Over the next several days the South is in for some serious weather. A major winter storm, which meteorologists have dubbed Fern, is projected to slam a 2,000-mile swath of the eastern United States with snow and ice—the result of frigid Arctic air mingling with warmer air in the central United States. It will arrive Friday in Texas and Arkansas and spread eastward to Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, and the Carolinas through the weekend.
I knew about the storm in an abstract, read-the-news kind of way, but I didn’t really grasp the situation until my mom called me from the grocery store in Little Rock, where bread was flying off the shelves, she couldn’t find ground beef, and the man behind her in the checkout line offered to pay a hundred dollars for her large bag of Fritos, the last in the store, as if being able to make chili in such times has a price tag.
Given the severity of the forecast, it got me thinking about what a Southerner needs for a snow day, or a few snow days (lord knows we can’t drive on ice even if we do have four-wheel drive). And no, I’m not talking about a pre-charged power bank, gas-powered space heater, or flashlights, because we all know about those things, right? Here’s a checklist of less obvious must-haves for weathering a winter storm.
Dry wood for the fireplace.
It’s statistically proven that if you buy a generator, you won’t need it (though it’s always good to know a neighbor who has one). At the very least, set aside some logs—an oft-forgotten step—before the snow blankets your backyard wood pile.
A good bottle of bourbon.
Neat will do, but if you also have some amaro on hand, you can mix up one of these cocktails: a jazzed-up hot toddy (for coziness) or a two-ingredient old-fashioned (for ease in the event of a power outage). If you’re not the bourbon kind but still want a toasty beverage, consider a hot gin punch.
A toboggan.
I once went down the steepest hill near my house on a piece of greased cardboard and ended up colliding with a stone mailbox and getting concussed, so I say it’s worth the investment. If you have a boogie board, though, that actually converts nicely.
Winter gear, or improvised winter gear.
Your merino wool socks, mittens, and scarves may be crammed in the back of a drawer and a little musty, and if you are like me, very few of them match, but they’ll do the trick. If you don’t have proper footwear, you can always put a plastic bag over your socks but under your shoes (a bread sleeve works wonders), and you’re set.
Salt for the porch.
A sprinkling of sodium chloride, or rock salt, is the go-to for staving off ice because it releases the highest amount of chloride as it dissolves. But kosher salt or regular table salt from your pantry will work in a pinch (no pun intended). As will Epsom salt and even coffee grounds, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.
Hot cocoa and marshmallows.
This one’s obvious, but for something more decadent than the powdered kind, melt your favorite chocolate bar into a steaming cup of Mexican-style drinking chocolate using this easy recipe from the Raleigh chocolate shop Escazú.
Milk, bread, and eggs.
I am not positive what you’ll do with them, exactly, but all three are an obligatory panic-buy on your last visit to the store (rules are rules). The bread bags, at least, can keep your feet dry (see gear tip above), and the milk can be used for snow ice cream; get my grandma’s recipe here. And remember: If the power goes out, you can take advantage of nature’s refrigeration and store your perishables outside.
A really cozy dish to heat you back up. (Bonus tip from my mom: Ask any neighbors who might not be able to get to the store easily what they need, too).
Here are some ideas to inspire: chicken and dumplings, a tomato bourbon soup, or Brunswick stew. Chef Joey Edward of Tennessee’s Blackberry Mountain makes an easy, warming potato soup served with a dollop of pesto. Ree Drummond, aka the Pioneer Woman, mixes up a quick pot of white beans and greens with pancetta in the winter. And if you’re willing to pay off my mom for that last bag of Fritos, here’s a great chili recipe.
A great playlist.
Chilly weather calls for the perfect chill soundtrack. Just like this one.
