple weeks ago it was predicted that we were to receive one to three inches of snow in the Allentown area. No big deal. Right?

Of course, up here on top of the mountain in Old Zionsville, it is not unusual to receive more—or less—snow than Allentown. (We once shoveled nine inches of the white powder off the driveway, when Allentown received only a dusting!)

With the prediction of the snow and slippery conditions, members of the Upper Milford Township road crew busied themselves by preparing the roadways. The road in front of my house went from solid black to black with grayish stripes.

I went to Weis in Emmaus to do my weekly shopping that day. And was I in for a surprise when I arrived…well, maybe not really a surprise.

Parking was at a premium…there were barely any spaces left. People filled up their trunks and back seats with bags and bags of groceries, toilet paper and rock salt. Some even purchased shovels. 

And when I reached for a cart, there were none left. This will be an interesting shopping trip, I thought.

Did I miss something? Did the weather report change or did I misunderstand?  Are we getting one to three feet, instead of one to three inches? Is there a blizzard coming?

I am amazed at how one four-letter word can cause so much panic—snow. 

I have only gone “snow shopping” once in my life—the 1993 blizzard where nearly three feet of snow was dumped in the township.

Are you a snow shopper? What item or items to you rush out to buy when there's snow in the forecast? Tell us in the comments. 

I expected to be snowed in for several days upon hearing the predictions, and stocked up on those essentials…bread, eggs, milk and powdered milk.

But why does the prediction of one to three inches of snow frighten people to do “snow shopping?”

While shopping, I saw people grabbing several containers of milk, loaves of bread, dozens of eggs, packages of toilet paper and boxes of cereal. It’s as though these people have nothing in their homes to eat, or they expect a few inches of snow to keep them confined to their homes for several days—or weeks.

I remember going to school with a few inches of the white stuff on the ground, roads unplowed and chains on the tires! We climbed on the bus dressed in a heavy coat, boots, hat, scarf and gloves. Somehow, we managed to carry our books and lunch, too.

And, at recess, the entire school went outside to play. We had snowball battles, built forts, made snow angels and much more.

But now-a-days school is delayed or closed for a few inches. No one is even permitted to play in it. 

I can’t believe what a few inches of fluffy (or heavy, wet) snow can do. Rather than enjoy the beauty and playfulness of the landscape, people panic as though a curse has been bestowed upon the region.