I’ll start this off with a question: when did we become such wimps? The storm that could have been a storm Friday morning, but became the storm that hit later Friday after school had been cancelled, which could still become a storm that hit Friday night and overnight has everyone overreacting and generally just freaking out.

In fact, the past two times snow was in the forecast for this province, I’ve heard newscasts going over the top about a “snow event”, a “blast of winter weather”,  a “weather bomb” or, better still, an “incoming storm of doom and pestilence and snow and such!” (Alright, I made that last one up).

Then I check the forecast and see how much snow and such we’re expected to receive and I can hardly believe it. A whopping 5-10cm, maybe as much as 15cm in the worst hit areas! Call in the military! Hide the women and children!

You’re telling me that we can’t handle a couple inches of snow anymore?

The only time a “blast of winter weather” should be a surprise is, say, June. No one would expect that. From November to March-ish, however, that’s called winter in these parts is it not? We’ve been getting fewer and fewer snowstorms the past few years that it’s now a ritual to lose ones mind when the thought of snow comes up. In January. In Nova Scotia.

Everyone, apparently, forgets how to drive so police are out with warnings to people to slow down and take their time, yet you still get passed on the highway by some idiot driving 30km/h over the limit (And why do those people never seem to crash?).

Look, it’s always good to err on the side of caution. I don’t fault the school boards for closing things down even though the weather may have turned out to be alright during school hours. Other events and such get cancelled because of the forecast. It happens.

I just wish that people could remember what winter is in this area and that while it might be inconvenient, if you don’t try to act like it’s a sunny, dry day in July, you might just be able to deal with the worst winter can throw your way. If you can’t do that? Stay inside. It’s probably safer for all of us that way.