Sounds of Sleet Falling Against My Window In Raleigh

Will try and keep this on the short side, but I want to write a little tonight in case for some icy reason I don't have power tomorrow. Doubt it will happen, but you never know.  I jokingly say I am not leaving Raleigh until I see a real ice storm. At this point... I may be here forever...

Everything outside is coated in white layers of snow with sleet on top of that and a glaze of ice on top of that. The crepe myrtles are getting a thin layer of ice on them. No... no pictures as the moment I open the front door the misty fog/sleet works it's way into the house.

Here's a picture of the my deck. It's the obligatory Raleigh deck winter shot.

You can see what looks like white meteors falling.

Not sure what they were.........sleety ice?

The problem with this Raleigh Durham area is that there are many newcomers who have moved here and do not know the area's weather well. They live here for 3 or 4 years and think they know what they will get but they were not here the last time there was over 7 inches of snow or an Ice Storm. Then you add in the people from "up north" who move South and feel sure of themselves driving on roads that freeze over the moment snow hits them and without snow tires they need to brake nonstop for people who moved here from Florida who never saw snow.

It's like Miami with a hurricane barreling WNW towards landfall yet they haven't been through a hurricane the last 5 years they lived in Miami. #CLUELESS

Next... before the STORM hits they refer to it on air as a Winter Weather Event. No, I'm sorry that does no cut it. A Winter Weather Event is a Winter Carnival at the Fair Grounds or a Christmas Parade with Santa... it is not a possible snow storm or ice storm. Call it what it is at least. Enough of this "event" talk the way everything became an "issue" instead of a problem. Have we become so politically correct and careful we don't want to scare people into preparing properly for a Winter Storm? Again.....many people have never lived here in a Winter Storm and don't know what really could happen. They come to work at Research Triangle Park or the University on a contract.. they are passing through and think after one winter in Raleigh they know what will happen. Nope. Tell it like it is... that's my thoughts.

Where the native people born and raised in Raleigh go I'm not sure. I rarely meet any. There's a nice lady down the block who grew up in Gardner. Seems the people from Gardner move to Raleigh. A few from Wilson who moved to the big city. Some move away from Raleigh to Charlotte or the Triad. It's a strange place. Honest. Nice in some ways, but strange. Each area has it's own strangeness. As for me I'm eternally happy for RDU with flights everywhere and AMTRAK for a fast get away.

Lying here listening to the sleet hit the window ledge. Watching the storm on one of my old favorite water vapor loops.

Watch the flow stream north from the Pacific into the Gulf of Mexico NE where it connects with the East bound frontal system and head out across the Atlantic. Awesome.

I made it easy to see what I mean... for you to see and understand.

Yes, this is Arctic cold weather in Raleigh.

Later in the week we are flirting with all time record cold temps.

But the moisture comes from the tropics and where warm air meets cold air trouble follows!

Thursday Night 6 degrees? 

Hmnnn

The weather is on live as if we are having a hurricane... except there's no wind, no shutters on the windows and it's really, really cold. But, it has that element of a strong tropical storm offshore moving this way with the possibility that by the time it gets here it could be upgraded to a Cat 1 Hurricane. Lots of shots of snow falling, or cats looking bored staring out the window.

Nonstop weather coverage on TV. My type of night. We are stuck between the sleet and the freezing rain and most people just wish it would snow. Raleigh...stuck in the middle of the storm, but enjoying it and all the weather hoopla while talking to my friends online.

This is what my street looked like when the snow began falling around 4:30 PM.

Will see what will be in the morning. My guess... a thin layer of ice similar to last year's almost "icing event" (rolling eyes) and I'll be posting stories about how Carolina handled the Winter Storm.

Stay warm. Stay safe. And, most of all stay off the roads.

Besos Bobbi

Ps. Should you have to leave the house and hit the roads... let someone know where you are going, what your route is, take a flashlight, blankets and something to eat or drink should you most likely get stuck.  If you are home where you should be keep your phones plugged in and fully charged just in case you do lose power.