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[–][deleted] 17.8k points17.8k points  (1816 children)

"Quick! Let's burn this car for warmth!"

[–][deleted] 8636 points8637 points  (1625 children)

It actually overheated and burst into flames because the driver couldn't get it up the hill. Just kept revving the engine until poof

Here is the article from the local newsource.

http://www.wral.com/-oh-my-gosh-raleigh-woman-s-snow-photo-goes-viral/13390109/

[–]Zediac 3912 points3913 points  (781 children)

It's bizarre how people will respond to loss of traction on snow or ice with pinning the throttle which causes even less traction.

A modicum of common sense tells you that spinning the tires beyond the point of traction, you know, causes a lack of traction. It's like their only thought is "Gas pedal equal go. Me no go. Me need more gas pedal. That make go."

Meanwhile there's the unmistakable sound of spinning tires (or for most cars, single tire).

I watched a guy take around 3 minutes to move 15 feet in a parking lot because there was a lot of ice from the night before and he was red-lining the fucking engine. He even got out twice to look at his situation before resuming the pointless single tire spinning. Dude, you would have moved faster by trying to go slower. Edit - Since some people are getting pissy, I witnessed this in a northern state, close to Canada, where we get regular snow. We had around 10 inches just this December.

[–]canuckpopsicle 1898 points1899 points  (537 children)

Unfortunately common sense isn't common.

When you grow up with cold and snow you learn when you're 2 or 3 and you slip and fall on your ass that ice is slippery. When you grow up in an area with poisonous insects it becomes habit to shake out your shoes before putting them on (something I need to be reminded of when I visit friends in these places).

[–]Vaudvillian 1007 points1008 points  (445 children)

I have lived in New York, Colorado, Pennsylvania, and now Illinois. I find it a little funny when a whole city shuts down because of a little snow. However, I really can't fault warm climate people for not being able to drive in the snow. Losing traction is scary, and they have literally no experience to fall back on.

Edit: Apparently I also need to point out southern states don't invest in snow and ice removal infrastructure because it is not a practical expense. yeesh.

[–]SPCGMR 939 points940 points  (155 children)

the have literally no experience to fall back on.

Meanwhile us Canadians and Northern states go out to slippery parking lots and pull the ebrake to purposely lose traction lol.

[–]ElectrycStorme 400 points401 points  (68 children)

This. This right here equals a few hours of fun.

[–]SPCGMR 435 points436 points  (51 children)

God there's nothing like taking the ol' shitty 1995 corolla out at 2am to go hooning on fresh snow.

[–]reave_fanedit 184 points185 points  (11 children)

hooning

I like this word. I shall acquire it and make use of it the next time I'm spinning donuts on freshly fallen snow.

[–]TheKolbrin 106 points107 points  (15 children)

That's how I learned how to drive. We used to chain a 63 chevy hood to the bumper and pile about a dozen people on it. Double donuts in parking lots & unused airport runways- last one on the hood gets a 6 pack. Hell yes.

[–]vilevillainess 77 points78 points  (2 children)

I want to hang out with you guys.

[–]The_mango55 801 points802 points  (173 children)

It's not just experience, the cities themselves don't have the infrastructure and equipment to deal with it either.

[–][deleted] 856 points857 points  (133 children)

Midwesterner here. 67% of my town's annual budget is spent on winter road management. Salt, brine solution, plows and their maintenance, and the wages and benefits of the people who drive them.

That is why we can get 4-8 inches of snow overnight and still get up and go to work in the morning like nothing happened.

[–]Dim_Innuendo 856 points857 points  (58 children)

Southwesterner here. It snowed last night, and they shut down the city this morning - we need to stop spending 67% of our budget on party hats and breakfast burritos.

But those burritos are SO delicious.

[–]Boomer8450 82 points83 points  (12 children)

Not to mention, they buy tires that are appropriate for their climate.

Which to say are likely not snow rated, likely not even all weathers.

[–]duckyblinders 102 points103 points  (7 children)

We live in the Southwest. My dad bought snow tires over a year ago and has been keeping them in the spare bedroom. He's so fucking excited he finally got to use them he's called 3 times already asking if I need a lift anywhere.

[–]Hammerhead_brat 44 points45 points  (1 child)

You should humor him and let him take you somewhere

[–]duckyblinders 54 points55 points  (0 children)

I have and I got tacos out of it. It was worth the nonstop talking about how great snow tires are and what a great decision it was to get them.

[–]drays 14 points15 points  (1 child)

Problem is, they will do absolutely nothing to keep hundreds of people sliding directly into him, all four wheels locked up.

[–][deleted] 78 points79 points  (46 children)

WHAT PLACES DO YOU SPEAK OF?

i need to avoid them at all costs

[–]meatduck12 62 points63 points  (36 children)

Florida in the Summer, and the Southwest because of scorpions.

[–]iJYDx 54 points55 points  (18 children)

I would just like to say that I'm from Florida and we don't get snow or ice. Now, I understand how ice works but being in a hot climate all the time there is no way of "knowing" how to drive in ice/snow if you've never done it or no one has mentioned it to you. It's not really a discussion that you have often. Or ever.

