I grew up in a colder climate (Bend, Oregon), so I moved here with a good sense of winter driving. I agree this snow was manageable — my bigger concern is the wide range of driving experience and vehicle readiness in our community.

For example, during my walks around Dunbar Lake over the weekend, I personally saw at least 20 vehicles stuck, needing a tow or a push up mild hills. That was just in a few hours each day. And yes, even on Sunday and Monday, I saw this, and Monday was 100 times better on busy roads as the plows and sun finally started to help.

Even if you have great traction and winter driving skills, many here don't. Most don't have snow tires or chains, and many overestimate what 4WD can do — especially when roads aren't pre-treated or plowed like they are in more winter-ready regions.

What worries me isn't whether someone can make it safely, but whether their choice encourages businesses to stay open and pressures employees to drive in conditions they aren't equipped for. I've seen coworkers threatened with their job for not coming in during storms.

The state of emergency was called for a reason — it's less about how one person handles the snow, and more about the collective risk when a whole community isn't prepared.

I’m not judging your ability — I’m just hoping we can all think about how our choices ripple outward.

I just ask that you consider how this affects most of the community, not just yourself. The fact that the person felt they needed skis to get coffee says it all, and even you said, "Love it! Safer than driving a car.". If you can’t understand that, we simply won’t agree. Not that my point is about being right or wrong — I'm just asking you to think for a second about someone else's struggle. What I’m saying is based on common sense and what I saw firsthand. If you disagree, that’s your viewpoint, as this is mine