Though I live in the South, I can keep up with how the weather is in the Midwest by watching Facebook updates of my friends and, especially, the meat markets that I follow. If my friends start complaining about snow shovels or snowblowers, I know the weather is getting bad. If meat markets start closing early, it’s really bad.
Winter storms are a fact of life in huge swaths of the United States, and it’s getting worse every year. I know companies in Texas that struggled last year with extreme cold temperatures and power outages. My heart goes out to everyone who is having to deal with major storms this week. I’ve been there. I know what it’s like to see 2 or 3 feet of snow on your sidewalk, or 5-foot drifts after the snow plow completely blocks your driveway. I’ve had to play the winter game of “Am I in the right lane?” I’ve had to push cars off slick spots in the road.