First Snowfall.... What do I need to know?

[wdfifteen]

In central Iowa a block heater is a little over the top unless you have a diesel. You may want to switch to the lightest weight oil that is recommended for your engine. I think this was mentioned above, but BE SURE to check the engine anti-freeze and the windshield washer fluid.

When people move their cars from a warm climate they sometimes forget that it gets cold up here. When I had the shop a Ford Maverick came in that was overheating. The guy had driven up from someplace south. I took the radiator cap off and - ICE!!
I had him leave the car inside my shop overnight. The radiator was blown out from the ice in it and spilled water all over the floor, but fortunately the engine block didn't freeze. If he had left it outside overnight he would have needed a new engine.

[matthewb0051]

Snow tires for sure. Don't play the "I've got all season tires" game. Snow tires are made with a compound that works much better at temps below 40 degrees F than other tires. And FFS, don't use summer tires once it gets cold, like driving on rocks.

Snow blower or snow thrower. They are different but necessary. Absolutely no reason to shovel snow if you don't have to. Blower handles more volume. Throwers are good for places with snow but not a ton every year.

[911 Rod]

Yes, get snow tires. You only need them once!
With a 4x4 truck you can accelerate very well in snow/ice, but it doesn't help with cornering (actually if you start to slide you can give it some gas to give the front tires some grip, but now you are going faster lol) and braking.
In fact it's worse than a car because it weighs 3 tons.

[GH85Carrera]

The best advice for driving in snow or ice, go slow, but not too slow. Learning that ideal speed is the challenge.

Real snow tires are great for snow, but nothing but studs really help for ice. We had an ice storm back in the days when I commuted to and from work. It took me 90 minutes to get home instead of the normal 12 minutes. Partly because I knew my regular rout home had some steep hills. I took as much interstate as possible that were heavily traveled, and sanded. I knew I was not getting up my driveway so I parked in front of my house. As I finally came to a stop and put it in park, the El Camino slid sideways 6 inches until it was up against the curb. It was 1/2 inch thick wet ice. I can't think of anything slipperier. It was a chore to get the driveway de-iced to get the vehicle into the garage.

Now if the roads are bad, I just stay home.

As above, keep a warm coat and gloves, a bag of sand or two in the trunk, and a tow rope and a phone charging cable in the car all winter. Of course your cell phone as well.

[flatbutt]

I once had all four tires spinning on ice. THAT was weird AF. Feather touch on the throttle fixed that. Duh!

[The Synergizer]

Since I am in snow country.

If you're holding everyone up on the icy road. Wave them by, let them pass. Don't build up 100 cars behind you.

Don't just drive away without cleaning the snow off the windows, the roof of the car and the front hood. Otherwise the wind will blow it all over your windshield and the person behind.

Go to an empty parking lot and practice donuts and sliding. Just don't get too close to a light pole.

Parents always had the separate snow tires and wheels with implanted studs. Do they still do that, I'm not sure.

[908/930]

As others have mentioned find a parking lot and play, make sure there are no hidden curbs under the snow first. Keep in mind the weight of the truck works against you, NOT the ultimate handling machine on ice.

Get some oil intended for preventing rust and spray some in the doors and in any panel seam, helps to keep the moisture out.

[LEAKYSEALS951]

fify

Originally Posted by The Synergizer

Don't just drive away without cleaning the snow off the windows, the roof of the car Otherwise when you open the door it will all fall onto the driver's seat and soak your butt when it melts.

[The Synergizer]

Good point and addition!

Also, keep a dry towel in the car for when you fall on your butt because you have slick soled California shoes on...

[jamesnmlaw]

You probably had a bug-out bag when in SoCal, for earthquakes, fires, landslides, urban unrest. Containing walking shoes, water, cash, flashlight-radio, maybe a fine merlot.

Just need to switch it up now. Snow boots, hand-warmers, bag of kitty litter, camp shovel, small bottle of schnapps.

Also, unless there's a have-to-do, stay inside, have another coffee, wait for the sun and plows to do their things. 4x4 on snow just means that your tires are spinning independently. The FWD will work well in a little snow. Nothing works well on the ice but maybe studded snow tires.

Make sure you turn on your lights.

And, get AAA.

[stevej37]

Are there any states left that still allow studded tires??

They banned them in MI about 50 years ago.

[911 Rod]

Originally Posted by stevej37

Are there any states left that still allow studded tires??

They banned them in MI about 50 years ago.

I believe here there is a lateral line north before it's aloud. Farther than I'd go. lol

[Zeke]

Kevin probably figured most of it by now. I've hit black ice 2wice in my life. That stuff is so treacherous that there isn't any word for it. Once I slowed down pretty slow to enter a rest area in AZ not too far west bound out of Flagstaff. I just let the engine slow me down to 20 to 30, who knows. 2WD 1/2 truck lightly loaded. I touched the brakes and realized that was not going to work. I let go and gently steered towards the entry back on to I-40. I just held my pee until I reached Williams.

The highway was good given the big rigs never stop rolling.


Speaking of which, I left central TX that morning before dawn. I had lightly snowed and everything was white. No curbs, streets, lines, nothing but stop lights and road signage. I was 2 blocks off the interstate so between seeing the lights of the trucks rolling and figuring there wasn't a road sign in the middle of the street. Not a tire track in those 2 blocks, so I felt my way to the on ramp a 5 MPH and got in the grooves the trucks maintained all night. The left lane was a blank.

Just about daybreak and me in the grooves, the cowboys started coming by to go to work. Out in the left lane where there was no visible road and they were blowing by at 70. They didn't even leave tracks, just swirls. Maybe a half hour later enough of them had gone by that I could make out the lane. I might have gingerly passed a couple of rigs not being able to see a damn thing in their wake until even with them. Then I'd tuck back in the right lane when it was safe or get my ass run over by a coboy. All their trucks looked the same, flatbed with a huge headache bar/grille ass'y and plenty of lights.

No brodozers out there. Skinny tires rule.

[Dantilla]

Like track driving, all inputs must be made smoothly. Look ahead. Way ahead.
Never let the car be in a place that your brain wasn't already there ten seconds ago.

[Por_sha911]

- Try not to completely stop whenever possible. NEVER stop going up a hill (like where there is a stop signs or traffic light). If you stop on a hill, you won't be able to get traction again. Stop at the bottom of the hill if there is a red light at the top.
- Look out for the other drivers ten times more than usual. They may start spinning right in front of you.
- Don't use hot water to defrost a windshield unless you want to replace it when it breaks.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

The techniques for driving in snow are the same as driving on the track.
Both are on the very edge of adhesion.
Track: 120 mph
Snow: 20 mph

If you go 20 mph....some gal in an SUV will shove you into a snowbank.
Holding up traffic is worse than hitting someones dog on the road.

[rockfan4]

Bump just to see how you are doing.

Today was my first day of the season with the snowblower. Started right up, but one of the tires was flat. I might have to adjust the skids as well.

[jcwade]

It was a white New Year in the mountains in the Los Padres National Forest.
I'm at 5600 feet, Mt Pinos is 9000.

It was fun being there, but nerve-racking driving out.
The AWD Volvo was fine (yea Swedes), it was all the 2wd cars all over the road that presented the challenge.

[Captain Ahab Jr]

[jyl]

What is everyone's favorite snow tire?