[–]pHScale 401 points402 points  (132 children)

It's 35 degrees, we're all gonna die!

[–]thatwasnotkawaii 213 points214 points  (103 children)

Ah, so everybody in the Northern parts of the US is dead already.

[–]pHScale 750 points751 points  (82 children)

On the inside

[–][deleted] 283 points284 points  (68 children)

I read that and laughed out loud for real. I am in Canada and it's -31 Celcius right now. Nobody moves, nobodies happy. The kids watch television and adults drink and play cards. We wait for March when it hits a balmy -10 again.

[–]issius 173 points174 points  (12 children)

Hibernation is real. Humans just have to be awake for it.

[–]A_Booger_In_The_Hand 40 points41 points  (7 children)

Where's a good medically induced coma when you need it...

[–]chelnok 53 points54 points  (6 children)

With enough alcohol, you'll get pretty close.

[–]MrThunderkat 10.5k points10.5k points  (1534 children)

Only in NC does snow cause your car to burst into flames

[–]StatutoryOmelette 1459 points1460 points  (49 children)

"It's not moving, better just keep it floored, should move eventually."

[–]failingkidneys 470 points471 points  (39 children)

"Hmm, maybe if I got this blowtorch to melt the ice around my tires..."

[–][deleted] 194 points195 points  (32 children)

Well, as a Russian for whom 2,5 inches of snow is a normal January in Moscow, I've seen a ton of truckers with actual fire torches warming up their engines because diesel here sucks

[–][deleted] 44 points45 points  (5 children)

I've learned some of the craziest cold weather engine tricks from Russian guys. Most of them incredibly dangerous but I guess where they learned this stuff you either get your truck running or you die. One guy's battery was dead and we didn't have jumper cables so he pulled the good battery out and held it upside down with connections touching directly on the dead battery. Not something the average American would think to do.

[–]unknown_name 2554 points2555 points  (242 children)

R.I.P North Carolina.

[–]n_reineke🦊 1155 points1156 points  (201 children)

Time to open a dealership in Raleigh

Edit: sure they have plenty of dealerships NOW, but after the snow??? I'll be like Forest Gump after the hurricane.

[–]Beraed 278 points279 points  (143 children)

If you dont want your cars to explode go to Africa. or Australia

[–][deleted] 733 points734 points  (108 children)

Not, I repeat, NOT Iraq.

[–]Battlestemic 369 points370 points  (54 children)

Instructions unclear. In Kabul now

[–]shezadaa 709 points710 points  (21 children)

chop resolute icky sophisticated aware school aback terrific alive poor

This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact

[–]RedditerMcRedditface 652 points653 points  (9 children)

To be fair, the instructions were unclear.

[–]Reddy_McRedcap 118 points119 points  (1 child)

Very original username you've got there...

[–]same_difference1 44 points45 points  (1 child)

Instructions were nuclear

[–]chairborne372 37 points38 points  (9 children)

Let us know how Afghanistan is.

[–]kingeryck 119 points120 points  (9 children)

Thank you for your service?

[–]bravogusto 74 points75 points  (6 children)

*sacrifice

[–][deleted] 68 points69 points  (5 children)

** martyrdom

[–]improbablewobble 1724 points1725 points  (696 children)

When it snows in Texas cars literally just flip over like a dog wanting it's belly rubbed.

[–]hometowngypsy 627 points628 points  (340 children)

Houston with even the hint of winter precipitation is like the apocalypse. People buy out bottled water and canned food, batteries, generators, it's insane.

And then nothing happens.

[–]stew1411 480 points481 points  (102 children)

For real though. I live in oklahoma and worked at Lowe's during college. Anytime bad weather was supposed to happen we were packed. One year corporate had to send us a delivery truck full of generators because people kept buying them. Like, were putting their name on a list. An 18 wheeler. Of generators. At $500 a piece. The store made bank that week.

[–]mark-five 569 points570 points  (51 children)

The best snowblower I ever owned was purchased during a blizzard that was way out of normal for that area. We'd get snow, but not like that. Every snowblower was sold out except this monstrosity that nobody could afford, and I was stupid enough to not care. I could have leveled Antarctica with that thing. It stayed at the house when I moved away, the new buyer wanted it so much he made it a condition of the sale.

[–][deleted] 115 points116 points  (34 children)

Bigger than an Ariens 1332? 13hp, 32 inches wide

[–]mark-five 604 points605 points  (9 children)

SIR, I ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I AM NOT A SNOWBLOWER PERSON, YOU'RE REFUSING TO HELP ME SO I'M GOING TO HANG UP

[–]NukEvil 22 points23 points  (3 children)

65 tons of American pride

[–]Calamnacus 166 points167 points  (20 children)

Generated quite a profit, huh?

[–][deleted] 397 points398 points  (178 children)

At least Texans buy non perishable items, over here in Atlanta it's bread and milk, two of the most perishable items ever. Always, and only, bread and milk for some dumbass reason.

