waving wipers

There was snow in the forecast for today.  True to form, all school districts were closed before the first flake formed.  We got an inch or two during the day, so clearly the closures were justified.

While I enjoy giving the VA natives a hard time about the snow paranoia, there is one custom I have  yet to understand.  For some reason people extend the windshield wipers on their cars whenever snow is predicted.  It’s quite humorous to see commuter lots full of cars with their windshield wipers sticking straight up in the air.

I’m assuming the thought is that it will keep the wipers from being frozen to the windshield.  However, the windshield still gets frozen over and allows the wipers to become coated with snow and/or freezing rain on all sides.  Surely there’s a logical explanation.  Perhaps one day all of us MI transplants here will get to the bottom of the waving wiper strategy.