^{[1] [1]}After spending all day hearing about what is now being referred to by my company as a “snow event,” and hearing a lot of people comment how they’re going to the store to buy milk, I wondered, “Why do people rush out to buy milk before a snowstorm?”

What quality of milk makes it such a hot, pre-snowstorm purchase? Is there another use of which I am unaware? Does pouring milk over your tires, and/or shoes, make them adhere to snow better, thus allowing you to get around? Maybe milk can somehow be turned into a fuel, suitable for use in a generator?

I’ve never heard a single person utter the words, “It’s going to snow? I’d better go get some gas for my generator.” It’s always milk, bread, and eggs*. Sure, people go and buy gas… but they don’t seem to advertise it like the milk-buyers.

* Based on a completely unscientific poll of one person (myself), I found that the items most people purchase before a snowstorm are milk, bread, and eggs in that order. Apparently, when we hear it’s going to snow, we all get a hankerin’ for some French toast, or some sort of bizarre milk and egg sandwich.
 
The milk-buyers seem to want to perpetuate the panic – making others buy milk – which is ironic when you think about it, because they’re the same people who complain that they couldn’t get milk because it was sold out.

At work, I heard about the snowstorm at least a dozen times. And, everytime someone brought it up, another person said, “Yeah, I need to get to the store to get some milk.” It was like a programmed response. Perhaps it’s a subliminal message embedded in those “Got Milk?” ads.

Why, though? Why is everyone in such a rush to get milk at first report of a major snowstorm? I racked my brain for a while, and came up with a few possible answers, but nothing that could concretely explain the need to rush to the store for milk. So, I asked others to see if maybe I was the only one struggling to figure out why people needed milk.

The most common response I received was, “Why do you care?” Well, because I’ve got nothing better to do, so why not. Once we got past that part, I got many different possible answers.
 
A lot of people said that they wanted hot cocoa or coffee. Okay, but do we really need to rush to the store for milk for coffee and/or hot cocoa? I mean, are we going to freeze to death without cocoa or coffee?

Some people also said that you can make a lot of different things with milk, bread, and eggs. And while this is true, you can also make a lot of things without them. Well, unless your plan is to bake a cake. Then, you you’re probably going to want some milk and eggs. I wonder if snowstorms affect cake-mix sales.

One person mentioned needing milk for an infant, which makes some sense. But, a lot of infants drink breast milk. Those that don’t, probably use formula. In a jam, formula can be made with water, though. A few days without milk won’t hurt your kid. But, there’s a certain peace of mind that comes with having milk for your kid. And that brings me to the most logical answer.
 
It is psychological. When people hear that they’re going to be stuck at home for a while, they panic. They anticipate that they’ll run out of milk. And, due to the run on milk that a snowstorm brings, and the likelihood that stores won’t receive milk deliveries due to the snow, they fear that they won’t be able to get any for several days.

It’s not a rational way of thinking. But, herd mentality is rarely rational. Chances are, most of us will not run out of milk or food, even if we’re trapped inside for an extended period of time. Sure, you may have to eat that can of Spaghetti Os you’ve had for a year and a half. But, you won’t run out of food. So, you probably don’t have rush to the store ahead of the storm. But, you do it because it gives you peace of mind.

A senior vice president with the National Milk Producers Federation speculated:

Just like with bread and toilet paper – two other items that seem to sell quickly before a storm – milk is viewed by many as a daily staple, and so people don’t want to be in a position of running out of it if they’re snowed under.  There’s probably some herd mentality behind it, but milk is one of the few products that virtually all households consume on a daily basis.

The VP was right. I don’t think I’ve ever been in a house that didn’t consume milk. If you ask someone for milk, and they don’t have it, they say, “We’re out of milk.” They never say, “We don’t consume milk in this house. We don’t believe in it.” And if they did, you’d think they were crazy. Whoever advertises milk has done a good job of convincing everyone that they must use it.

Anyway, I checked the store. At 10 p.m. the night before the storm, the grocery store was filled with frantic people trying to snatch up just about every bit of food they could in anticipation of the snowplocalypse.

Giant had a few security guards on duty to maintain order, I assume.

^{[2] [2]}The store was out of most produce. They had no apples, oranges, or bananas. They were out of every type of lettuce, except a couple of bags of nasty looking Dole lettuce. They were even out of tomatoes. They were also out of all sizes of skim milk. Strangely enough, they had plenty of Vitamin D milk. I guess those who panic are watching their weight or lactose intolerant.

There were still eggs left, but there was a decent-sized crowd around them. White bread was completely gone, but you could get plenty of wheat. Toilet paper was almost sold out. The good brands — Scotts, Charmin — were all gone. But, you could get plenty of the store brand.

So, there you have it. Snow-induced milk purchases are a product of herd mentality — they’re psychological. Having milk — even if you dont drink it — is a security blanket that will keep you safe during a snowstorm. At least, that’s what we think.