Meanwhile, in Portland, Oregon

[pwd72s]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1P54cpzLpA

[kach22i]

Yea, they chain their tires out there for good reason.

[vash]

i just tried to call Leupold Scopes, and they were closed due to weather.

that bad huh?

[speeder]

It looks like they're not used to snow up there. Is it an unusual occurrence?

[JDC PDX]

It took me 2 hours and 15 minutes to get home last night (5.5 mile commute). People just abandon their cars here. I don't understand it.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by speeder

It looks like they're not used to snow up there. Is it an unusual occurrence?

Very usual when it snows, which isn't often. Body shop owners rubbing their hands in glee. Mid western natives laugh...

[Charles Freeborn]

Home to some of the worst drivers anywhere. Oddly much of the problem is being overly polite and overly cautious. Leaves many of us yelling "JUST GO!!!" A lot...

[Charles Freeborn]

Oh, and btw, snowfall was around 2" give or take..... pathetic....

[Dantilla]

Same in the Seattle area. 1/2" shuts everything down.

To be (a little) fair, there are differences between Northwest snow and Mid-west snow (I'm originally from Minnesota)

- Northwest snow has a high moisture content, so it's mostly slimy slush. Much harder do drive than the cold, dry Midwest snow

-Nobody here knows how to drive in snow. They either carry on as normal, right into the ditch, or white-knuckle it at two miles an hour so everybody behind backs up into huge traffic jams.

-No level ground. You are either going uphill, or downhill. On slimy slush.

-No snow removal equipment. Sure, there are a couple plows, and a couple sanding trucks, that run 24 hours a day, but not near enough equipment to keep up.

[sammyg2]

Folks in So Cal looose half their IQ points when the windshield wipers turn on.

I can't imagine what it would be like here if it snowed.

[Vipergrün]

Originally Posted by sammyg2

Folks in So Cal looose half their IQ points when the windshield wipers turn on.

I can't imagine what it would be like here if it snowed.

They lose more than half if they drive a Prius.

The first couple of snow storms when I lived in Colorado were chaos, then things would settle down, after the transplants from CA and TX learned how to drive in snow again.

[PDX-944]

no one out here can drive... I was driving around in the r32 this morning for 3.5 hours having fun, and there were cars in ditches everywhere. what a mess...

[Rinty]

Originally Posted by Dantilla

To be (a little) fair, there are differences between Northwest snow and Mid-west snow...

- Northwest snow has a high moisture content, so it's mostly slimy slush. Much harder do drive than the cold, dry Midwest snow...

+1. I've seen packed high moisture snow that was so slippery you could barely walk on it.

When I ski on packed "coastal" snow, it feels greasy, compared to our local, dry snow.

[kach22i]

A couple years old, does not look consistent at all.

https://fox12weather.wordpress.com/2015/01/14/poll-do-you-think-it-will-snow-in-portland-this-winter/


My sister live out that way, tells me there are times they will not allow cars on the highway without chains.

It's just a slicker snow which turns into ice quickly as I understand it.

The last snow we had on Sunday was that way, it was weird.

[911boost]

I would freakin snap. Why can't people drive?

[pwd72s]

What often happens is freezing rain (ice) with a layer of snow atop that. OR...snow falls, begins to melt, the melt water freezes, then snow atop that. Skating rink driving...with people who don't have a clue behind the wheel. A predictable mess...every time.

You may have a 4X4 with studded tires on all four, but you still can get caught up in the mess.

Retirement has it's benefits. Long range forecast says it'll be melted by Sunday. I'll just stay off the roads until then, letting others help out the economy of body shops.

[jyl]

We only get sticking snow in Portland about once every couple-three years, so few are prepared for it. Most of the cars have standard tires and 2WD. It is hilly in many areas. The snow is wet and turns to slick icy stuff pretty quickly as it is packed down. The city doesn't have much equipment.

Plenty of people can drive in snow but a significant minority of people don't know or don't have the car or tires for it. It only takes a few crashes, spins, can't-moves to snarl up a road.

We do fine. Prius with Blizzaks can go anywhere except deeper snow. AWD Element with all seasons does okay too. Porsche stays parked. So today, when there are few on the road, driving was a pleasure.

[kach22i]

Subaru's are big sellers out there.

I helped get a Prius out of the snow here in Michigan the other day. No snow tires, and it had zero feel on wheel slippage. I had to take the drivers seat, I kept telling the guy to nail it when I pushed and rocked it, but he pussy footing it.

I got it out first try after his four attempts.

I told him one more time; like a fighter pilot with afterburners on, just keep going.

Maybe he was afraid of hurting the environment.

Cannot believe I wasted my kitty litter on that guy.

[PetrolBlueSC]

We will finally be warming up a bit and getting snow over the next couple of days. We love it, but then most everyone has blizzaks or studded tires.

[jyl]

Prius has aggressive traction control. It's a bit odd if you aren't used to it. The car tries hard not to spin tires.

But a Prius with snow tires is excellent on ice and snow that is not deep. We take ours from Portland to Yakima over Sadis Pass in the winter, the pass is 50 miles of mountain with no cell phone coverage, my wife has driven it alone in a snowstorm, unplowed, leading a convoy of 18 wheelers.