When I was a kid growing up in Dallas (where I am right now visiting), I was often disappointed by the weather forecasters. At least 3-4 times a year, the weathermen would forecast snow, only to be consistently wrong.

Sometimes, the snow would not develop. But often times, the snow would fall all around north Texas, but somehow miss Dallas. As a child - knowing that even an inch of snow or ice would shut down the city - it would drive me crazy just how common it was to wake up to the storm that wasn't. While scores of schools closed in Fort Worth, Arlington and many other suburbs, I had to get on the school bus for another day of torture.

Now that I'm much older and live in a cold-weather city, my desire for snow and ice has greatly diminished. That's why, when the local forecasters predicted an ice storm for the area last night and today, I was more upset that it would be cold, than I was worried about ice. After all, the temperature in Chicago is in the 20's today. My hope (and expectation) was that by being in Dallas, I would be escaping the brutal cold, if only for a few days. My arthritis needed a break from the pain the cold air causes.

When I got here on Thursday night - up until Friday evening - I was in heaven. The temperature was in the 60's and I was feeling good. But that changed overnight and turned into a cold, hard rain. Just what I needed. Now, the weathermen are saying that the air is going to get a little colder over the next 12 hours and the rain will increase to cause an ice/sleet storm.

My plan had been to leave Dallas tomorrow for home. My gut tells me that there will be no ice storm in Dallas. My own experience has taught me not to trust the weathermen here. Maybe it's due to Dallas being in a "heat-dome" caused by so many people, buildings, pollutants and all that. Or it could just be the location of the city in regards to air-flow and a dry-line. I have no idea. But what I do know is that regardless of what will (or won't) happen in Dallas, my trip tomorrow is In jeopardy for the simple reason that although Dallas may not get ice, the northeast corner of Texas will and that's where I'm supposed to be driving tomorrow.

Well, at least I won't be disappointed about missing school.