For those of you that don't know, Seattle doesn't typically get snow. Sure, it snows in the mountains and keeps us snowboarders and skiers happy, but the city is fairly mild. It actually snowed today in Seattle, Redmond, and surrounding cities, and people were panicking. Many left work early. Some went to buy tire chains. There was literally a dusting of snow on the ground because as soon as the big snowflakes hit the earth, they melted.

Bear in mind that I spent my entire life in Michigan. A 6 inch snow storm is not considered all that bad, but to Seattleites, 1 inch of snow that instantly melts causes chaos. Yes, downtown Seattle has some steep hills, but come on people -- there is almost no snow sticking to the ground!

The irony is that many left work in the early afternoon when "the blizzard" was at its worst. The weather and mass exodus of people caused the highways to get backed up early in the day. I left work during what should have been peak rush hour. The snow had stopped, there were far fewer people on the road, and I managed to get home quickly.

Since I feel like bantering some more, let me talk about snow + SUV drivers. I drove a sports car for 6 years in Michigan. Sports car + snow storm = death trap. I vowed that when I get a 4x4, I will drive at the same speed during storms that I did when I had my sports car. The only difference would be that this time I wouldn't be as worried about doing 360s on the freeway. I have since bought a SUV to accomodate my outdoor lifestyle and more treacherous driving conditions, and I love it. Every winter, I see people driving SUVs and pickup trucks whip past me and other cars during a cold, snow, icy night. "I've got 4x4. I can still go 70 MPH," they say. Ice is the great equalizer, my friends. 4x4s do a great job of helping you accelerate more quickly in slick conditions, but they do nothing to help you slow down. At the end of the day, when an automobile is whipping down the road at 70 MPH and slams on the brakes, there are 4 pieces of rubber touching the ground. Oh yeah, and lets not forget that SUVs weigh more than cars, so assuming all other variables, such as tires and ABS, are the same, the car will stop in a shorter distance.