northwestern snow

As I was driving home Tuesday night, my car was nearly hit by another vehicle. I was on Thompson, between Skyline and Miller, headed down the hill. Snow was still on the road. And it had become slick. Four of us were driving through the twists and turns cautiously. But the driver of a fifth car, the SUV behind me, had other ideas in mind. He or she decided to drive as if the icy compacted snow was no big deal. I saw the headlights in my rear view mirror get closer and closer, and thankfully saw when the vehicle started to fishtail. I was remarkably able to get out of the way, and there was just enough distance in my absence for the SUV to get under control before careening into car that had been in front of me. I was left less shaken than stirred into anger by the arrogance of the SUV driver. I would not be surprised to learn that this person was among the many Oregon transplants who scoff at how the natives drive in snow.

I was preparing a blog entry on why driving in the Portland area when it snows might be different than when it snows in other areas, but Art Thiel did it for me. His article, Critics of Seattle in Snow: Shut the Hell up, could apply to critics of Portland snow, too. He addresses how hills, a snow-melt-refreeze cycle, the issue of paying taxes for equipment and labor that is needed only .5 to 2 percent of the year, and even our abundance of trees can contribute to driving conditions unlike most other places in the continental U.S. when it snows. They are all valid points. And those of us who grew up here understand they are valid reasons for going a little slower (not granny-slow, just slower) at times when snow’s on the road.

But I don’t disagree with transplants about one thing: the news coverage. Dear Local News Teams, yes, I do want to know about road conditions, but I think you can do provide that information more succinctly and direct viewers to websites for more information. Watching reporters talk to residents of various metro area neighborhoods is not really necessary or interesting. It’s a joke, and it’s not helping the native’s reputation for needlessly freaking out in snow.