Chains?

Bedlam wrote:
The worst conditions are when you hover right at the freezing mark. It allows a film of water on the snow and ice which makes walking just as hazardous. When the NW or SE get snow or ice it's nothing like the conditions where it gets colder and the ground freezes. I remember living on the Great Lakes with large blowing fluffy snow drifts that wouldn't allow you make a snowball verses the snow/ice balls you can pack in the warmer reaches of the snow belt.

X2!!!

Nothing nastier than wet snow at 31 degrees!! driving over squeezes the water out, makes the snow ice with water on top!!

Give me eastern Oregon powder at 25 degrees or less, no worse than driving on wet pavement.

Plus, you have the mid westers that say they can drive in the snow......still they meet our snow! As noted, about as slick as slick can be. 5-15% grades are not uncommon in the lowlands here. You need the chains to stop, more than to allow you to go forward.

Plus I have heard. Metal traction devices are illegal in some states etc. That would be both chains and metal tire studs. I can do with out stuff, but chains a re a different better animal to have.

Marty

badercubed wrote:
I've never encountered chains being required in upstate NY and we get a lot of snow. Is this only a Left Coast thing with all their crazy mountains?

Not just the steep mountain roads but the heavy slushy wet transition from warm valley to cold mountain. Then at night the slush becomes ice. I would guess 5% that go up in the snow have never driven in snow so there is a lot of learning issues too. It only takes one to make a mess of things. Plenty of mountain curves have no guardrail. NY probably everyone has had some practice on the flats before attempting any hills or mountains. Chains tend to keep the speed down and that really helps the newbies stay on the road.

carringb wrote:

This is I-84:

Specifically, is that I-84's notorious Cabbage Hill, aka Emigrant Pass, popularly referred to as "Deadman's Pass"? If so, it's so notoriously dangerous (year 'round) that ODOT has a special "Respect the Hill" bulletin out for truckers with instructions for negotiating it.

The worst conditions are when you hover right at the freezing mark. It allows a film of water on the snow and ice which makes walking just as hazardous. When the NW or SE get snow or ice it's nothing like the conditions where it gets colder and the ground freezes. I remember living on the Great Lakes with large blowing fluffy snow drifts that wouldn't allow you make a snowball verses the snow/ice balls you can pack in the warmer reaches of the snow belt.

Hot dang. We just get quantity of plain old snow and flat land!

badercubed wrote:
I've never encountered chains being required in upstate NY and we get a lot of snow. Is this only a Left Coast thing with all their crazy mountains?

Just leaving downtown Portland is a 6.5% grade for a several miles. Our main neighborhood street is 15% for 1.5 miles. Most of the mountain passes throughout the NW (incl Northern California) are 5-7% and can climb for 10-15 miles. Plain and simple, many cars don't have the traction to make it without snow tires, chains, or AWD. Also, salt isn't used because it kills fish, and the snow water equivalent is so high it probably wouldn't help during most storms anyways. And if it's not heavy snow, long stretches of black ice are common.
This is I-84:

We do not have 10k mountains on the east coast. When I delivered mail in the southern tier,there were days that I did put chains on ,but there is no law requiring it.
Heck NY does not even require adequate tires for use in the winter time. As long as they have a couple of grooves on them you are good to go!

I've never encountered chains being required in upstate NY and we get a lot of snow. Is this only a Left Coast thing with all their crazy mountains?

ktmrfs wrote:
I have them for the truck and trailer. Used them once when towing, it's an experience you likely won't want to repeat.

Except for the one time, if we hit snow/ice and "chains required" sign, I just stop at the chain up area, make some coffee and entertain ourselves watching folks chain up. Then proceed when the road is cleared and chains required signs are down.

In California on 80 they will ticket you for that. There is a limited amount of area for chaining up, and you are going to burn 50-60 feet of it road is cleared??