Winter in the South

It's January. What is wrong with this picture? 

This is actually a cultural test. Where Kilo and Echo and I are from, people would say, "Where's the frost? Where's the snow? Gosh, those trees are so green!"

Where I live now people would say, "Why is there a school bus running in that cold weather? Didn't they see the sign?!" 

You saw the school bus there in the middle right of the picture? No? You were distracted by the written PSA in the bottom left corner, perhaps?

I saw it. I slowed down to a respectable 20MPH and was sharp on the lookout for black ice. As I pulled in the parking lot, realization hit. It is 38F here. There is no snow. There is no ice. It is 38F.

Now, 38F is cold. See also, "winter". 

Two weeks ago in Rochester, MN it was -52F with windchill. 

People in North Carolina freaked out at the news story about the Polar Vortex. There was public consternation and when the temperature hit a low of 30F with clear skies and zero precipitation, the good folks of the South cleared out the grocery stores and cancelled school. 

People in Minnesota went back to school after a couple days. 

Please won't someone tell me what the hell is a "freeze warning"? 

And I would be so excited if someone would share with me what here in North Carolina is actually frozen?