Whiteout: The Weather Condition, Not The Office Supply

This photo was not taken today, nor by me. It's just to show what I saw while driving.

 

My mom took the kids last night. So, today after church, we went to pick them up. The trip there was fine enough. I enjoyed conversation with my handsome hubs and there were big fluffy snowflakes falling softly. The roads were covered in some spots, but it was pretty smooth sailing.

[This is where I should note that my mom lives on a farm property of 88 acres that is at least 15 miles from any type of store or gas station or structure other than homes, barns, silos, and churches.]

We stayed for a bit, chatting, and then packed up the kids. It went well enough for the start of our drive home. We made it to the closest town to the north, which is one main street and a four way stop, two gas stations, and a couple of shops. As we approached, Isa commented that it was blurry out (this is also what she said last week when she woke up to fog). Within minutes, we were unable to see more than twenty feet in front of us. It wasn't just snow, but chunks of ice. A truck got behind me with blue lights on it's roof and was as close to my rear bumper as possible. I slowed down more.

[This is where I should note that I have spent my entire life is a semi-large city or on a farm with no one around.]

I didn't intend to be a jerk. I really figured that if he was going to rearend me, I'd like him going as slow as possible. When I stopped at the four way stop, he growled his engine and roared around me without checking for traffic. Jose and I both commented on his behavior. Then we realized that he was a volunteer fireman by a small sticker in his rear window and the fact that he pulled into the fire station.

[This is where I make the suggestion that blue flashing lights mean very little to most people. Had his truck said something like "Volunteer Fire Dept." on it's front, I would have gladly pulled out of his way. And since I don't live in this small town and since I see many vehicles with flashing lights (tow trucks, salt trucks, city dept. workers, etc.) every day, it didn't signify anything to me.]

We continued to drive. Fortunately, there were no cars in front of us or behind us. Fortunately, it became more of a snow substance than ice. Occassionally, we would pass the snow covered vehicle without much issue. I continued to drive about 30 mph for another five to ten miles without being able to see much more than the slab of concrete through the tire marks in front of me. Everything was white. I said a prayer as I crossed train tracks with no way of knowing if there was an oncoming train.

There was a van behind me at this point. About a half mile after the train tracks, the weather got so bad that I couldn't see the road in front of my bumper. I slowed down and the van got upset and flew past me, swerving and being all jerkish.

[This is where I note that I have two kids in my car when I drive. Those two kids are my most prized possessions. For that, it means that if I'm scared or fearful of crashing my car, I'll slow down or even stop if necessary. If your life or the lives of the people in your vehicle aren't that important to you, that's fine, but please don't endanger those people who I cherish. Thank you.]

Less than two miles later, the sun came through, the flurries disappeared, and the pavement was wet, but not snowcovered. I had to pinch myself to make sure that it had been real and wasn't a dream.

Don't worry, it was real. I know because when I got about two miles from home, it happened again. Ugh. I hate winter weather driving!