Hey y'all, this is Summer, and welcome to Red Dirt Radio.

Now, I know we usually talk about music, culture, and the stories thatmake Carolina special. But today, we need to talk about what's happening rightnow across North Carolina—because folks, this snowstorm is serious.

`For those of you listening from other parts of the country, you might bethinking, "It's just snow. What's the big deal?" But here's what youneed to understand about North Carolina and winter weather: we don't get thisoften, and when we do, it hits different.

We're not Minnesota. We're not upstate New York. We don't have fleets ofsnowplows on standby. Most people down here don't own snow tires. A lot of ushave never driven in more than a dusting.

And right now? We're getting hammered.

Let me paint the picture of what's happening across the state.

The mountains—Asheville, Boone, Banner Elk—they're used to snow. They getit every winter. But even they're saying this one's bad. We're talking feet ofsnow in some areas. Drifts that are burying cars. Roads that are completelyimpassable.

Then you've got the Piedmont—Charlotte, Greensboro, Raleigh, Durham.These cities are grinding to a halt. Interstates are shut down. Accidentseverywhere. People stranded. Schools closed, businesses closed, power outagesspreading.

And the coast? Places like Wilmington and the Outer Banks that almostnever see significant snow? They're getting slammed too. Ice is coatingeverything. Bridges are closed. Ferries aren't running.

This storm doesn't care what part of North Carolina you're in. It'shitting all of us.

Here's what makes this particularly dangerous in the South: we're notbuilt for this.