Photo by jim_malone

Mother Nature thinks we are bad people. That’s the only justification we can think of for the latest from the National Weather Service: a Winter Storm Watch is in effect starting Tuesday afternoon through to Wednesday afternoon.

So far, this newest storm is only threatening to drop about five inches of snow on us, though as we’ve all learned by now, these predictions are subject to change. It’s amusing to think that during any other winter in recent memory, the threat of five inches would have sent the region into a panic all by itself. This year? We laugh at your five inches.

Still, any additional accumulation on top of what we’re already dealing with is going to take a heavy toll on the metro area no matter how you slice it. Jurisdictions are simply running out of places to put the stuff, and it’s yet unclear whether roads that are still covered with an inch or two of packed ice will be able to get cleared down to the pavement before the next round starts.