Day 28: Snowmaggedon!

Today marks the day of a fun event.

It snowed in Charlotte!  It was lovely to watch.  I wasn't home but taking breaks from work, I went to the some of the windows at work and watch it fall.

If you have lived in the South before, snow is not a usual event that happens every year.  If I could explain the weather patterns in the South... I would.  My best explanation is that the South is a meeting point between two jet streams.  The jet stream in the north is a polar jet stream and the jet stream is a tropical stream (sometimes we say it's the Gulf Stream).

Most of the time, these streams do not intersect and usually push one way or the other.  During the winter months, although mild to cold, the polar jet stream will swoop over the South.  During winters with warm to mild climates, the Gulf Stream will push through with warmer wet air and may cause a wetter winter than most.

In a rare event, usually once every 9 to 12 years (note, almost the same times as the solar flares), the two jet streams "crash" into each other so that a snow event may occur in the South.  If the jet stream from the Gulf collides with the polar jet stream, voila.  Snow!  In other words, if it is snowing in Atlanta, it's will snow in Charlotte!  And it has to be below freezing for the snow to stick on the ground.

However, if the Gulf Stream is weak and stays in the Gulf, and polar jet stream and weather dumps snow in the Appalachian Mountains (moisture from the north), it will not snow in Charlotte.

Anyways, enough of the science.

Usually, when snow occurs, all hell freeze over.  Literally.  I mean, you are talking about either school delays or school being let out early.  Some companies may ask the employees to leave early.  Since snow doesn't occur much here, the NC DOT don't always employ enough trucks and equipment for preparation of the snow.  While main roads will be clear sometimes (note: sometimes), secondary roads may remain snowy and icy.  In many cases I've been here and there's snow/ice, there are grid locks and many accidents all around.  But usually after one day, the snow melts and everything goes back to normal.  For me, that's about enough snow for me.  ;-)