Shocker: It snows in North Idaho.

Who knew?

Hundreds and maybe thousands of locals seem totally baffled by the notion that winter is not warm, sunny and dry in these parts.

“Look, Mabel, come to the window. There’s a blizzard blowing away our patio chairs!”

This all sounds like I’m kidding, but in truth, it’s amazing how many people appear utterly shocked and unprepared for winter.

They drive at normal speeds and skid off the road, startled by their car’s reaction to a patch of ice.

And this business of “debating” the best tactics for snow plow operation...

You’ve got to be kidding.

Anyone who doesn’t grasp that it WILL snow a few times each winter, the streets will be plowed and white piles are going to stack up...

Well, either you’ve just arrived from California or your memory won’t track to eight months in the past.

It’s not like this happens once a decade, either.

Folks frustrated by snow plows and berms along the sidewalk see this every year. Then they forget, and they’re apparently mystified when it happens again.

I live in a condo, and our association sent out notices concerning where snow was going to pile up after each storm.

It turned out we had one extra car temporarily, we were out of carport space and the only option was at the end of a driveway that absolutely was going to be a plowing target.

So it was.

The car ultimately was totally buried.

No one pitched a fit or blamed the plow drivers. We found a local teen who brought in his snow blower and eventually the car was excavated — no worse for wear.

Eventually I rented another carport from a snowbird, and now all’s well.

But the point here is that we knew, well in advance, what was likely to happen. I mean, are cities and villages supposed to napalm the piles of snow?

As the old TV commercial said: You can’t fool Mother Nature.

SNOW HAS to disappear slowly, the old-fashioned way. And in the meantime, it must be plowed someplace — which, yes, might cause you some inconvenience.

If you aren’t prepared, though, your head’s in the clouds.

My new hero is Dewey Berndt, who was one of the hundreds with something to say as Post Falls was taking another look at its plowing policies.

Berndt sent the city an email that read: “There is a finite number of plows and drivers, (so) everyone cannot be first.

“We live in North Idaho, folks. If snow is such an inconvenience, perhaps some people are living in the wrong place.”

No doubt Berndt was referring — at least in part — to California migrants who make zillions selling their homes and move here with dreams of paradise.

Did no one ever mention it would snow?

Here’s a hint: You can drive up and have lunch in Canada!

You know, where the national sports are hockey and dog sled racing.

If you can make a day of it and watch some of the Iditarod, you’re not in Los Angeles anymore, Toto.

Get used to it.

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Steve Cameron is a columnist for The Press.

Email: scameron@cdapress.com.

Facebook: BrandNewDayCDAPress.

Twitter: @BrandNewDayCDA