When it came to the rare inclement winter weather event here in Georgia, I grew up with two parents who reacted in very different ways. The moment the beloved local meteorologist, Glenn Burns, mentioned ice or snow, my mom was in her car, heading to the store to stock up on food staples we barely ate, batteries, bottled water, and anything else she felt we might need. Most of the time, we didn't need them.
My dad, on the other hand, would roll his eyes, gripe about wasting money, and swear that the local news was just hyping things up for ratings. That was often true, too, but you can bet that when it wasn't, he was happy to have those batteries for his radio, flashlight, and a decent meal.
I guess I ended up somewhere in the middle. I don't necessarily panic like my mom did, but the idea of being snowed or iced in for a few days without comfort food and a stack of good books hurts my soul. And I'm talking real food — not the bread and milk that people often panic buy before a big storm — like tacos and Diet Coke.
As it turns out, there's some science behind why we act the way we do when it snows — or when there's an ice storm like we saw this past weekend — so when you're sitting around, waiting to dive into all those indulgent storm snacks you bought, don't feel guilty about it. It's biology.
Like this tweet if you’ve already started eating your ice storm snacks and it hasn’t started 🤷🏻♀️ #icestorm2026 #WinterStormFern #Fern pic.twitter.com/ZEv2zlOFaz
— Teri Harris (@TeriBoBerry22) January 25, 2026
Real emergency snacks disappearing BEFORE the storm even hits! Anyone guilty? 😅😆 pic.twitter.com/sT30Pclxnu
— Anna 🇺🇸 (@realAnn_29) January 23, 2026
Why do we buy bread and milk?
Last Wednesday, after I heard we were having this big ice storm, I went out to Publix, Aldi, and Tractor Supply to stock up on stuff for my dad, my animals, and me. When I went into Aldi, it was basically as crowded as it had been at Christmas, and sure enough, the bread aisle was practically empty, save for some rogue bagels. Why do we do this? This one is part history, part science.
According to Accuweather, it dates back to the Great Blizzard of 1978. People were apparently trapped in their homes for so long that they ran out of staples like bread and milk. It kind of led to a self-fulfilling prophecy. The next time there was a bad weather threat, people were afraid that they'd run out of these types of items. They were also afraid that stores would run out of these types of items, so they rushed out to buy them. Because everyone else had the same thoughts, the stores did run out of the items. Over time, that conditioned us to stockpile these staples.
Why do we buy a few weeks' worth of food for a few days' worth of snow and ice?
I was thankful that I got my groceries on Wednesday morning because a friend of mine went to Costco that night and posted a video of the lines on social media. They were literally backed from one end of the store to the other — I'm not exaggerating.
Dr. Janet Frick, a University of Georgia psychology professor, says that when an event like dangerous weather strikes, people aren't always logical. "So apparently where weather is concerned, we are not terribly worried about getting struck by lightning, but we are terrified of the idea of having to make a meal from items in our pantry..." she said.
She also suggests that we develop a herd mentality. You talk to someone like my mom who says, "you better stock up," or you see videos like my friend's on social media. You drive by Publix and wonder why the parking lot is completely full at 2:00 on a Wednesday afternoon. Suddenly, you feel the need to go shopping too.
Again, that's psychology at work. Not only do we look to others for guidance and validation in uncertain situations, but our brains also tend to take mental shortcuts that prompt us to act and respond based on the information we gather from those other people, rather than take the time to think critically.
It also gives us a sense of control. Unusual weather of any kind makes many people uneasy, and with the exception of major disasters, most of the time, we're only "stuck" at home for a few days before life goes back to normal. Most weeks, I can easily go a few days without having to buy groceries, but when I know I definitely won't be able to go out for a few days, I panic-buy. We all do it.
That's where our inner control freak comes out. You may not be able to go anywhere for three days, but you can control how much food you have to eat. For many people, it's even a coping mechanism that helps them deal with their weather-related fears, almost like having a weapon.
Why do we stock up on comfort foods?
For most people, all bets are off when it comes to a snow day. The diet is forgotten. The desire to be healthy gets lost in the desire to be cozy and stack up dopamine hits. That's why many of us — guilty as charged — tend to go for junk food or comfort food. You could eat salads every day of the year, but the meteorologists say snow, and suddenly, you're in the store filling your buggy — or shopping cart for you Yankees — with cookies, hot chocolate, soup, candy, chips, mac and cheese, and all the things that aren't great for you.
This is biology, too. First of all, it's cold outside. We expend more energy. Our bodies then crave carbohydrates and fats to replenish them. Next, winter is dark and grey anyway, ice storm or no ice storm. Good food is a mood booster and gives us a little emotional high, even in the midst of seasonal depression. These comfort foods also make us feel safe. Again, when everything else is uncertain, unwrapping our favorite snacks or enjoying our favorite meals reassures us that things are normal, or semi-normal, and we are okay.
A word to the wise:
A couple of weeks ago, while recounting the ridiculous tale of ordering some chicken nuggets on Amazon and receiving enough groceries to feed a small village, I mentioned that I've been trying to get back to my own healthy eating habits since the holidays. Specifically, I was trying to get back to the low-carb, mostly whole foods lifestyle that works for me. It's taken me a while, but I finally did. Last Wednesday.
When I went to stock up on ice storm supplies, I skipped the bread, milk, and comfort food and bought mostly meat, cheese, vegetables, and nuts. Here's what happened: While everyone I know was like, "Oh, I'm baking brownies," and "We're making pizza" and "We stocked up our favorite cookies and chips," I was over here like, "Nice, but let me tell you about this salad I just made, oh and I consumed like 80 pounds of grilled chicken today."
I can confirm the science. You don't get a dopamine hit from dropping carbs when it's 20 degrees outside.
On top of that, I got the keto flu worse than I ever have in my life — probably because I spent the month of December trying to eat every Reese's Cup in the state of Georgia. For those of you who aren't familiar, keto flu is something your body goes through when adapting to a decrease in carbohydrates in your system. It's kind of like drug withdrawals, but instead, your body is learning to make do without sugar, bread, pasta, and such. Symptoms include "Headache, foggy brain, fatigue, irritability, nausea, difficulty sleeping, and constipation."
Mine started on Saturday and lasted for about three days, right in the thick of the storm. Thankfully, my house wasn't hit too badly, but I did have some limbs fall, and I have outdoor animals who require care even when it's cold and icy. And I was working on top of it. Doing all that while battling those symptoms was not fun. Do not recommend. On the other hand, being iced in for a few days kept me from caving on my diet during those difficult early days and going out for some chicken nuggets and Reese's Cups, so at least there's that.
And on that note, I'll just say that I hope y'all survived this magnificent ice storm and enjoyed whatever type of food you wanted guilt-free. Science backs you up.
