AHHHHHH Where Going To crash

by Krystian Bailey
(Fort Worth TX)

When the storm takes over - Winter can turn life from normal to wild in a flash. After school, you're sliding across a frozen highway, packing your bags, and racing for warmth while snow keeps falling. It's stories like this that remind us how fast the weather can change everything.

Tell us your story, Krystian - It was just Friday and I was getting home from school, but when I get home it seemed quiet and I didn't see any lights on, so I asked my mom if the lights shut off and she replied, "Yes, we have no heat and electricity and you know Mrs. Jessie has to have her oxygen. We're going to have to stay in a hotel 'cause we can't stay here. It's too cold."

"Go get one of your old backpacks and put some clothes in it. Hurry up, Krystian!" she yelled at me. "I'm about to go pick up your sister so finish packing and I'll be back." When Keanna got back home, Keanna had to pack her clothing and then we all got in the car before we got to the hotel.

We had to go and drop my grandmother off at my uncle's house because she needed her oxygen air tank so she can breathe. After we did that we headed downtown to get to the hotel and on the way, we were driving and we slid across the highway and almost hit the fence. I got so scared that I started crying and made my sister cry, too.

When we were pulling up to the hotel, we had to go through valet parking so we had to get a cart and put everything on it. After we got everything out the car we all went in and checked in 'cause my cousin had gotten us a hotel suite, so we had a big room it was really fun because we got to take my dog with us, Coco.

After the night went by, my sister Keanna, my mom and I all stayed in the room all night. When it was morning we all woke up really early. We all had coffee and we ordered room service to bring us some breakfast. We ate and than we all went out to the lobby and took our dog with us to get out of the room for a little while.

After a couple of days our 'across the street' neighbors called us at the hotel and told us that our electricity is on and we could come back home, but me and Keanna wanted to stay because we didn't want to go home now. So we stayed for another night. The next morning my mom had to go pick up my grandma up from work so I and Keanna and Kennedi and Coco were at home by ourselves. But on the way home my mom picked us up some Subway when they came back to the hotel. We ate and watched TV for a little while, then we went back home.

Barry's Response - Yes, Krystian, sudden changes in the weather like this can really disrupt your life. Thanks for the detailed story and photo. Hope all went well.

For more photos of heavy snow, see the Snow Wallpaper page and its links.

Search this site for more information now.

We're gonna crash

The weather can turn a normal day upside down and punch your ribs like a drummer at a rock show. There's a lot of power in a cold front with attitude.

The lights went out, the house froze, and a family had to run for safety before the oxygen tank ran out. The car slid across the highway like it was auditioning for a skating show no one wanted. You can almost hear the kid yelling AHHHHHHH Where Are We Going To Crash. How's that? That's what weather does. You learn physics directly to your brain instead of grammar.

Let's peel back the science

When cold air sinks fast and warm air rises sharply, the atmosphere gets unstable. It's when the jet stream bends low, the pressure drops fast, and storms form with that "I woke up cranky" attitude. Tires stop being friends with the pavement, friction changes, and ice glazes the road. The weather controls the stage and pollution plays the guitar in air quality science. A minivan pirouettes into a guardrail because of the same physics that moves smoke plumes.

Extreme storms aren't new. You can ask your grandparents about 1947. Look at old photos. Ask prairie farmers who walked to school in conditions that sound made up. There's always been range in nature. Sometimes she whispers like a monk, sometimes she flings a Nor'easter at you.

This doesn't mean ignore climate change. Learn how the atmosphere really works before you listen to politicians or pundits. There's no left-wing or right-wing weather. Jet stream does what it wants. It doesn't matter who you voted for. It's the same idea as taking care of creation, progressive activism, indigenous respect for land, and surfer-dude "bro, protect the ocean" energy: take care of the Earth because it's the only one with dogs, guitars, fresh air, and people you love.

Yeah, sometimes it's scary

You almost crash sometimes. You cry sometimes. In half a second, weather can flip your heart switch from adventure to fear.

Storms also teach you stuff. You learn how families hold each other together. You learn how fast life can change. It teaches you that the world is bigger than our drama. You're small, but you're not powerless. Do you want to think freely about the Earth? Let's get started:

Storms don't prove everything the headlines say, but they don't prove nothing either. You're smart. Make use of it. Take a look at the data. Put ideas to the test. Ask questions. Make stuff. Discover new ways to understand the atmosphere. Don't wait for someone else to invent the tools climate science needs. Maybe you'll do it.

What's the truth about AHHHHHHH Where Going To Crash?
- We crash when we stop paying attention.
- We crash when we don't explore the science.
- Arguments replace curiosity, and we crash.
- We soar when we think clearly.
- We soar when we're humble and bold at the same time.
- When we learn how the sky works, we can protect the people we love.

Tell us your weather story in the comments below if that sounds like your kind of adventure. We've got a lot more to learn from the atmosphere, and you might have the next idea.