San Angelo Reacts to Possible Winter Weather This Week
If you want to see a good rumor in action, start telling folks around San Angelo that a winter storm is headed our way. People tend to react in a couple of ways.
First, there is the Texas bravado. The attitude is, "Hey, I have a big ole pickup truck and I ain't afraid of a little snow. Second, are the people who immediately go into survivalist mode.
These are the people who pile into Walmart or H-E-B with a look of fear and/or determination in their eyes. These are the people you have to watch out for in the parking lot because they aren't thinking clearly.
These people buy up every roll of toilet paper and dozen eggs in the store. Eggs, maybe I understand that. Toilet paper? I think even if the storm gets pretty bad, your toilet is still going to work. Is diarrhea a side effect of cold weather? I spent a good 10 minutes googling that and I see nothing.
So here is what the National Weather Service in Abilene/San Angelo is saying now.
Whenever the National Weather Service tells me there's a "slight" chance of winter weather, that's when I start buying toilet paper. It seems to me that almost every snow event that's ever hit our area started out being forecast as a "slight chance for wintry precipitation".
As you can see from their posts on social, there seems to be a slight chance of wintry weather in San Angelo, Monday night into Tuesday morning. If you notice closely, however, forecasters are covering their backsides by saying there is some doubt now on the placement of the rain-snow line and exact accumulations.
Should we get winter weather Monday night into Tuesday, remember the basics of driving in cold weather. If you need a refresher here goes.
Stay home
That's my version of how to drive in snow. The experts have a slightly different take. Here is what TXDot recommends:
- Slow down. Speed limits are based on normal road and weather conditions, not winter road conditions.
- Maintain at least three times the normal following distance on snow or ice.
- Watch carefully for snow removal equipment and stay at least 200 feet behind a snowplow
- Use extra caution on bridges, ramps, overpasses, and shaded areas as they tend to freeze first.
- If your vehicle starts to slide, ease off the gas pedal or brakes. Steer in the direction of the skid until you have regained traction. Then straighten your vehicle.
Here is one more piece of good advice. Keep one of those rolls of toilet paper you stocked up on before the storm in your car. This is just in case you hit a slick spot and it scares the you-know-what out of you.
Stay safe.
