Texan from NY says exactly
I’ll add that in the South, the ice tends to be the issue. New Yorkers don’t drive in ice. Don’t even walk in it. Salt schmalt. Stay in.
Ice is the absolute worst.
That is the biggest problem.
Usually it rains, then freezes, then snows on top of that.
I live in the mountains of eastern KY and snow and ice can be a problem at times. I learned to drive on it in a cargo delivery van in the early 80’s. I would take a huge box and fill it with sand and set over the rear axles and the company put studded snow tires on. In snow I was in pretty good shape, in ice that is another story.
I can and will drive in snow if I have too but I don’t do ice even in my 4X4 pickup, I stay home unless it is a life or death emergency.
My brother moved to Columbia SC after graduating college in the late 80’s and one January day all his co-workers were in a tizzy, seems snow and some ice were forecast and they wanted to get home. He said there was skiffs of snow and it was snowing when he went home but the main roads were clear still but backed up with wrecks. Just about every bridge where ice actually had covered the road way had a wreck. He watched one happening as he was driving a buddy home from work. Signs everywhere, bridges ice up before the road way and the drivers would hit the bridges and slam on their brakes and boom it was all over.
The co-worker was a native of Columbia was tense when they crossed a bridge or two and nothing happened and he finally asked my brother, how did we cross so easy? You keep your foot off and brake and off the accelerator when you are on the bridge and just steer straight. If you have to slow down brake before the bridge or after. Duh...