What should have taken a half hour turned into a grueling commute that pressed my patience and confined me in the car with my mom and my sister for eight straight hours.

Snowpocalypse. Atlanta. Two inches of snow.

The logistics are still unclear, but I can only recall the taunts and smirks that I received from my friends up North as they frolicked around in their two feet of snow.

The effects of the snow that finally stuck were striking: an impromptu snow holiday for many, schools set back, cars ditched on the side of the road, everyday hills becoming a treacherous climb. Babies born on the highway and students stranded overnight in schools and buses. 

But all of that from two weeks or so ago has faded into a memory that, when looked back upon, will be regarded fondly, evoking a chuckle and a shake of the head at our tendency to freak out.

As regarded by one peeved Georgia resident, the government’s handling of the situation: “unforeseen levels of incompetence.”

We thought it was all a memory, water under the bridge.

But apparently not so. Weather forecasts have predicted that a winter storm is making its way back through our region, rumors whispering that it would be worse this time.

Snowpocalypse II.

My sister and I went to Target shortly after it was announced, and the lines were enormous. Facebook posts and Twitpics taken by peeved breadlovers showcased empty shelves of Aisle 9, all of the loaves gone, shelves bare.

I think people have learned their lesson. They’ve stayed at home and stocked up on supplies. Schools have taken extreme precaution to cancel school in the off-chance that the ice might provoke an accident.

Though people may make fun of us down here in the South, it’s important to remember that for a Georgia native born and raised, any snow is a big deal!

Every year, when Mother Nature spares us a few flurries, classes cease their productivity until the teacher gives in and lets the students dance around outside for a few moments as the snow melts as it hits the pavement, not sticking yet again. 

As a high school student, it’s all about whether school carries on.

A relatively newcomer to the world of Twitter, it’s hilarious reading my peers’ tweets about snow, Snowpocalypse, with bonus features (angry subtweets directed at the school administration).

We frequently forget how bad these snow conditions are for our city’s productivity.

There’s yet another house being built just across the street; I wonder how they cope with snow, because it just gathers inside the house. The garage door hasn’t been installed and the interior walls haven’t been put up.

House builders are on a tight schedule, with every aspect of completion planned out. Snow days probably bring major delays to important projects.

Flights delayed! My Chinese exchange student and my debate team both have to majorly restructure their schedules to accommodate the weather.

These sort of things really remind us that as mere humans, we are not in control of the weather. Mother Nature does as she feels; no amount of expensive weather technology or curse words on Twitter can change that.

When it snows in Atlanta, because it does so infrequently, schools shut down, businesses close, life slows down, and the city is brought to a standstill as we sit at the window and gaze out at the silent white.

So what happens when I go to Chicago next semester for college?

A painful, numbing adjusting to negative degree weather – oh my! – and that darned windchill.