For those who have lived north of the Mason-Dixon line, go ahead and laugh. For those who have ever used chain tires at any point in their life, you may also take this opportunity to laugh.

For people who grew up and learned to drive in Alabama, the smallest snowflake serves as a reminder of just how inexperienced we all are in handling winter weather.

For a moment it’s fun. Any longer than that mere moment and we begin longing for a summer day, where the biggest thing we worry about is the humidity. The last time we checked, 100 percent humidity didn’t create hazardous road conditions or create icicles on your car’s grill.

The winter storm that arrived in the Selma and Dallas County area early Tuesday has created more havoc than we can possible cover in any single edition of the Times-Journal.

Throughout the day Tuesday, we spent a majority of our time simply announcing what businesses, industries and governmental agencies were closing in an effort to get their employees home and safe.

We watched as county trucks, loaded with sand scurried from road to the next, one bridge to the next in a game of “ice whack-a-mole,” and in an effort to keep as many county roads and bridges open.

We watched as a state truck made regular visits to the Edmund Pettus Bridge, working to ensure the iconic and heavily-travelled bridge remained open. Their efforts appeared to have worked.

It’s not that we are incapable of handling the cold weather, the snow and ice, but it is something we so rarely deal with that we forget what it takes to properly handle it.

Our road and public works departments don’t stock up on salt and snowplows, and for many, the thickest winter coat we have in the closet is a rain jacket.

This weather event is something that all knew was coming and should have prepared for. And, now that it’s here, it is something we are all to ready to see go away.