Winter humor from a usually warm state

[HollyS]

This cell photo was taken while the driver was on I-35 between Austin and San Antonio. A friend sent this to me, and I don't have a clue where they found this or who took the photo. So I cannot properly credit the photographer.

Anyone who lives in a state like ours that normally averages 55 degrees in winter, and has no tangible and worthwhile methods of clearing roadways or dealing with ice, will understand the (pretend) panic expressed here and laugh. I know I did.

 

[princesss]

That's hilarious! I'm going to have to send that to a few of my coworkers in Houston...

 

[jaysonsmom]

That's funny. Kinda like living in California....when it drizzles here, we have News Reports flashing: Storm Watch 2011

 

[Kaleigh]

What a riot!!!! Thanks Holly!!

 

[Gypsy]

Having been trapped (literally TRAPPED) in Amarillo for three days during an ice storm in 2006 with only Walmart and Hooters for food, leaky windows that let in the cold faster than the space heater could work, at the only available motel (Best Western) and being afraid to step outside my motel room door because the owners had no salt to put on the ice so walking down the hall and the stairs was literally taking your life into your hands....

Not to mention the fact that all the trucks on the road (not the big wheels, regular people trucks) refused to slow down, tail gated you until you got out of their way going 70 miles an hour... and then caused a traffic back up that trapped us right back into Amarillo every time we tried to escape by flipping their trucks over and taking out a few cars with them.

I think the sign in right on!!!

I live in Nor Cal. When it snows everyone on the freeway stops. Parks. Get out of their cars and looks up at the sky like it's the second coming.

 

[Jennifer W]

Holly, that made me laugh!

The electronic sign board I pass on my way to work here has given up on dire warnings about snow (there were many) and now simply states:

"Avoid distractions whilst driving."

Presumably just in case a 40ft high illuminated sign with lights flashing around it in rural Scotland isn't enough of a distraction...

 

[HollyS]

Holly, that made me laugh!

The electronic sign board I pass on my way to work here has given up on dire warnings about snow (there were many) and now simply states:

"Avoid distractions whilst driving."

Presumably just in case a 40ft high illuminated sign with lights flashing around it in rural Scotland isn't enough of a distraction...

I'm loving the "whilst" in your sign. So much more civilized and refined than our own take on the Queen's English.

 

[kenny]

It's true.

We are all going to die.

 

[ksinger]

Weather. Yeesh. We usually don't get much snow, but this year has been a snowpocalypse for sure. Some northern areas got 16 inches - a new record for the state, since they've been keeping records I think. That and one town actually hit 25 BELOW. That is just insane for Oklahoma.

I gotta say though, no state goes as insane for weather coverage as this one. Not only are we THE bullseye for the largest tornadoes, we also have the National Severe Storms Lab here. It makes for a street-level focus on storms. They'll cover a raindrop in McCurtain county for HOURS, and forget watching anything but weather coverage on an local station. We even have a state drinking game built around one of our long-time and beloved local news meteorologists.

 

[davi_el_mejor]

Having been trapped (literally TRAPPED) in Amarillo for three days during an ice storm in 2006 with only Walmart and Hooters for food, leaky windows that let in the cold faster than the space heater could work, at the only available motel (Best Western) and being afraid to step outside my motel room door because the owners had no salt to put on the ice so walking down the hall and the stairs was literally taking your life into your hands....

Not to mention the fact that all the trucks on the road (not the big wheels, regular people trucks) refused to slow down, tail gated you until you got out of their way going 70 miles an hour... and then caused a traffic back up that trapped us right back into Amarillo every time we tried to escape by flipping their trucks over and taking out a few cars with them.

I think the sign in right on!!!

I live in Nor Cal. When it snows everyone on the freeway stops. Parks. Get out of their cars and looks up at the sky like it's the second coming.