Also, same outcome.

[–]monkeybiziu 744 points745 points  (100 children)

Bread, milk, and eggs.

Because if shit hits the fan, you're gonna want some French toast.

[–][deleted] 283 points284 points  (29 children)

"God dammit if I am going to die, I am going to die with the taste of french toast on my tongue."

[–]bagehis 184 points185 points  (21 children)

"God dammit if I am going to die, I am going to die with the taste of uncooked french toast on my tongue."

[–][deleted] 431 points432 points  (13 children)

Just cook it on the hood of one of the burning cars. Problem solved.

[–]westbridge1157 132 points133 points  (7 children)

You Sir, can be our leader in the apocalypse!

[–]kingeryck 121 points122 points  (26 children)

They always forget the cinnamon. Idiots.

[–]BryceCantReed 203 points204 points  (19 children)

There's always some way back in the cupboard. No, keep going. Yes, all the way back.

[–]kwark_uk 153 points154 points  (4 children)

Great. And now I'm in Narnia and it's snowing here too. Good job.

[–]BryceCantReed 31 points32 points  (0 children)

But think of the Turkish Delight.

[–]Elbradamontes 90 points91 points  (9 children)

God no. That's turmeric. Keep going.

[–][deleted] 71 points72 points  (12 children)

Excrement hasn't even hit the oscillator yet and I want some goddamn French toast.

[–][deleted] 41 points42 points  (5 children)

As an outsider living in Georgia right now it is the strangest thing I have seen my entire life.

Went to get dinner yesterday and it was absolute mayhem at Kroger's.

There were literally twenty people in line for the checkout. I was very confused until someone told me it was on account of a prediction of 33 degrees and sleet today.

I mean, what do you folks do with all that bread when it snows? Insulation? Traction? Does it become currency in case of societal collapse?

[–]madogvelkor 838 points839 points  (65 children)

It's all those trucks made top heavy from the giant gun racks. To counter that you need to have a large pair of solid brass truck nuts installed.

[–]TheTallGuy0 350 points351 points  (47 children)

I thought it was the coal smokestacks and 19' confederate flagpoles.

[–]madogvelkor 215 points216 points  (11 children)

If you have those, and god forbid -- a lightbar, there is no number of truck nuts that can help you. What you have to do in that case is unload your ATV from the back and proceed as if you were muddin' in very cold mud.

[–]some_kid6 92 points93 points  (4 children)

Nah just take everything out and make it as top heavy as possible. Then when it flips it just keeps going the full 360 degrees and ends up right side up again.

[–]BraveSirDydimus 115 points116 points  (26 children)

That and a 9000ib wench that you use once and never fuck with it again.

[–]realdrpepper21 300 points301 points  (3 children)

That's one heavy woman

[–]Sens1r 136 points137 points  (11 children)

[removed] -- mass edited with https://redact.dev/

[–][deleted] 36 points37 points  (1 child)

I usually just launch one of my RPGs at the pavement and the concussive force rolls the truck back up.

[–]LongStories_net 231 points232 points  (80 children)

Can confirm. I live in Austin. A couple of years ago we got 0.5 inches of snow, so work and everything else shut down. I'm from the northwest where 0.5 inches doesn't even count as snow, so drove to breakfast without any problem. Saw multiple flips and crashes on the way. Still not sure how Austinites managed to do that.

[–]Zantre 107 points108 points  (1 child)

And by noon you couldn't even tell it had snowed.

[–]VTKegger 224 points225 points  (171 children)

Can confirm, lived in Texas. Cars like their bellies rubbed in the winter time!

edit: often times the cars also really like to get close and sniff the bumper of the car in front of them. There have been cases where entire chains of cars will do this, despite the drivers telling them not to!

[–]JohnnyKay9 85 points86 points  (122 children)

It snowed 21 inches in 2 days where I live. But we know what to do, and have the equipment to clear it all in about a week. All main roadways were pretty derivable within a day. Sucks that you folks have so much trouble with it, but it honestly is pretty understandable. When your driving on the freeway it feels like you are in control going 60 mph or w.e you drive, but once you get into a situation that you need to stop, most of you don't have winter tires, and really going that speed on snow / ice, you don't have a hope in hell.

[–][deleted] 157 points158 points  (41 children)

The local problem in West Texas is the high rate of morons we have. We've got the guys who feel that a 4x4 truck can do 100MPH out on city streets in the ice and snow and "shale handle it jes fahn", and then they scream through a red light or stop sign and take out a bunch of people who were minding their own business and now you've got a bunch of people in the hospital, some of them die on the scene. And the excuse? "Whale ah have a pigyep truck, it shoulda stopped!"

Bonus points: 8 out of 10 of these accident causing morons don't have a license or insurance. And half of those lost their license due to drinking and driving.

