Are you ready for some rough winter?

The weather experts are at it again. This time it’s all about El Nino. According to forecasters, this super-sized-up version of El Nino is going to bring much-needed rain to California. I’m still not sure how those folks have been weathering that exceptional drought all this time. They must be incredible people. Trucking in water certainly helps, but to me, that sounds like an unreasonable, expensive Band-Aid on a massive problem.

While I’m noting massive problems, how about those fires that have been ravaging California and parts of the western part of this nation during these past few months? It’s beyond obvious that they events are uber-devastating to thousands upon thousands of innocent citizens. Yes, overall victims bounce back, but those scars remain in so many ways. The problem with making up for such a deep drought is that the rains come fast and furious causing mudslides. Those folks need more than a break.

Speaking of folks who cannot catch a break, the northern portion of the Philippines are dealing with Typhoon Koppu. El Nino, can you get any worse? As far as I remember, the Philippines have been constantly battered over the past few years.

As the Philippines, California and the West meet their challenges, forecasters are suggesting that the Midwest will get a break this winter while it’s possible for another tough winter in the Northeastern U.S. Indeed Boston needs to be spared. It’s hard to believe that their and the Southeast. The Southeast? Hey, that’s us! Are we ready for these colder temps, possible ice storms and maybe another Snowmaggedon? Some of us fired up the furnace for the first time since maybe April of this year. Enjoying that burning smell, folks?

Thinking of those burning smells, we’re back to wood burning in the fireplaces and leaves set afire outside. While those burn scents can make anyone nervous at this time of the year, we’re also getting close to the time to get nervous about frozen pipes, malfunctioning furnaces and low coolant and/or tire pressure in the cars. It doesn’t take much to lose a few pounds of tire pressure in this weather thus causing those caution lights to glow on our dashes. To be honest, that one gets me going, thinking that I’m driving on a flat. Here’s hoping those indicators are just sensitive, but it’s still piece of mind to have them turn off.

So, are we truly ready for a harsh winter in the South? I certainly hope so. There’s no doubt that very few things in life are worse than going days without electricity in the winter due to an ice storm. Those who have been in the Atlanta metro area for decades remember ice storms from four decades ago, but the one that sticks out in many folks’ minds is the January 2000 ice event. The sounds of trees’ branches crackling and trunks crashing to the ground are quite terrifying. While these events are thankfully rare in our neck of the woods, it makes us rest upon our laurels thus making us unprepared for future events. Buckle up, it’s probably going to be a rough winter ride for us in late 2015 and early 2016.