I grew up in the mountains of Nor Cal. Snow didn't phase us... but the flatlanders as we so lovingly called them caused havoc and headaches

There's a small village up the mountain from where I grew up called Cottage Springs. One day a disgruntled CalTrans worker changed the sign to read "Chains required east of Cottage Cheese"

Sadly, he was fired. Some people have no sense of humor

 

[Strawdermangrl]

Living in Houston, I would have to say that is the most accurate response to the weather we have had as of late. LOL- seriously. They close the entire city when it flurries. No lie. The WHOLE city.

 

[yennyfire]

A DOT worker with a sense of humor...I love it!

 

[luv2sparkle]

That is the greatest sign ever!!! I love it. I think they should make it a law that there should be humor in all fwy signs! Made my day.

 

[HollyS]

Weather. Yeesh. We usually don't get much snow, but this year has been a snowpocalypse for sure. Some northern areas got 16 inches - a new record for the state, since they've been keeping records I think. That and one town actually hit 25 BELOW. That is just insane for Oklahoma.

I gotta say though, no state goes as insane for weather coverage as this one. Not only are we THE bullseye for the largest tornadoes, we also have the National Severe Storms Lab here. It makes for a street-level focus on storms. They'll cover a raindrop in McCurtain county for HOURS, and forget watching anything but weather coverage on an local station. We even have a state drinking game built around one of our long-time and beloved local news meteorologists.

I'd say the weather/news folks overreact . . . except they don't really, do they? You guys have the most ferocious storms. Truly nasty.

I've said this before (haven't I), but you seem to be much more of an Austin-type of gal than an Okie.

 

[ksinger]

Weather. Yeesh. We usually don't get much snow, but this year has been a snowpocalypse for sure. Some northern areas got 16 inches - a new record for the state, since they've been keeping records I think. That and one town actually hit 25 BELOW. That is just insane for Oklahoma.

I gotta say though, no state goes as insane for weather coverage as this one. Not only are we THE bullseye for the largest tornadoes, we also have the National Severe Storms Lab here. It makes for a street-level focus on storms. They'll cover a raindrop in McCurtain county for HOURS, and forget watching anything but weather coverage on an local station. We even have a state drinking game built around one of our long-time and beloved local news meteorologists.

I'd say the weather/news folks overreact . . . except they don't really, do they? You guys have the most ferocious storms. Truly nasty.

I've said this before (haven't I), but you seem to be much more of an Austin-type of gal than an Okie.

No, they truly overreact. A bad case of "crying wolf" syndrome resulting in viewer fatigue.

Socially I probably am more of an Austin girl. If the boy and I had to up stakes and move, we've already decided that's a town we could deal with, although I'd suffer greatly with the heat. We were there last summer, and it was pretty brutal, and that coming from someone who cruises through 105 regularly. Humidity maybe? And I must say, the driving there was surreal. Lessee, Dallas is "Get OUT OF MY WAY!!", Here it's "I'm a big jack*** in a bigger truck, but you KNOW that I'm going to cut you off so deal", and Austin was "WHOA! Dude! Sorry I wandered into your lane man, but hey, I dropped my joint and...", not agressive or predictable, but really absent and random.

 

[Bleed Burnt Orange]

Weather. Yeesh. We usually don't get much snow, but this year has been a snowpocalypse for sure. Some northern areas got 16 inches - a new record for the state, since they've been keeping records I think. That and one town actually hit 25 BELOW. That is just insane for Oklahoma.

I gotta say though, no state goes as insane for weather coverage as this one. Not only are we THE bullseye for the largest tornadoes, we also have the National Severe Storms Lab here. It makes for a street-level focus on storms. They'll cover a raindrop in McCurtain county for HOURS, and forget watching anything but weather coverage on an local station. We even have a state drinking game built around one of our long-time and beloved local news meteorologists.

I'd say the weather/news folks overreact . . . except they don't really, do they? You guys have the most ferocious storms. Truly nasty.

I've said this before (haven't I), but you seem to be much more of an Austin-type of gal than an Okie.