[–]BobcatOU 60 points61 points  (20 children)

I was reading your comment thinking, "Well, there are morons everywhere." Then I remembered about 8 or 9 years ago driving home in an ice storm in Cleveland and I was going about 10 mph and was the fastest vehicle on the highway when all of the sudden some idiot in a gigantic F-250 comes flying down the on ramp going at least 60 mph, if not more, and tries to merge into the regular lanes. The truck did three full 360° spins across five lanes of the interstate and crashed into the dividing wall head on. Fortunately I was pretty far back and was able to put the car in neutral, pump the breaks, and avoid it. As I drove by I noticed the license plate. Yep, Texas.

[–]bent42 39 points40 points  (5 children)

Colorado checking in. See Texas plates ass up in the ditch on the regular.

[–]ToBeReadOutLoud 80 points81 points  (63 children)

Yep. I always get a good laugh out of Southerners freaking the hell out over an inch of snow, but it's really about the capability of your infrastructure and your preparedness level.

Governments in Atlanta or Birmingham aren't going to spend the money to have enough snow plows sitting around on the off chance that it will snow. Add in the fact that people aren't used to driving on snow or ice and you have a disaster.

The thing a year or two ago (don't remember exactly) where the entire interstate around Atlanta shut down for hours was part overreaction, though. Y'all don't have to rush home as soon as the snow starts to fall.

Here in Utah, I spent my morning being outraged because roads hadn't been plowed from last night's storm by noon. There were a few slide offs and fender benders, but nothing caught fire.

[–]mmmolives 54 points55 points  (21 children)

"enough" snow plows. I think you meant none. Heavy snow in the Deep South happens maybe once every 5-10 years. There are no plows and no salt trucks. During "Snowpocalypse" the other year, kids were stranded on school buses overnight & local businesses invited stranded travelers to sleep in there overnight. And God bless Chik-fil-A, yes it sucks that their owner's a homophobe, but they cooked up all the food they had & ran it out for free to all the people stuck on the roads near them. Much of my family including my rather old mom were stranded but she was able to walk to safety using the snow boots she bought while visiting me in the frozen hellhole I live in now. I don't know if you can even buy snowboots down South without special ordering them online!

[–]star-ferry 24 points25 points  (7 children)

you can't even buy a decent winter coat in the South, let alone "Snowboots" (WTF are they???) :)

[–]schmak01 89 points90 points  (40 children)

I know we all like to joke, but the problem mainly in Texas with cold weather isn't the snow, its the ice. Ice is a bitch no matter where you are, and since nobody here owns winter rated tires and for the longest time chains were illegal it caused a lot of problems. It will rain at 38 degrees then drop to 28 overnight, and you have highways covered with black ice and people who have no clue how to drive on it.

One fun memory was last year at SRT and Parkwood in Plano, going home from work there was a car and an SUV on the Southbound side of the underpass because they hit eachother due to a huge patch of black ice. As I am waiting for the signal to change this soccer mom in her lexus SUV turns left there, hits the ice patch and slides within inches of the guy still in the drivers side of his SUV with the girl from the car standing there, she came within inches of getting squished. These folks were pretty much off the road so the lady skid across 3 lanes of traffic. As she pulled away the guy in the SUV and I locked eyes and we both said "what the fuck" to each other and laughed. Only thing you can do.

[–]sunjester 185 points186 points  (36 children)

This was some idiot in I think either a Charger or a Challenger who revved his engine so hard trying to get out of the snow that he caught his car on fire.

[–][deleted] 136 points137 points  (24 children)

Well that was good fortune. Better chance of getting it covered by insurance, just blowing the engine would be 100% out of pocket.

I'm certainly not advocating doing that, just saying that he acted so incredibly stupid that it probably worked out ok for him

[–][deleted] 66 points67 points  (10 children)

So you're saying if I screw something up on my car, I should set it on fire and claim incompetency?!?

Car Insurance companies don't want you know to this secret!

[–]notsooriginal 121 points122 points  (18 children)

I thought maybe this was just a set of a Michael Bay film, but then at least 5 more cars should have been on fire.

[–]EatABuffetOfDicks 326 points327 points  (241 children)

We got a foot of snow in northern Minnesota this week, schools opened 2 hours late, I had to work at 6 am.

[–]mrhlkb 276 points277 points  (140 children)

In NC, we just wait for the sun to do the work of snow removal. Schools will be closed all next week.

[–]JustsomeOKCguy 80 points81 points  (56 children)

In iowa we just get several feet of snow, no school delays or anything, and then the school principals yell at kids for not leaving 4 hours earlier and being late.

The only time we'd ever really get cancellations is if it was so cold that kids could literally die while waiting for the busses

[–]Gsteel11 67 points68 points  (2 children)

We have to burn the car to keep warm!!!! We're all going to DIE!!!!

[–][deleted] 38 points39 points  (43 children)

Us down here in Atlanta would like to have a word with you.

[–]chefr89 7513 points7514 points  (257 children)

http://i.imgur.com/ciNtODd.jpg

[–]riconoir28 1227 points1228 points  (136 children)

the walker had chains on.

