Originally Posted by
Koyote
People around here are all nervous about single-digit temps and several inches of snow; having grown up in the far north, and having moved here from the Erie snow belt, I think most of these folks are pretty soft. I regard any snowfall under 5" as a light dusting.
Having lived in a variety of climates, I'd say it's more about the infrastructure and equipment than the population. Transformers will fail, limbs will fall on power lines, and the weight of ice will down others. Snow covered roads will not be plowed, and will not pack down to be driven upon. Instead it will go through freeze/ thaw cycles and be a complete clusterf. Neither the local government nor the population have equipment to handle this.