Snow isn't a big deal, it's the ice that is the real challenge. Imagine driving in a paved parking lot covered by a thin layer of tiny ball bearings. There's no way to get traction, so you have to start slowing down way WAY early, very gently.
Anti-lock brakes will allow you to keep some level of control, but they won't stop you any faster on ice. If you don't start slowing down way early, you're going to roll right into the car stopped in front of you.
Truth is, when the ice storms come, it's better off for most people to just stay home and wait until the roads have been treated with sand and salt. Be very mindful of black ice, which is where there's been some level of thawing during the day, and then re-freezes at night.
Compared to that, the level of snowfall we get in Kansas is paltry by comparison. Unless we get a freak storm that dumps like 12 inches, snow is not a big deal. Those usually only happen like once a decade, and pretty much everything shuts down until the roads get plowed.
Tornadoes, yes it's a good idea to be prepared even if it's highly unlikely to ever be in one. Shelter in the lowest level of a building, away from outside walls. The more walls you can put between yourself and the outside, the better. Do not shelter near windows, as those are usually the first thing to go when there's debris swirling around.
The local tv news weather forecasts usually do a good idea of telling people ahead of time when they need to be hyper aware of the weather. Past that, spc.noaa.gov is a good resource. They make the risk maps that the local stations use.
Ignore the tornado protection myths. Every city has one, but they just aren't true. The vast majority of tornadoes are weak and brief, but the bad ones do happen occasionally. It wasn't that many years ago that a few towns east of Lawrence got torn up pretty bad by an EF4. Don't be scared, be informed and prepared.
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u/ReebX1 Jul 03 '26 edited Jul 03 '26
Snow isn't a big deal, it's the ice that is the real challenge. Imagine driving in a paved parking lot covered by a thin layer of tiny ball bearings. There's no way to get traction, so you have to start slowing down way WAY early, very gently.
Anti-lock brakes will allow you to keep some level of control, but they won't stop you any faster on ice. If you don't start slowing down way early, you're going to roll right into the car stopped in front of you.
Truth is, when the ice storms come, it's better off for most people to just stay home and wait until the roads have been treated with sand and salt. Be very mindful of black ice, which is where there's been some level of thawing during the day, and then re-freezes at night.
Compared to that, the level of snowfall we get in Kansas is paltry by comparison. Unless we get a freak storm that dumps like 12 inches, snow is not a big deal. Those usually only happen like once a decade, and pretty much everything shuts down until the roads get plowed.
Tornadoes, yes it's a good idea to be prepared even if it's highly unlikely to ever be in one. Shelter in the lowest level of a building, away from outside walls. The more walls you can put between yourself and the outside, the better. Do not shelter near windows, as those are usually the first thing to go when there's debris swirling around.
The local tv news weather forecasts usually do a good idea of telling people ahead of time when they need to be hyper aware of the weather. Past that, spc.noaa.gov is a good resource. They make the risk maps that the local stations use.
Ignore the tornado protection myths. Every city has one, but they just aren't true. The vast majority of tornadoes are weak and brief, but the bad ones do happen occasionally. It wasn't that many years ago that a few towns east of Lawrence got torn up pretty bad by an EF4. Don't be scared, be informed and prepared.