Most of you reading this were born and raised in Iowa and have dealt with winter weather driving. If you weren’t, then you are forgiven for your awful driving habits when the snow hits. For the rest of you who have experienced this many, many times… come on. It’s snow. It’s slippery. Keep moving.
You know exactly what I’m talking about. The first snowflakes fall, and traffic on the roads drops to a standstill. Tires apparently don’t rotate in a quarter-inch of snow. By March, the majority of Iowa’s winter-weather drivers are plowing through 3-foot snowdrifts like a hot knife through butter, but the first few snowfalls seem to create unnecessary problems each year. Why is that? Are our memories that short? Do the hyped-up weather reports with new names like “ground blizzards” scare us? Or are we just appropriately cautious?
Some people seem to be snowfall opportunists and see winter storms as a chance to offer excuses — to call in sick to work, to be late for anything, or to not show up at all. I would guess you know someone who is coming to mind right now.
A friend of mine who owned a business in Colorado told me that getting his staff members to show up for work after a snowfall was nearly impossible, but he said they could somehow make it to the ski slopes. Amazing.
Even here in Iowa, I have dealt with a handful of employees who would call in after a snowfall and say they could not make it to work because they could not get their vehicle out of the driveway. Getting up earlier to shovel was apparently not a consideration, and they must have missed the weather reports that forecasted the storm days in advance. When I offer to drive to their homes and pick them up, it is remarkable how many people can suddenly get their cars moving. Fortunately, those situations are rare, as most Iowans do plan accordingly, and safely, while making their jobs and their everyday schedules a priority.
Like most things in life, this, too, is about preparation and planning. Jolene and I were on a trip to Lake Tahoe several years ago, and more than a foot of snow fell overnight. By 6 a.m. the next morning, every road was plowed, every sidewalk was shoveled, and the stores had employees opening their doors and ready to serve customers.
Now, certainly, some people should not be out in winter weather. If driving on dry pavement is a challenge, don’t risk it on ice. Stay home. Maybe move to Arizona. But, for the rest of us, it is business as usual — winter weather in Iowa.
Have a fantastic Friday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
Editor and Publisher
Times Vedette digital editions
shane@gctimesnews.com
641-332-2707