No, they truly overreact. A bad case of "crying wolf" syndrome resulting in viewer fatigue.

Socially I probably am more of an Austin girl. If the boy and I had to up stakes and move, we've already decided that's a town we could deal with, although I'd suffer greatly with the heat. We were there last summer, and it was pretty brutal, and that coming from someone who cruises through 105 regularly. Humidity maybe? And I must say, the driving there was surreal. Lessee, Dallas is "Get OUT OF MY WAY!!", Here it's "I'm a big jack*** in a bigger truck, but you KNOW that I'm going to cut you off so deal", and Austin was "WHOA! Dude! Sorry I wandered into your lane man, but hey, I dropped my joint and...", not agressive or predictable, but really absent and random.

The humidity is KILLER for sure, but...Austin is a GREAT city!!

I personally appreciate the city shutting down. If I DO have to drive somewhere...I'd rather there be like 10 cars on the road versus 1000. Gives me enough room to handle ice on the road...as I appreciated last week on my way to work.

 

[KaeKae]

That's funny. Kinda like living in California....when it drizzles here, we have News Reports flashing: Storm Watch 2011

Being a transplant from NJ to SoCal, this gets me every every time, I always want to yell, 'The sky is falling, the sky is falling!'

That phot is great!

 

[AGBF]

The humidity is KILLER for sure, but...Austin is a GREAT city!!

I have been in Houston in the summer and it is hard for me to imagine anything worse. How does Austin compare? I had no idea Oklahoma was so much better!

Deb/AGBF, trying to avoid all these places


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

 

[ksinger]

The humidity is KILLER for sure, but...Austin is a GREAT city!!

I have been in Houston in the summer and it is hard for me to imagine anything worse. How does Austin compare? I had no idea Oklahoma was so much better!

Deb/AGBF, trying to avoid all these places


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

Well, I've not done the actual research to be certain that it was really more humid - I've always heard it is - but we in Oklahoma are no strangers to big heat, or even humidity, but Austin did kinda make me feel rather limp at 102 (I think we were there in late June?), while back home it just doesn't do that so much.

There is nothing I'd love better than living in a western semi-mountainous area. I really like dry desert type climates, but the husband does not. In any case, we're rooted here unless something uproots us, so the point is pretty moot.

 

[House Cat]

I live in Nor Cal. When it snows everyone on the freeway stops. Parks. Get out of their cars and looks up at the sky like it's the second coming.

Gypsy, I hear this might happen for you tonight?

 

[HollyS]

The humidity is KILLER for sure, but...Austin is a GREAT city!!

I have been in Houston in the summer and it is hard for me to imagine anything worse. How does Austin compare? I had no idea Oklahoma was so much better!

Deb/AGBF, trying to avoid all these places


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

The only thing worse than Houston in the summer - - maybe a rainforest somewhere.

Having grown up in Illinois, I can definitely say that Texas is NOT as humid overall as my home state. The Midwest can be brutal in the summer. A miserable steam shower.

Personally, I prefer the desert Southwest. I've been in Arizona in August, and it was soooooo much drier and not at all unpleasant - - even at 110 in the shade!


BTW, since I first posted this on Feb. 10, we've been back up to 80+ degrees. Trees are budding, grass is greening. Yeah, spring!

 

[ksinger]

The humidity is KILLER for sure, but...Austin is a GREAT city!!

I have been in Houston in the summer and it is hard for me to imagine anything worse. How does Austin compare? I had no idea Oklahoma was so much better!

Deb/AGBF, trying to avoid all these places


Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend

The only thing worse than Houston in the summer - - maybe a rainforest somewhere.

Having grown up in Illinois, I can definitely say that Texas is NOT as humid overall as my home state. The Midwest can be brutal in the summer. A miserable steam shower.

Personally, I prefer the desert Southwest. I've been in Arizona in August, and it was soooooo much drier and not at all unpleasant - - even at 110 in the shade!