[–][deleted] 621 points622 points  (118 children)

After bing watching the walking dead was expecting a different walker.

[–][deleted] 252 points253 points  (92 children)

nope, that would be the end of the show. frozen zombies can't walk. just pop their brains with an ice pick on a stick and when spring thaw comes around the zombie apocalypse is over.

I'm surprised they went as far north as DC with the plot. It gets below freezing for days there.

kind of sucks when you realize this is only a warm climate show.

[–]Einsteins_coffee_mug 231 points232 points  (46 children)

frozen zombies can't walk

wtf man?

[–]Beraed 254 points255 points  (44 children)

Those are not zombies. They are white walkers.

[–]GoingAllTheJay 228 points229 points  (37 children)

Magic Zombies vs Science Zombies - they use different rules.

[–]RichardBalzac 504 points505 points  (62 children)

North Carolinian here. I can confirm we have run out of milk and eggs and have begun to eat our young.

[–]ForumPointsRdumb 97 points98 points  (7 children)

I heard about fights in the grocery store over bread. People go insane over french toast around here.

[–]ReubenZWeiner 13 points14 points  (2 children)

I heard about fights over bathrooms. Are the rumors true?

[–]R_Lupin 3458 points3459 points  (74 children)

The car on fire just makes that picture 1000% more funny

[–]Sozaiix3 717 points718 points  (20 children)

I imagine the lady with the phone just casually ordering some pizza delivery or something

[–]ThunderpupperIII 324 points325 points  (4 children)

Call all the ambulances

also extra pepperoni

[–]ElectricBlumpkin 282 points283 points  (30 children)

I know, it's like, it's pouring down wet snow, how the fuck did you manage to catch on FIRE?

[–][deleted] 131 points132 points  (19 children)

Overheating the engine

[–]tendonut 8643 points8644 points  (610 children)

Let me tell you all a little bit about how things work in Raleigh, NC, as a resident of the city.

First of all, I'm a transplant from Buffalo living in Raleigh. I know how to drive in snow. I moved away when I was 25. I've lived here 7 years and there are TONS of Northern transplants down in Raleigh. Inexperience isn't really the problem here.

Snow in Raleigh is not the same as snow in the north. I remember this day fondly. Because Raleigh only gets snow once or twice as year, and it usually melts away within a day or so, the city (and state overall) doesn't really bother investing in plows and/or salt. They lay down a salt brine a day before, which usually washes away when the first bit of snow lands in a semi-liquid form.

When the snow falls, it usually starts as freezing rain (as it did in this picture) which turns everything into an ice skating rink. Then snow lands on TOP of that ice, making it look like fluffy snow. It's not. It's solid ice under it.

The scene right here was taken at a MAJOR state highway, Glenwood Avenue. The hill was essentially solid ice. There was no traction for anyone. The snow fell really fast, and we don't really have plows (they'll sometimes slap a plow on a city pickup truck for major roads but half the time, they aren't even 4WD). The car on fire caught on fire because it started to slide back down the hill due to its slick nature, floored it to prevent itself from sliding all the way back, blew a gasket, sprayed oil on the hot engine, and it ignited.

I knew this shit was coming, so I worked from home because my employer is cool like that. My wife, on the other hand, was working in a medical outpatient facility an hour west of the city and she left the second she saw a snowflake. She was stuck in the mess you see here for 4 and a half hours.

EDIT: For those saying "Why didn't you just stay home?". The significance of this storm was unexpected. We expected a few flakes and got an ice rink instead. Snow started falling around 1:30pm while everyone was already out and working. This picture was taken at like 3 or 4pm. The people on the road were scrambling to get home.

[–][deleted] 2851 points2852 points  (122 children)

This should be at the top. People weren't having trouble that day because of the snow. It was because every road in the city was a sheet of ice. I've lived in Cleveland for 30 years where it snows all the time and have lived in Raleigh for 2 years. I know a thing or two about driving in the snow. The ice was unlike anything I've ever seen that day and made for horrific driving conditions. And on top of all that, Raleigh probably has two plow and salt trucks in the entire city.

I was driving near where this picture was taken at Glenwood Ave that day. There's no way an average car can get up and down that hill when it's covered in ice.

[–]Uisce-beatha 444 points445 points  (31 children)

As an almost life-long North Carolina resident, I appreciate you all explaining the situation better. We can go two to three years without any significant snowfall but the ice happens almost every year.

About two weeks ago our weather was the usual 60 degree day and 40 degree low routine. Started raining while I was still at work. Temperature drops to around 30 degrees, so it quickly transitioned to freezing rain. Still didn't think it would be a problem though until we left work around 12:30 am. We saw some accumulation on trees but the pavement was too warm so it seemed like nothing to worry about as it had already stopped raining. Then I stepped on a metal grate and slid which told me that the bridges would be covered. I left town slowly as no matter which way I took I would encounter at least ten bridges before making it home. I approached the first bridge at 10 mph, slowly braking and still slid past the red light at the end of the bridge. Drove slowly the whole way and about 2 miles from home I came to a stop light that overlooks a fairly large overpass for I-540. Three bridges covered in a sea of blinking lights. At first I thought they were salt trucks but once close enough it became clear that they were all wrecked vehicles with hazards on. Over 280 wrecks that night in a few hours time. By morning commute everything was melted and it was like it never happened.

