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To: BenLurkin
Freezing rain describes most of our winter weather here in the Missouri Ozarks. Starts raining in the afternoon/evening when it's in the mid to high 30s and then by morning, it's well below freezing and there's 1/8 = 1/4 inch coating of ice on the vehicle and some roads. Sometimes it snows on top of the ice so that pretty white road is deadly. The wife wrecked my truck less than half mile from the house on the gravel road. Rear of truck started sliding, she over-corrected and snapped off a 7 inch pine tree at bumper height, blew both air bags and killed the front clip. It's back on the road now after finding a parts truck for $300.

She's a Florida girl so I usually end up driving her to work on slippery days. I grew up in the Northeast and learned to drive on snow. We used to go to store/mall parking lots and go into spins and fishtails on purpose. Best training there is. Eventually a cop would come in with lights on and we'd go find another spot until a cop came in with lights on - repeat.

Followed my parents down to FL when my dad retired. We left New England in December. Got down to MD/VA and there was a light snow. You'd think they'd never driven in it before. People were sliding off the road left and right but we just cruised on through. Both vehicles were loaded up pretty well which probably helped.

I actually love driving in the snow. Snow on top of ice, not so much. Ice, not so much. One of these days I'm going to get an extra set of rims and put some studdable snow tires on it and have them studded.

Haven't seen it as bad as this yet but it does happen. I did drive through a town that had 2 inches of ice on the side roads and the parking lot of the gas station I pulled in to for fuel. Nothing like pulling up to a gas pump on ice.


16 posted on 12/24/2021 6:55:32 AM PST by Pollard (PureBlood -- youtube.com/watch?v=VXm0fkDituE)
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To: Pollard

Pretty, in a way. Great pic!


17 posted on 12/24/2021 8:10:32 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: Pollard

I also enjoy driving in snow. As you said, practicing, and knowing how to control the car in the snow really is almost like an art.

Once I gave someone a ride home in a bad snowstorm as they had a small 2 Wheel Dr. car and I had a jeep with decent all-terrain/snow rated tires. They Were surprised at the times I ended up Using throttle, downshifting to avoid using brakes, and sometimes making judgment calls, Such as not stopping at a four way intersection that I can clearly tell is a sheet of ice and can see all directions and there is not another car on the road.

Ice is a whole Other ballgame, the worst is when you have a layer of ice and get some fresh snow on that. You really have no idea if you are on a layer of snow with dry asphalt under it, snow with slush under it, snow on a sheet of ice, etc. In those situations, just keep it nice and slow and do everything to avoid having to break or make sudden steering changes.


19 posted on 12/24/2021 5:16:13 PM PST by matt04 ( )
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