BTW, since I first posted this on Feb. 10, we've been back up to 80+ degrees. Trees are budding, grass is greening. Yeah, spring!

MMmmm!! The desert SW! My favorite! But throw in some mountains, (since the family roots are deep in Colorado), and I'm even happier. Unfortunately, the boy doesn't like the desert, so we're here in happy Tornado Land. Spring here is increasingly something to be survived....

 

[jaysonsmom]

I live in Nor Cal. When it snows everyone on the freeway stops. Parks. Get out of their cars and looks up at the sky like it's the second coming.

Gypsy, I hear this might happen for you tonight?

We're supposed to get snow even in So Cal! Kids at my son's school are sleeping with a plastic spoon under their pillow It's supposed to make sure you get a snow day out of school. i've never heard of this before ?!?! but it's not going to do them any good, tomorrow's Saturday. I guess that's how excited we can get with the anticipation of seeing snow (for many, it'll be a first).

 

[iLander]

I LOVE that sign!

I'm telling you, we all have got to move south of the Mason-Dixon for the winters and up north for the summers.

Those old cotton-top snowbirds have got it figured out. The ones I end up driving behind can't drive worth a d@mn (think 20 in a 55 zone), but other than that, they're smart cookies!

 

[HollyS]

"we're here in happy Tornado Land. Spring here is increasingly something to be survived...."

Yes, I'm a little nervous until about June. We had an odd something or other earlier this month. It was when that really strong cold front came roaring out of the Rockies at us. We'd been 60s and soupy before the front, and when the cold air hit the warm air, there was tremendous wind. Woke us up out of a sound sleep, and took out some trees and even a couple of street lights a few blocks away.

I'm a bit nervous that it was just a preview of coming attractions, you know? I live not all that far from Jarrell, TX. An F5, basically in your backyard, will make you a tad jumpy whenever the sky gets a little dark.

 

[ksinger]

"we're here in happy Tornado Land. Spring here is increasingly something to be survived...."

Yes, I'm a little nervous until about June. We had an odd something or other earlier this month. It was when that really strong cold front came roaring out of the Rockies at us. We'd been 60s and soupy before the front, and when the cold air hit the warm air, there was tremendous wind. Woke us up out of a sound sleep, and took out some trees and even a couple of street lights a few blocks away.

I'm a bit nervous that it was just a preview of coming attractions, you know? I live not all that far from Jarrell, TX. An F5, basically in your backyard, will make you a tad jumpy whenever the sky gets a little dark.

Jumpy I understand quite well, although the chances of having an F5 nearby again in your lifetime are probably pretty slim. Even in Oklahoma, we rarely see them, thankfully. Although with climate change, I'm getting the sense that the incidence of severe storms in general is going up. I'm really less worried about an F5, than some of the lower ones, which occur more frequently, can do almost as much damage and can kill you just as dead.

Here's a fun chart to show "Tornado Alley" and the area where the most chance exists to see tornadoes big and small. You'll love the "bullseye" effect. First time I saw it I was like, "Oh CRAP!"

http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/primer/tornado/tor_hazardgraph.html

 

[taovandel]

I hadn't heard of the spoon one....People on our side of town put Ice in the toilet....that's supposed to bring snow to the area.

 

[CamoKitty]

Lol. That picture is hilarious! I grew up in CO and i love the snow. Alas, I've been living in GA for the past couple winters Last year was apparently unseasonably cold and the sprinkler pipes in our apartment froze then burst. The apartment complex didn't insulate the pipes well enough so the poor maintenance guys were running from apartment to apartment fixing all the water damage.

What really made me laugh was the news down here said there was a small CHANCE of snow...and Ft Benning and all the school districts pretty much shut down for three days... *headdesk*

This year people seem slightly better prepared. There has been a couple of white dustings on the ground, but nothing I'd actually consider snow, and then I stay inside to avoid the drivers who have no idea what they're doing.