Would you drive in the snow?
I am supposed to travel to Panguitch, UT tomorrow to stay at the KOA there. Unfortunately, they are expecting 1-3 inches of snow. It looks like temperatures will be above freezing most of the day. ...
Forum Discussion
I probably would, if I had to.
I grew up in Michigan in the 1950s, have driven on melting snow, deep wet snow, snow compressed to ice, and ice from sleet and freezing rain. When it has been really cold, I would drive tens of miles on icy roads to get to clearer roads to complete my journey, sometimes 20-30 miles at 10-20 mph. When I lived in Chicago and had to drive to Detroit during winter storms, I would follow the snow plows (usually running 30 mph) through the lake effect areas in Western Michigan.
In NE Oklahoma the past 30 years, winter storms start by putting ice on the ground, cover it with snow, sometimes cap it with another layer ice. We drive when and where necessary on the stuff. Sometimes it means moving at 5-10 mph.
There have been other times when I've gotten into wet glare ice (FWD car with traction and anti-skid) and I would get off the road at the nearest exit and find some place to stay until it melted. I've moved this way on surfaces too slick for me to walk on.
But if you have no experience with this kind of driving, don't even try it. If you don't have to get there by some certain time, wait it out. While it is likely that the conditions forecasts will mean the roads are only wet, they could be slicker than drivers expect, and recent history suggests that folks today when they get on freeways and Interstate highways have no understanding of how much they need to slow down on slick roads to maintain control.
I grew up in Michigan in the 1950s, have driven on melting snow, deep wet snow, snow compressed to ice, and ice from sleet and freezing rain. When it has been really cold, I would drive tens of miles on icy roads to get to clearer roads to complete my journey, sometimes 20-30 miles at 10-20 mph. When I lived in Chicago and had to drive to Detroit during winter storms, I would follow the snow plows (usually running 30 mph) through the lake effect areas in Western Michigan.
In NE Oklahoma the past 30 years, winter storms start by putting ice on the ground, cover it with snow, sometimes cap it with another layer ice. We drive when and where necessary on the stuff. Sometimes it means moving at 5-10 mph.
There have been other times when I've gotten into wet glare ice (FWD car with traction and anti-skid) and I would get off the road at the nearest exit and find some place to stay until it melted. I've moved this way on surfaces too slick for me to walk on.
But if you have no experience with this kind of driving, don't even try it. If you don't have to get there by some certain time, wait it out. While it is likely that the conditions forecasts will mean the roads are only wet, they could be slicker than drivers expect, and recent history suggests that folks today when they get on freeways and Interstate highways have no understanding of how much they need to slow down on slick roads to maintain control.