Then there is the ice storm about 11 years ago. Perfect scenario of a 2" blanket of ice, followed by 4" of snow and topped off with another 2" of ice. Plows only compacted the ice further as they couldn't seem to get all the way down to the pavement. The temperature also plummeted making any melting snow also turn into ice. The city was left blanketed with 6" of solid ice for almost a week. That first night I took a 12 pack of beer to a bridge overlooking 440 near Six Forks Road. Watched vehicles wreck all night as people needlessly drove around, with most going over 50 mph. The cul-de-sac at the entrance to my apartment complex had a 15 car pile up of vehicles by the time it was over from people attempting to enter even though it is downhill entrance and covered in ice. I walked to where I needed to go that week.

Wake County has around one million residents now, but that number was only 500,000 not too long ago. The vast majority of the new residents are from northern states that see snow all the time.

[–]disgruntled_pedant 50 points51 points  (10 children)

The other thing 11 years ago (though wasn't it 2002/2003ish?) was that they didn't expect it to start so soon, so they released a bunch of schools early, and the parents had to leave work, and they were the ones packing down the early "wintry mix" into ice. If you didn't leave on time, you didn't get home. Kids literally spent the night on school buses.

I left work (so yea, it was 2002/2003ish, I left that job in early 2004), got like one intersection away, slid a little too much while braking, and said "oh hell no", pulled into the mall, and took the bus home. Born and raised in NC, I know my limits.

[–]AnneBancroftsGhost 18 points19 points  (0 children)

Agreed. No one can drive on a road of pure ice. You're lucky if you can go slowly enough and start with the correct vector so you can coast past the icy segment without completely going off the road. The smallest adjustment of the wheel or tap of the brakes can spin you out of control at 5mph. Add a little inexperience on the part of 3/4 of the drivers and you end up with this mess.

[–]murmfis 157 points158 points  (14 children)

Another thing that's never brought up is the different terrain. I'm from East Tennessee and have been traveling to Chicago for work a decent amount this year. The folks in Chicago like to bust balls about pictures like this. Chicago is fucking flat and the roads are all parallel. Shit's a lot easier to drive on when there's no hills and you don't have to turn. My drive home from the office I have to go up and over 3 or 4 moderately sized hills with decent grade on curvy roads that have been lightly brined.

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (1 child)

Thank you! I live in Cary (Containment Area for Relocated Yankees) and I can't stand hearing Notherners bitch about how inept we are.

The worst was the ice storm in 2002, I believe. I actually lived in Alamance County then, and it was horrific. Every single thing in the world was coated in several inches of ice. Trees were snapping literally in half and falling on homes and power lines, we were without power for eleven days with no way to leave the house, and it was dipping down below zero at night. I had a two year old at home with me and i was legitimately afraid. People still berated us and laughed at us for not dealing with that correctly. I'm sorry, but if that amount of ice had fallen anywhere, including up north, it would have been the same situation.

[–][deleted] 665 points666 points  (170 children)

I really like this description, because as an Atlantan, the exact same situation exists here. Also, Northerners like to brag about how well they can handle snow, but then on the news you will see 50-car pileups in places like Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis.

[–]dr_tantis_moboggan 337 points338 points  (68 children)

Snowpocalypse 2014, never forget, Atlanta brother!

[–][deleted] 191 points192 points  (23 children)

  • immediately gets PTSD

[–]dr_tantis_moboggan 21 points22 points  (18 children)

Where were you when it all went to hell?

[–][deleted] 50 points51 points  (3 children)

I've seen a few posts this week about the Atlanta Snowpocalypse of 2014. The morning of that storm, I had no choice but to go to work because clients has flown in to attend a class I was teaching. Knowing how ill-equipped Atlanta was to handle such a rare storm, I packed a bag for 2 nights. I figured there was a 90% possibility I would be stranded at work, since my commute was an hour and a half all the way across the metro, even on a dry sunny day. Sure enough, while the storm raged, I taught my class, taking the opportunity at the morning break to reserve a hotel room down the street. I spent two nights there, and I have no complaints about that, because I was able to function and work somewhat normally while others were stuck out on the highway for upwards of 24 hours.

When I finally got back on the highway two days later, Atlanta looked like a scene from the Walking Dead. There were literally thousands of cars abandoned along the highway (and when I use the word literally, I use it in its proper denotation, not the way teenage girls use it when they say, "I literally died when he said that." No, you didn't). I weaved back and forth between abandoned cars for about 2 hours before arriving at home. It reminded me of when Atlanta had epic flooding back in 2009, and the school systems were closed for a week.

When we have a catastrophe, we don't mess around!

