Snow and slush covers 196th Street Southwest in Lynnwood as traffic moves along the morning of Dec. 9. (Ian Terry / The Herald)

Snow and slush covers 196th Street Southwest in Lynnwood as traffic moves along the morning of Dec. 9. (Ian Terry / The Herald)

A warm feeling when snow’s in the forecast

Did you know there’s MORE SNOW in the forecast?

Probably not much, and not for another week or two, but did your heart flutter when you saw those words? If it did, you might be a Puget Sounder. Even a hint of snow in the forecast triggers a full-on freakout complete with crisis coverage in the local media and a mad rush to the grocery store to hoard beef jerky.

In our latest poll at HeraldNet.com, we asked how you feel about snow, and we broke the vote down into three categories:

The enthusiasts. A majority — 55 percent — answered “bring it on!” These are the people who ask for REI gift cards for Christmas, who always have their Gore-Tex and snowboards handy, who love a chance to show what their all-wheel-drive cars can do, yet who somehow still just can’t make it to work when it snows.

The Goldilocks. These are the 18 percent in our poll who answered “it’s fine until it becomes an inconvenience.” They want just enough snow to make the scenery pretty, but not enough to muck up the roads. It’s got to be just right. You can spot a Goldilocks from the characteristic whine when a full winter passes without snow. It’s very similar to the whine they produce when snow has made it too risky to drive and they’ve been stuck in their house for a few hours.

The chionophobes. Did you know there’s a word for people who dislike or fear snow? Yup, chionophobia. Twenty-seven percent in our poll said “it should stay in the mountains” along with other scary things like grizzly bears, mountain lions and chipmunks. Good news for these folks: As global warming turns Everett into San Diego over the next century, it’s bound to become a chionophobe’s paradise.

And when future Puget Sounders sip their Mai Tais under palm trees, they’ll wonder what we all were freaking out about.

— Doug Parry, parryracer@gmail.com; @parryracer

Speaking of the future, Amazon recently made its first drone delivery. That has us A) Looking to the skies for our new AP Stylebooks; and B) Wondering what your feelings are toward the tech giant possibly heli-droning your deliveries.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

x
Paraeducator at 2 Edmonds schools arrested on suspicion of child sex abuse

On Monday, Edmonds police arrested the 46-year-old after a student’s parents found inappropriate messages on their daughter’s phone.

South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman answers question from the Edmonds City Council on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024 in Edmonds, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
South County Fire chief announces retirement

The Board of Commissioners has named Assistant Chief Shaughn Maxwell to replace Chief Bob Eastman in February.

One dead, four displaced in Lynnwood duplex fire Monday

More than three dozen firefighters responded to the fire. Crews continued to put out hot spots until early Tuesday.

With the warm atmosphere, freshly made food and a big sign, customers should find their way to Kindred Kitchen, part of HopeWorks Station on Broadway in Everett. (Dan Bates / The Herald)
Housing Hope to close cafe, furniture store

Kindred Cafe will close on Jan. 30, and Renew Home and Decor will close on March 31, according to the nonprofit.

Everett
Everett Fire Department announces new assistant chief

Following the retirement of Assistant Chief Mike Calvert in the summer, Seth Albright took over the role on an interim basis before being promoted to the position.

Logo for news use featuring Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Health officials: Three confirmed measles cases in SnoCo over holidays

The visitors, all in the same family from South Carolina, went to multiple locations in Everett, Marysville and Mukilteo from Dec. 27-30.

Dog abandoned in Everett dumpster has new home and new name

Binny, now named Maisey, has a social media account where people can follow along with her adventures.

People try to navigate their cars along a flooded road near US 2 on Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025, in Sultan, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Temporary flood assistance center to open in Sultan

Residents affected by December’s historic flooding can access multiple agencies and resources.

Logo for news use featuring the Tulalip Indian Reservation in Snohomish County, Washington. 220118
Teens accused of brutal attack on Tulalip man Monday

The man’s family says they are in disbelief after two teenagers allegedly assaulted the 63-year-old while he was starting work.

A sign notifying people of the new buffer zone around 41st Street in Everett on Wednesday, Jan. 7. (Will Geschke / The Herald)
Everett adds fifth ‘no sit, no lie’ buffer zone at 41st Street

The city implemented the zone in mid-December, soon after the city council extended a law allowing it to create the zones.

A view of the Eastview development looking south along 79th Avenue where mud and water runoff flowed due to rain on Oct. 16, 2025 in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Eastview Village critics seek appeal to overturn county’s decision

Petitioners, including two former county employees, are concerned the 144-acre project will cause unexamined consequences for unincorporated Snohomish County.

Snohomish County commuters: Get ready for more I-5 construction

Lanes will be reduced along northbound I-5 in Seattle throughout most of 2026 as WSDOT continues work on needed repairs to an aging bridge.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.