Black Ice Detectors

Old-Biscuit wrote:
Constant downpour and 32*F does not make for black ice

Surface temp below 32*F and a light rain makes for black ice formation (thin layer of ice where road surface shows thru)
*Bridges, low areas are prime for 'black ice'

Be attentive...look for pathes of road that looks NEW or DARKER then surrounding road area


Tech Devices are available .......
Black Ice Devices...goggle

Old-Biscuit pretty much hit the nail on the head. If it is pouring rain, that rain will warm the surface temperature of the road surface, if at or jest below 32 degrees you may have sleet or freezing rain. Freezing rain can put inches of ice on the road. If you are not getting any ice build up on vehicle surfaces you should be fine.
The greatest black ice danger is after several days of subfreezing temperatures then either a heavy fog or light rain will create a skating rink!!!

MDKMDK wrote:

ksg5000 wrote:
I drive slow and let the "fast guy" be my black ice detector. Also - remember that bridges tend to freeze quicker than roads - learned that the hard way (40 yrs ago).

X 2.
Or, when I notice that I'm suddenly feeling like I'm on a revolving deja vu carnival ride, with the same landscapes appearing to fly past me, over, and over, and over, again in a circular way.

Had the same experience when the rear of my car tried to beat the front end to the other side of the bridge!

The possibility of black ice forming is God's way of saying there's no place else you need to be, really. Park it, get yourself a good cuppa or pop open a cold one, your choice, and hang out for a while. It always warms up and melts.

?One of the easiest ways to tell if you are on Black Ice is when the road is wet, and you don't see any wet spray coming off of the other vehicles tires

Lumpty wrote:
Wet pavement will be shiny, black ice more dull, and as mentioned appear to be “new” looking pavement.

Yes, the best black ice detector is your eye balls.

Forth,

You have a lot of very good advice here, there is one that has been overlooked. One that has worked well for us forever.

If you can, plan an extra day in the schedule.

When traveling in an RV in the time of year for winter storms, always have previsions and fuel (all) for three days of sitting still. When it gets bad, it can easily take a whole and complete day to get back to safe conditions. Find a safe place to hunker down. Turn the heat on and watch the mayhem go by. This is why we travel in our own coach.

Why Three Days?? Because it is pretty sure to take the day for the roads to be worth trying, so there are two days. They third day is just for reserve. We have not yet needed all three, but one never knows.

I had worked this way for a while, but once we (I, DW, DS and DD) were on our way back to Michigan when the weather closed in. We got of the highway just west of the Delaware Water Gap and we got the last hotel room and the last Pizza to be had. The lesson was confirmed.

Matt

I forgot to add, that in decades of automotive testing, I have never seen a reliable black ice detector. I do remember testing three and then getting repairs to two test vehicles. The third only needed a new wheel.

Again.

Terryallan wrote:
?One of the easiest ways to tell if you are on Black Ice is when the road is wet, and you don't see any wet spray coming off of the other vehicles tires

Of all the goofy theories just in 2 pages, ^this is a reliable method, provided the road is actually wet enough.
You have a black ice detector already installed though. It’s the pedal to the left of the accelerator. Brake check the road. That is the most and only 100% reliable method.
Either it’s slick or it’s not

Thanks for all the good info and advice here. Probably going to get an outside thermometer and mount it low and inside under hood area. Also try very hard to avoid cold / ice situations.

Also try very hard to avoid cold / ice situations.

In MA ? That's almost as funny as an Iditarod Musher saying that. :B

Lwiddis wrote:
Time to pull off for me! Have a cup of coffee and let it warm up.

'round these parts up here, you'd need a pretty monstrously big cup of coffee in order to nurse it out until maybe April. ;)