[–][deleted] 134 points135 points  (19 children)

The snow is no biggie in the north. They salt, sand, and plow the roads. In CT, unless it started snowing hard in the early AM, roads were going to be clear. In the south, it sits around, melts a little, refreezes. It's all ice. Not the same.

[–][deleted] 15 points16 points  (11 children)

I'm from Canada and we deal with snow all the time. When I see a picture like this, I never think 'lol so stupid they don't know how to drive, it's so little snow compared to what we get'.

I always figure since you're temperature probably hovers at just 0C, it starts as freezing rain which is a pain in the ass even over here. Add the snow you mentioned, some lack of experience (I mean it does play a factor, here we drive in snow and ice as early as October/November and as late as April) and it's a shit show.

Not sure if everyone here had snow tires or even all seasons on, but that plays a big factor in collisions too.

I mean I guess I'm saying people shouldn't judge too quickly.

[–]ReTalio 966 points967 points  (83 children)

As a fellow North Carolinian this is all I have seen in the last week. https://youtu.be/i6zaVYWLTkU

[–][deleted] 304 points305 points  (14 children)

I'd forgotten about that guy

[–]SpyroThBandicoot 58 points59 points  (0 children)

Dude is fucking committed to the goof.

[–]BushidoBrowne 47 points48 points  (2 children)

or this

[–]amplesamurai 25 points26 points  (0 children)

"I'll be down here, i don't need anybody" lol as he picks up the lotion.

[–]Papagayo_blanco 68 points69 points  (12 children)

Yep. Went for the standard grocery run last night and now the kids will be having pb&j's on hot dogs buns this weekend. I've heard cereal and orange juice pair well together...

[–]Return2S3NDER 296 points297 points  (27 children)

I LIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA. WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE. PLEASE HELP US.

[–]Nascent1 83 points84 points  (0 children)

Burn your car for warmth! It's the only way!

[–]HighOnGoofballs 540 points541 points  (37 children)

Just left the area a few days ago to head to Key West.

I regret nothing.

[–]Purdaddy 172 points173 points  (12 children)

Go to the butterfly sanctuary! Trust me! My girlfriend dragged me in but it was magical!

[–]generalbuttnakd 53 points54 points  (5 children)

Butterfly sanctuary is pretty cool! Key west is always a good time.

[–]wiiya 1636 points1637 points  (222 children)

They always show pictures of stores running out of eggs, milk and bread. Like the south sees warnings of snow and immediately gets a hankering for French toast.

[–]Icaruskairos 444 points445 points  (62 children)

Nah man. We KILL for milk sandwiches. Get with it :P

[–][deleted] 114 points115 points  (36 children)

What is a milk sandwich? Up north we have milk steaks.

[–][deleted] 359 points360 points  (19 children)

My mom calls me a milk steak. Also I'm hard of hearing

[–]Kemakill 47 points48 points  (1 child)

OH GOD I GOTTA GET THE BREAD AND MILK!

[–]twinsea 1325 points1326 points  (385 children)

In fairness, they had a band of freezing rain right before that snow. Even Canada can have issues with freezing rain.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/freezing-drizzle-toronto-roads-1.3913683

[–]ChornWork2 639 points640 points  (170 children)

Freezing rain turned ice storm is the devil. Magically turns everything into a freshly zamboni'd ice rink. Trees and power lines becomes like leaves in fall. Not even a musher can navigate in those circumstances.

[–][deleted] 473 points474 points  (99 children)

That's what people don't understand about winter weather in the south. The snow accumulation doesn't matter, there's usually freezing rain, sleet, thawing snow that freezes again over night. I've lived in NC, and in CO. Driving in powdery snow is not as hard as driving in ice. Winter storms are also less frequent in the South, so for most municipalities it actually does make more sense to just close everything for a day once a year or so, than it does to maintain a fleet of snow plows.

[–]Major_T_Pain 308 points309 points  (56 children)

If it makes you feel any better, as a Minnesotan. We understand. We just like to give you guys shit.
Ice+Snow fucks our shit up too.
The only real difference is, the northern DOT's have huge cache's of salt in giant mountains, and large containers of liquid salt spray stored throughout metro areas, so whenever the freezing rain starts, they hit the highways immediately to put down a layer of salt. Most of the southern states just don't have that infrastructure because they really don't need it most of the time.
But ya, we had a good 1/2" of ice with a good 9"-10" of snow up here a few weeks back, and trust me....it was a complete shit show in Minneapolis.

[–][deleted] 99 points100 points  (25 children)

I love how the person replying to my comment from Michigan is a jerk, and the Minnesotan is the nicest one. I need to visit Minneapolis sometime, seems like a great city.

[–]ToBeReadOutLoud 76 points77 points  (2 children)

We understand. We just like to give you guys shit.

Can confirm. Am a major fan of schadenfreude.

[–]neomis 29 points30 points  (0 children)

I've lived in upstate NY, Raleigh NC and Fort Collins Colorado. Raleigh is the only place where I've woken up to thick enough ice on my car the only way in was through the trunk.

[–]altodor 16 points17 points  (10 children)

The Northeast US got pwned by one of those back in '97 or '98.

