Monster Winter Storm: 100 Million People

This is a big one.

From FOX News:

Midwesterners accustomed to dealing with snow, sleet and ice have readied themselves for a monster winter storm that could be bigger than many cities in the nation's midsection have seen in years.

Despite dire warnings of a potentially deadly storm predicted to affect a third of the country -- some 100 million -- people seemed even a little excited at the prospect of dealing with the kind of weather that has pounded the Northeast in one of that region's most brutal winters. Others headed to stores Monday to pick up everything from snow shovels and backup generators to bottled water and bread as the first flakes and freezing rain began to fall on parts of the region.

"EXCITED"?

I don't know any adult "excited" about this storm.

There's nothing "exciting" about a paralyzing blizzard.

"I'm looking forward to it. I'm a school teacher, and we'll probably get a snow day -- and it'll be the first time in a couple of years," said Katy Berman, 58, of the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines, Illinois. "It doesn't faze me as long as I'm home."

I'd gladly give up a snow day to avoid plowing out from under two feet of snow.

This Illinois school teacher must not have to shovel. How can you not be fazed by a massive storm like this?

...Cities including St. Louis, Kansas City and Milwaukee could be hardest hit, with expected midweek snowfalls of up to 2 feet and drifts piled 5 to 10 feet. Even hardy Chicago could be in for its third-worst blizzard since record-keeping began, with forecasts calling for up to 20 inches of snow in the city and waves whipping off Lake Michigan.

"When everything is said and done, the storm may well impact a third of the population of the United States; approximately 100 million people," meteorologist Tim Ballisty wrote on weather.com.

At Edele and Mertz Hardware just a few blocks from the Anheuser-Busch brewery in St. Louis, customers lined up by 7 a.m. Monday waiting for the store to open. Snow shovels, ice melt and salt were all big sellers.

"`Freaking out' is a great way of putting it," employee Steve Edele said. "The icing -- that's what scares people."

In St. Louis and much of Missouri, residents braced for a particularly hazardous mix: up to an inch of ice, followed by 3 to 4 inches of sleet, then perhaps a half-foot of snow or more. Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated 600 members of the National Guard.

Drivers were already sliding off slick roads even before the worst of the storm had arrived, with deadly accidents reported in Minnesota and Kansas.

I'm not "freaking out," but I am dreading this.

Ice is the worst and we'll be avoiding that.

People die as a result of storms like this. It's such a dangerous situation.

With the storm expected to affect a huge swath of the country, the National Weather Service suggested any Green Bay Packers fans planning to drive from Wisconsin to Dallas for the Super Bowl avoid leaving before Wednesday afternoon, when authorities hope to have cleaned up the worst of the mess along the route.

"As long as I have 18 hours, I'm going to get there," said 68-year-old Don Zuidmulder, who planned to fly out on Thursday. "I'll crawl if I have to."

If I had Super Bowl tickets, I, too, would crawl to get there.

Don Zuidmulder should have time to get to Dallas. It's not as if New York's Mayor Bloomberg is responsible for clearing roads.

At least having the Super Bowl to look forward to is a very bright spot in this nightmare beginning to February.