"Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather be not,
Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot,
We'll weather the weather, whatever the weather,
Whether we like it or not."
--Anonymous
From tornadoes one weekend to snow the next, one thing you can always accurately say about Arkansas weather: It's up in the air. Meteorologists have a tricky job, reading complex math and science charts while trying to predict the weekly forecast. But Arkansas meteorologists (not weathermen or women, by the way; they told us they hate that) have an especially tricky job, it seems, trying to forecast what Mother Nature has in store.
Now forecasters say some of us will see that fluffy white stuff come this weekend, and there's something peculiar about the possibility of snow falling on a building destroyed by a tornado one week before . . . unless you live here.
There are two reactions to snow, and the opinions are usually divided by age and occupation. When you're a kid in Arkansas, and the evening news says something about snow, you probably pray real hard for it to come down and cancel school the next day (though with more schools offering online snow days via the Internet, this may soon be a rarity).
The rest of us who have to travel through snow to get to work are usually aggravated by the presence of foolhardy drivers who don't know how to operate their vehicles in the summer, let alone in the winter.
Grocery store managers seeing this forecast are probably getting ready for the inevitable rush of panicked Arkansans who think they'll be seeing a repeat of 2011's crazy winter storm. The Greeneville Sun reports the most popular grocery items are, of course, bread and milk, along with bananas, beer and shovels.
An Arkansas man we know always jokes when he sees people flocking to Walmart for milk and bread just before even a dusting of snow hits: "What are they making? Milk sandwiches?"
Funny enough, if you change the winter storm out for a tropical storm, or even a hurricane, people aren't after milk and bread. Instead, they want strawberry Pop-Tarts of all things, The New York Times reports. The common popular item between the two stores? Beer. Seems when people know they're going to be cooped up for a couple days, they want a six-pack to stay sane.
If you're thinking of trying to remind Mother Nature that winter doesn't technically start until Dec. 21, save your breath. The weather does what it wants. And it doesn't care about anyone's input. That's why we get snow a week after a tornado--but not on Christmas Day.
So, come this weekend, go grab some comfy slippers, put a log on the fireplace or your wood stove and enjoy a tasty milk sandwich.
Editorial on 12/06/2018