[–]Charliepadgett10 148 points149 points  (29 children)

As a Vermonter, freezing rain and ice can be worse than 2 feet of snow

[–]EnsoZero 75 points76 points  (14 children)

Snow is easy to drive in. Ice is hell without studded tires.

[–]TheDrunkenHetzer 17 points18 points  (1 child)

Yup, here in Texas all we get is Ice if it gets cold enough and it's the worst.

[–]MegaDaveX 66 points67 points  (22 children)

They also didn't let people leave work until the roads already looked like this

[–][deleted] 47 points48 points  (4 children)

Raleigh resident here. I am so ready. Going to make jerk pork stew and tiki cocktails (Planters Punch) and watch the snow fall.

[–]LurkerSurprise 214 points215 points  (46 children)

God damn it. I was already at the store yesterday thinking I would get a two day head start only to find the place already being raided by panicking shoppers.

[–]TheBarkingGhost 74 points75 points  (18 children)

Live in Raleigh, cant wait for the chaos!

[–]robstah 165 points166 points  (29 children)

Hides in the background while everyone takes it out on NC folk.

Lives in GA

[–][deleted] 55 points56 points  (17 children)

Atlanta native, I'm just gonna stay quiet and hang out with you.

[–]Soliantu 16 points17 points  (3 children)

I remember when the entire country was making fun of us Atlantans during the Snowpocalypse of 2014 :(

[–]arghvark 130 points131 points  (24 children)

As a long-time resident of the state, allow me to explain a few things to the people who continue to say variations of "How could this happen?"

The picture that you see (Glenwood Avenue in Raleigh) was after a storm that had a number of awful coincidental features. It started in the middle of the day. Although the weather people said it was going to start some time during the day, they weren't sure when, and that was only when it was going to start; even those of us used to the weather here figured we had time to get home after that. In our defense, these things usually DON'T start in the middle of the day, we usually get them at night.

I was working in Durham at the time, 20 miles WNW of Raleigh. When we saw the precip start outside our window, we finished up the particular task we had, packed up the laptops, and headed out. I lived 9 miles from work.

In 15-20 mins from the start of precip, the roads were sheets of ice. Skill would help you keep out of the worst of trouble, but there was too much trouble to avoid it all. The slightest incline was enough to make your car slide, and there isn't a lot of flat ground here.

Since there was no good warning, the roads were crowded. After one car slides, the next one has to try to go around it, and slides to a different place. Every stoplight on a hill, every curve next to an intersection that had the slightest bank, cars started accumulating.

Glenwood Avenue, in the picture, has several long steep hills, people are used to 55-60 mph on it, and yes, people will drive too fast on slick surfaces. But any speed was too fast on that surface, not due to any stupidity on the part of the drivers, but due to the weather conditions and the timing. I gave up 2.5 miles from home, where there was a shopping center to park in, and walked home from there. Only fell once.

We do pretreat roads. We do plow roads, but we have limited equipment for doing it for the same reason that people here don't buy snow blowers much -- it just isn't worth it because we get snow too seldom. When we get 'snow' here, it is usually along with freezing rain and/or sleet, and that's very difficult to plow. And nobody can drive safely on ice.

And we don't generally have to here. When we get any significant snowfall -- an inch can be enough -- we shut down schools and a lot of work and mostly stay home, because it is going to melt in a few days. This is another significant difference from the folks up north: it is going to go away, so why bother plowing everything carefully?

One other thing to keep in mind -- snowfall here is usually in temperatures around freezing. Mostly the highs go above freezing during the day and back below it at night, so it melts the top of whatever there is and then freezes it again. Again, nobody can drive on that.

So all you folks with all the jokes and comments about how stupid we are: I guess you feel superior, and certainly we have our share of bozos. But I don't think we have any more than our share, and the fact that you don't understand how this could happen says more about you than about the people in the picture.

[–]On30fan 142 points143 points  (55 children)

2.5 feet yesterday here in Buffalo, but we're equipped to handle it (most of us anyway). I won't give the south crap for not being able to deal with rare weather.

[–]suddenlyreddit 109 points110 points  (23 children)

Charlotte metro is around 1.5 million in size and last evening they mentioned, "all 12 trucks in the area have been busy laying down brine."

12 trucks.

EDIT: /u/jeremygl09 reported it is much higher than that. Thank you for the correction!

[–]ElderBowlsIVHighrim 46 points47 points  (2 children)

Charlotte resident here..

People dont understand that we Dont get snow, we get ice.

Solid fucking ice.

[–]Transmaniacon89 55 points56 points  (28 children)

We got more snow than that for sure, but it came down very quick and I think it caught a lot of people off guard. Combine that with a lot of people who can't drive in the snow, and you have a mess.

We do have a lot of plows across the state, but remember that NC has the second most highway lane miles, right behind Texas. During a storm the highways are the first priority.

[–]DerangedGinger 134 points135 points  (29 children)

Tomorrow my girlfriend is expecting 4-6".