Reasons Why People Buy Bread in a Snowstorm, According to Psychology

By

Updated on June 29, 2022

Empty Bread Shelf at Grocery Store — Photo: JIM WATSON / Getty Images

When the weather forecast predicts snow is on the way, before dreaming of hot chocolate and sledding, some people immediately gasp, then run to the nearest Piggly Wiggly before the store runs out of bread. It's such a common phenomenon that North Carolina TV meteorologist Brad Panovich even uses a "Bread Meter" to let his viewers know how bad the winter weather will be. Nashville's News4 puts "buy bread and milk" on their winter weather Panic-o-meter.

The folks at Accuweather believe it all started with the Northeastern United States residents, who are used to cold weather. "It appears that New Englanders can take credit for the purchasing of milk and bread prior to the storm. It was the monumental blizzard in 1978 that trapped many in homes for weeks that gets at least some credit for the current tradition." If you survived being trapped indoors for weeks, it makes sense that you might want to stock up on perishables for the next predicted big storm.

In some parts of the South, "snow" usually means a light dusting that lasts a day or two, yet the impulse remains the same: go to the grocery store. Why do some of us need to stockpile supplies like it's the Great Blizzard of 1888 all over again? It turns out there are psychological reasons for wanting to stock up.

To Feel in Control

While none of us can control the weather, when a storm is brewing, psychologist Lisa Brateman suggests that people may buy supplies to feel a modicum of control over their situation. "The thought to get milk before a storm is followed by the action or compulsion to go out and stockpile it," she explained in How Stuff Works. "In one way or another, we spend a lot of time and energy trying to feel in control, and buying things you might throw out still gives the person a sense of control in an uncontrollable situation."

To Feel Optimistic

Psychologist Judy Rosenberg has a different psychological theory for why we stock up on perishable items before storms: Optimism. "Buying perishables is like saying, 'the storm will be over soon, and I won't be stuck in this situation for long,'" she says in How Stuff Works. If you buy canned goods or buckets of shelf-stable mac and cheese, you may unconsciously accept that the storm is here for the long haul. Buying milk or eggs means you unconsciously believe you will be back at the store soon enough to restock.

To Eliminate Fear

Alan Stewart, a researcher at the University of Georgia, believes childhood experiences or weather-related trauma drives the need to load up on bread, milk, and other essentials before a storm. "It probably is fear of, one, not knowing how long the event is going to last, and two, do people have everything they need?" he said. "So, if the weather service and the media want to prepare people-people get milk, bread, and eggs. These are just things you get every few days."

To Prepare for Fun Times

Stewart also pointed out that impending snow doesn't have to trigger panic. If you like snow and have good childhood memories of sledding and snowmen and hot chocolate, the idea of a snow storm can seem romantic and, perhaps even be a reason for excitement— and not just at the prospect of eating bread, milk, eggs, and French toast for days on end.

She found during one of a city's worst snowstorms, beginning on November 24, 1950, an article in a local newspaper referenced milk as "the one shortage that has hit all sections" and bread as being "doled out in some stores" because of a storm that ultimately brought almost 3 feet of snow.

To Follow Recommendations

Yes, stocking up on bread and milk for 1-inch snow is perhaps a bit overboard, but there are other things people should "run to the store" and buy for a more prolonged weather event. The American Red Cross preparedness website recommends: