Questions a Canadian girl has for Americans about the snow storms on the East Coast

So, the weather networks/services (you call yours a service, ours is a network) have been predicting a huge snow storm will dump on the East Coast of the U.S. all week, and it looks like they were right. This has caused a lot of anxiety amongst residents and a lot of scrambling from municipal governments. I get it — 3 feet of snow in a day is a lot of snow no matter where you live. A flash freeze is dangerous and a pain in the ass. But, reading the news today, I’ve seen descriptions of behaviour and “preparations” that just really make no sense to this Canadian girl.

Why are you all scrambling to buy food and supplies like the zombie apocalypse is coming?

I mean, I know you might not be able to get to the store for a couple of days, but what is with this mass rush to buy 5 loaves of bread, 6 cartons of eggs, and a crap load of milk? Do you all make tons of French toast whenever it snows? Does it have some kind of magical power to keep you warm in a snowstorm I don’t know about? (If so, let us in on the secret, please!)

In all seriousness though, don’t you have enough food in the house to last you a couple of days? Don’t you generally keep enough of the essentials on hand (soap, toilet paper, necessary medications etc.) that you could go a few days without running out? Or do you actually go to the store to stock up on these things every single day? Somehow I think people seem to be panicking a bit for no rational reason…

Why did all of your states/cities declare states of emergencies before the storm even hit?

I don’t know what the protocol is for declaring a state of emergency in the States, but here it tends to have to be pretty dire (as in no food, no water, or some kind of disaster where people are injured, their homes are destroyed, or they have no electricity and might freeze to death). Not that we never declare them for snow, but generally it’s only after a succession of winter storms like the one you’re getting this weekend.

Shouldn’t you wait until the storm arrives to decide if it’s actually an emergency? And, is it really an emergency if the roads are impassable for a day or so? Can’t you just declare all roads closed so people will stay at home? We often close roads during the winter if the conditions make them unsafe where I’m from. They have closed down all roads in my county before — but no actual emergency, you just didn’t drive for a day.

What is with all of this fear-mongering media coverage? They all refer to a “life-threatening” storm, a “crippling blizzard”, a “paralysing event”.

It’s a snowstorm, not a tornado or a hurricane! Living in a part of the world where the worst hurricanes do is send a ton of rain our way and where tornadoes hit a lot less frequently and severely than they do in the States, I’ve always thought you guys were pretty brave. But it appears the possibility of snow has people running scared. It’s snow — it’s not going to hurt you or kill you, provided you have a warm place to stay in and you take it easy on the shovelling. And, since everything is at a standstill anyway — you don’t really have to deal with it at all. Just stay inside — read, play cards, watch TV, drink, relax.

Tips I have for surviving your blizzard

Just to be clear, while I’m mystified by the way Americans are reacting to the snowstorm, I understand it’s an unusual event for you and that you don’t often deal with this much snow all at once. I get that your municipalities don’t have the resources to move snow the way ours do. So, here are a few tips for surviving the storm.

1. If you don’t absolutely have to drive, DON’T. This should be easy for you, you’re in a state of emergency, all government offices and schools are shut down, so I assume you don’t have to work. (Plus it’s Saturday). So — just take a nice snow day and avoid the roads altogether. Seriously, unless you’re part of emergency personnel or you have a medical emergency, just stay home.
2. If you absolutely MUST drive — clean off your car completely. I don’t care if this takes you an hour and a half, DO IT. You’re only making things more dangerous on the roads if you don’t. Also, go slow, be patient and for goodness sake don’t be on your cell!
3. If you’re shovelling, take it easy. Don’t try to clear 3 feet of snow all in one go, shovel a bit, take a break for 15 or 20 minutes, then go back at it. Many people have heart attacks each year shovelling, so take some breaks. And remember, it’s a snow day, so you don’t have to be anywhere anyway, you can take your time.
4. Help each other out. If you see someone with a car that’s stuck, ask them if they’re ok, offer to help them push it out or offer them a warm place to stay. Help your neighbour shovel out, then he can help you. Help elderly people or those with mobility issues clear walks and driveways, arrange to check on them in case they need something.
5. Above all — enjoy your awesome snow day. You get to be a kid again, go sledding, build a snow man or an awesome fort, have a snowball fight. Then go inside and have hot chocolate, and watch too much TV. Take the day to spend some quality time with your family (or friends) — play some board games, have a few drinks. Being snow bound doesn’t always suck, you literally have nowhere to go and nothing you have to do, so enjoy!