There's Nothing Better Than Charlotte Weather

Never mind the cost of living, lots of people come to Charlotte for the great weather. I sure did. It used to be that the minute I saw the leaves changing color, I would head into a funk. It meant that 5 months of frigid temperatures were coming along with the possibility of snow. As a kid, you love snow because you get to stay home from school and play in it. Most employers I've had didn't enjoy giving me the day off just because its snowing out. So, as an adult--snow and wintry weather sucks.

It means you've got to commute in it, shovel it, and try to cross the street while hoping you don't get sloshed by the downtown bus. It means wearing heavy coats and a hat. It means not being able to go outside to enjoy a beautiful day. Brrrr!

Now, Charlotte doesn't really get snow. In the 3 years I've lived here, it has snowed exactly twice for approximately 4 hours each time. By the end of the day, there was not a single trace of the white stuff. And, most importantly, I don't own a snow shovel. The mountain regions to the north of Charlotte provide a wonderful buffer to that wintry stuff being shot down our way by those pesky Canadians. You can have many lovely winter days of 40 degrees where only a light jacket is required. It might be nippy in the early morning or evenings, but still nothing that requires the northeastern parka.

There is ice in Charlotte, however. Or at least, that's what I'm told. I haven't seen it once in the 3 years I've lived here, but I did hear that there was a mega ice storm the year before we arrived where many people in Charlotte lost electrical power for two weeks. Two weeks! I think Matt would murder someone if he missed two weeks worth of Sunday football on TV.

The caution here is that Charlotteans seem to completely freak out in poor weather. Several hours after one particular dusting of snow, I made my way to the Toys R Us off Pineville Matthews Road to grab my kid some diapers. The snow had long melted away and the sun was out, but there wasn't a soul on highway 485. I get to the store and there's a huge sign in the window that said: Due to the terrible weather, we have closed at 1PM. The employees were huddled inside and horrified that I was tapping on the glass door. They waved me away and shouted through the plate glass, "We're closed! The weather is really bad!!" I turned around to look at the completely dry pavement. I shrugged my shoulders and made my way to the Harris Teeter supermarket. I was confident they that had to be open, after all, it was a 24-hour store. Thankfully, they were, but the Teeter employees looked miffed--they were probably wishing they were Toys R Us employees instead.

Oh, and speaking of the supermarkets, the minute that TV weather personality begins to hint at the possibility of the white stuff coming--Charlotteans sprint to the Teeter as if the end of the world were coming. Milk, juice and toilet paper will fly off the shelves. Generators with 2 inches of dust disappear from every Home Depot and, yes, those snow shovels go too. And finally, the weather personality actually has something to report on. You see, most days in Charlotte are pretty much the same--sunny and lovely. Nobody pays attention to the weatherman because, well, its going to be sunny and lovely for the next six days in a row. Ho hum. But, snow gives the weather man something to crow about. Finally the spotlight is on him, and he's determined to really take that moment and run with it. He's going to instill the fear of God into all viewers. "Get thee to the supermarket and stock up on all dairy products! A blizzard is coming," he shouts at you through the screen. I'm convinced the weather man is getting a kickback from the Harris Teeter.

Driving in inclement weather in Charlotte is also an adventure. Considering how many of us who live here have come from places with truly nasty winter weather, I'm astounded at what happens to all of you when you get behind the wheel of a car--even when its only raining. Everything seems to come to a virtual crawl, and there's panic and white knuckles grasping every wheel. I mean, you just moved here from Albany two years ago, and you've driven through 16 feet of snow! What's happened to you now that you've moved to Charlotte and you're facing a quarter of an inch of snow? I don't blame native southerners for freaking out...but northerners, too?

Matt and I purposefully call our families in Jersey and New York when we see it's -25 degrees and snicker when they tell us how cold it is. Suckers!