I absolutely love living in the south, but it may come as a surprise that one of the reasons why I love living in the south is the snow. True, we don’t get much snow here in Greenville, SC, but I think that the snow we do get is absolutely perfect. Here are my reasons why I love southern snow:
1. Everything shuts down.
In Greenville, as long as there is at least a little bit of a dusting on the road and a little bit of ice somewhere (it doesn’t actually have to be a road anyone uses) the entire city practically shuts down. Don’t get me wrong, the grocery store will still be open but the types of things that you would rather get out of such as work and school are almost always cancelled for the day.
Well, actually, you might still be “required” to go to work. But, it’s typically okay to pull out the “my kids are out of school”, “I can’t get out of my driveway”, or “there is ice on my road” excuses if you would rather stay home and warm.
2. Everyone plays.
When it snows down south, the entire neighborhood (adults included) bundles up for play outside. You will always find everyone on the nearest hill. Our neighborhoods are typically dotted by small snowmen that last after the rest of the snow is melted.
3. No one expects you to shovel.
We don’t spend money on expensive snow plows and many people don’t own snow shovels. Since everything is closed, you aren’t expected to spend time shoveling your driveway or sidewalks unless they pose an immediate hazard.
4. The snow never stays long enough to get old.
Our snowfalls typically leave only an 1-3 inches of coverage on the ground, and usually our snow melts almost entirely within 24 hours. While we all wish the snow would stay longer, I suspect we only wish that because the snow doesn’t stay longer.
5. Southerns celebrate snow.
Southerns truly celebrate snow. At the first mention of a snow forecast, we drive to the store to pick up sleds and stock our pantries with food (just in case). If the flurries actually start (usually they don’t), we start posting on social media and calling each other. Our families gather by the windows and run outside to experience every flake.
And, then we write about it like right now, when we are nice and warm inside having had our fill of fun (and cold).