It's that time of year again, Oklahoma! Old Man Winter has blasted himself through our front doors and made himself comfortable as he will be staying with us through the holiday weekend.

Since it's the week before Christmas, Oklahomans undoubtably spent a good amount of time in stores purchasing gifts and completing their Christmas dinner shopping list. And for those Oklahomans who are always aware of the next winter weather strike, they were sure to stock up on their milk and bread. Why these are the two items Oklahomans hoard before winter weather is still a mystery to me. But the local meteorologists sure do love to play into this obsession.

But are bread and milk REALLY essentials during winter weather?

I would assume that you'd like to have a few days worth of food available if the weather won't allow you to make a quick trip to the store or to have a pizza delivered. But there's only so much you can do with bread and milk. I guess if you have eggs, cinnamon and sugar, you could make French toast. And that's about all I can think of for recipes that require bread AND milk. Which leads me to believe that bread and milk aren't exactly the essentials Oklahomans need to survive a winter storm.

Here are the essentials for an Oklahoma winter storm.

  • Shelter
  • Electricity
  • Running Water
  • Sensible Amount of Food

All Oklahomans need to survive a winter storm are shelter to protect them from the storm; electricity for heat and to cook; running water for bathing and drinking water; and, of course, a sensible amount of food for a few days -- there's no need to empty the shelves at the local grocery store.

Now I know all Oklahomans remember the winter storm we had in February 2021 when many lost power AND water for several days, for some it was a few weeks. That was truly one of the craziest winter storms Oklahomans have endured at least within the past decade. Many were not prepared for the severe issues the storm caused. Hopefully now Oklahomans are sensible when it comes to winter storms and will focus more on winter proofing their homes rather than stocking up on milk and bread.

So just for the fun of it, here are some nonessential items that could make an Oklahoma winter storm a little more bearable.

  • A fully charged iPad or tablet with the entire Yellowstone series downloaded. If your electricity and wifi are out, at least you can have a drink with Beth.
  • A positive mindset that can transport you to any warm beach in the world. Mind over matter, am I right?
  • Milk and bread may be useless in some respects, but they could provide comfort to any winter-distressed Oklahoman. Saint Braum's is always there during these trying winter times.
  • Hot sauce to warm your insides.
  • Fuzzy socks to keep your feet warm and to slide around the house for funsies.
  • Tea bags and sugar for sweat tea, or to mend your tired eyes and create a skin exfoliant. Might as well open your own at-home spa.
  • Sage to cleanse away Old Man Winter, or to mask the smell of your old heater.
  • Deck of cards because we're obviously not able to go to the casino.

No matter what you stock up on before an Oklahoma winter storm, always be sure to stay safe and warm, and don't drive if you don't have to. Oklahomans really aren't meant to drive during the winter.

Eleven Things Oklahoman's Eat When It's Cold

When it comes to the favorite foods in Oklahoma, most of them revolve around a grill. Whether it's steak, burgers, dogs, BBQ, beer can chicken, etc... If it can be grilled, it will be an instant favorite across all palates in this state. But what do Okies survive on when it's cold enough to require the wearing of pants and a hoodie? Here's the quick list of things every Oklahoma home should be pumping out when the endless Summer finally ends.

Basic Driving Tips For Snow & Ice

While you would assume that these are common knowledge, you'd be surprised how many people haven't lived in a place where they would learn these skills.

The Frozen Wichita Mountains

When Southwest Oklahoma gets a rare blizzard with serious snowfall, the mountains take on a fresh and stunning look. It's something we all get to experience thanks to the video and camera work of a few awesome locals with a stellar YouTube channel, The Pemberton Boys. They flew their drones and explored the mountains across SWOK while the views were grand, putting it online for everyone to enjoy.

More From KZCD-FM