1. Pretend that it doesn't exist and carry on as usual.
These are the people you see who are still wearing shorts and long sleeves in the winter saying that the cold doesn't bother them, while you are slowly freezing to death in your coziest winter outfit. These are also the people who like to ignore the effects of snow and ice on the road. These are the people who are speeding down the highways and passing people because the rest of us are going too slow. Depending on the person and vehicle, sometimes these people make it home and sometimes you see their car laid out in a ditch waiting for assistance. These are also the people who go shopping and go out to eat and are the reason why businesses still have to stay open even though the weather is quite a fright
2. Become overly cautious of any snow on the ground.
These are the people who, as soon as they see a couple of snowflakes, start boarding themselves up on the house and won't leave until the ground is completely clear of any winter snow. These are the people who drive at least 40 under the speed limit because at any moment the road could be full of slick spots. These are the people who when it starts snowing start dressing like they are going to war with mother nature. They have the huge marshmallow coats and fancy boots and they are letting you know that they will be the ones to survive this winter.
3. Handle it calmly between these two extremes
There are people in Missouri who have been handling winter for a long time so they know the proper etiquette for handling this terrible time of the year. You know to make sure to take the highways and the gravel roads because the county NEVER cleans up their roads. You know when it's appropriate to go 20 MPH (when the road is pure ice and snow) and when you need to just drive the speed limit or a little below because everybody knows that Missouri drivers don't usually go the speed limit on the backroads.
They know how to dress correctly for the weather, don't be wearing summer clothes when you dang well know it's 20 degrees outside and you'll turn into a popsicle within 20 minutes. Every smart Missourian also has a pair of shoes with great traction that we bring out this time of the year, not always boots, but usually. Plus most Missouri girls bring out our most basic white girl clothes, the flannels, leggings, high socks and boots combo. Who says you can't look cute and warm?
So the moral of this article is: it's okay to not like snow and ice, but guys let's calm down about it and act rationally. Some people get 6-8 inches of snow and still function, we get 2 and have a mass freak-out. I hate it too, but sometimes you just gotta deal with it, until they declare a state of emergency that is.
