Posted by Carolyn Bodley on 1/11/07 10:02am
Msg #170293
OT - OT - more snow
More Snow – YIPPPPPEEEEE
The grumbling has already begun with the coming of the predicted Colorado Front Range’s 4th storm in four weeks. Personally, I’m elated, however, this storm isn’t predicted to be a big dumper, maybe 8 inches, because it’s coming from the North – and in the past, these Artic fronts have been notoriously known more for the frigid below zero temps than for the precipitation.
For the farmers and ranchers on the plains, Colorado winter of 2006-2007 is both bad and good – they have been literally dumped on with snow and have lost millions of dollars of cattle. However, on the flip side, the snow has come early enough in the season that it will melt gradually into the soil which is making the farmers ecstatic in planning their spring/summer crops.
Colorado’s climate is semi-arid. We don’t get a heck of a lot of moisture during the summer months, so it is crucial that we get good snow during the winter months. Colorado has been in a drought for 10-12 years, although the noticeable effects of the drought just began showing up the past 4-5 years. When driving through the Denver Metro area in the summer, instead of lush green lawns and flowers, you see yards of dirt and overgrown weeds – a pretty ugly sight. Mandatory summer water rationing has been in effect in some metro cities for five years. Our own municipality had mandatory rationing for two years, and voluntary rationing thereafter. Ummmm, let’s see – do I want to flush the toilet or spray some water in the yard?
What is so fantastic about this winter’s snow is the water content. So what that I still have three feet of the white stuff in my yard?—it only means that it’s melting slowing into the dry and parched soil and the grass—grass that I haven’t allowed to die but only allowed to get somewhat brown the past five summers – and the dry mountain timber that hopefully during the summer months of 2007 will not see more fires and property loss. Two years ago our own mountain cabin was less than a mile from a raging forest fire.
So I say, bring on the snow and then bring on more snow. The problem is not the snow or the amount of snow—it is the fact that the majority of drivers have the belief that they have their 4x4 SUVs, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicles and they think this gives them license to disregard the conditions and drive as though it were still 80 degrees and dry pavement. Ninety percent of Coloradoans have four-wheel drive vehicles, myself included. However, although a 4x4 does generally allow you to drive practically any where, you CANNOT stop any better than a non-4x4 vehicle, and you will notice that many of the pileups involve one or more 4x4s. Until the schools began cutting down on programs, we were required to take driver’s ed in high school—learning to drive in the snow and inclement weather. Additionally, we never had 4x4s, front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive vehicles—we all had to learn to chain up—this was also at a time when schools still had dress codes and girls were not allowed to wear pants/jeans. Lying in the snow and with our dresses billowing, us girls were pretty good chainer-uppers.
So my own suggestion, which I wish would become law, is for all non-Colorado natives who move to our fine state, it should be a requirement that they be required to take a driver’s ed class and learn to drive in the snow!
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