Editor’s note: The Johnston Papers will not often publish items from the archives, but this column, originally published in the Concord Monitor in January 2003, is particularly timely—and it could save your life. It has been modified to fit your screen.
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Finally, after a December and early January of unprecedented warmth and snowlessness, New Hampshire is getting something that bears a faint resemblance to winter weather. This is a good time, then, to remind people, especially newcomers to the state, of the keys to surviving a winter storm.
There is one fundamental rule that most New Hampshire residents follow in a snow emergency (defined as a total snowfall in excess of one-eighth of an inch). If you remember this rule, you can never go wrong. The rule is as follows:
PANIC!!!
Begin by paying careful attention to the weather forecasts, and at the first mention of possible snowfall, rush to the nearest grocery store. If you don’t, you will die, alone, in your home. New Hampshire snowstorms have been known to leave people stranded in their homes for up to 45 minutes, and who keeps enough supplies on hand to survive that long?
Your shopping list (which you presumably began preparing in June) should include at least the following basic necessities: five jars of peanut butter, 10 cans of tuna and/or Spam and/or Vienna sausages, three jars of Tang, a pound of beef jerky, a dozen cans of Boston baked beans, six boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese, the store’s entire stock of dried apricots, and as many one-gallon bottles of water as will fit in your car. Forget that you would never eat any of that stuff—this is an emergency!
And most important of all—batteries! Without batteries, you will die. It doesn’t matter whether you have anything that actually uses batteries—that’s not what they’re for. The batteries serve the important function of filling the junk drawer in your kitchen. Put them next to the batteries you bought for the last storm.
Snowstorms frequently hit during the morning or evening commute, so it’s important to know how to drive in such an emergency. First, whatever you do, do not stay home—you could get stranded and die. If you are nervous or even completely clueless about driving in snow, it is essential that you get out there and practice, and the best time to do this is during rush hour.
Once you are on the road, if you have any reason to suspect that there may be a snowflake in the air, hit the brakes! If you wait until there is actually snow on the ground, it will be too late, and you will be killed.
The following are recommended driving speeds for snow conditions. Remember, these are only guidelines for driving on major highways, and appropriate speeds will vary depending on a number of factors. When in doubt, stay under the recommended speed:
Snow expected within 24 hours—30 mph;
Whiff of snow in the air—25 mph;
Snowflake confirmed—15 mph;
Snow falling, road still dry—10 mph;
Wet road, no accumulation—5 mph;
Trace of snow on road—stop and call for help.
Please keep in mind that a road that is wet from snow is different from one that is wet from rain. On a rain-soaked road, New Hampshire drivers know that it is best to maintain a speed of at least 70 miles per hour. When the road is wet from snow, anything over 5 miles per hour is asking for trouble, because this is a SNOWSTORM!!!
There is one exception to the guidelines above. If you drive a large SUV, you have two options: keep it under 15 or over 80. These vehicles cannot be operated at any other speed.
Inevitably, you will discover that there are some maniacs who insist on trying to drive at normal speeds during a threat of snow. Don’t even think about pulling over to let them pass. You could get stuck and die. Don’t worry that there are 30 cars lined up behind you—they’re all maniacs.
Also, resist the temptation to test your brakes to see whether the road is, in fact, slippery. Although there may not be any actual ice on the road, veteran New Hampshire drivers know that hypothetical ice is as dangerous as the real thing. As long as it’s cold and someone has mentioned the possibility of snow, any road, no matter how dry, is a death trap.
One of the most important survival skills is dealing with a car that is stuck in the snow. This is easier than many people think. Simply put the car in gear, push the accelerator to the floor, and spin the wheels until you smell rubber burning. At this point, stop, get out of the car, curse at it, and get back in. Repeat as necessary.
If you’re doing it right, you will notice that the car is sinking into the ground. Keep going until you hit ledge.
If you follow these simple rules, you will be among the few who survive. You will arrive home safely at the end of the day, where your final tasks will be to cover the windows with plywood, fire up the generator, and get out the Spam and peanut butter.
Then you can sit back, relax, and . . . what’s that? You don’t have a generator?!?!?!
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