Posted on 01/21/2016 7:06:40 PM PST by Hojczyk
WASHINGTON (WJZ)âThe D.C. Metro area got a nasty taste of whatâs to come this weekend.
Chaos on the roads with just an inch of snow last night.
If Wednesday night is any indication of what weâll see this weekend, then you need to start planning ahead and avoid being outside at all costs.
On Wednesday traffic at a standstill for miles.
Collisions and spin outs, all from an inch of snow and black ice that coated the DC area.
Itâs an ugly preview of whatâs to come this weekend when weâre expected to be pounded with two feet of snow.
Many of the roads were not pre-treated which attributed to the crippling conditions.
âWhat we experienced last evening from this snow event was nowhere near what the forecast had been for the weather in Maryland,â said Pete Rahn, Secretary of Transportation.
After sitting for more than 5 hours some chose to ditch their cars and walk home instead.
âI hope they would have anticipated this better and treated the roads,â said one driver.
Itâs a nightmare people are hoping to not re-live, as the area prepares for one of the worst blizzards in recent history.
(Excerpt) Read more at baltimore.cbslocal.com ...
Ching! Ching!!
Have you ever tried letting some air pressure out of your tires to “soften” then up when driving on ice??? It makes a world of difference.
Having driven thousands of miles on black ice I find it hard to understand how some people don’t understand what traction is. Too much accelerator or too much brake and you loose traction. When you break traction, and don’t recover it quickly, you become the victim of gravity. Gravity always wins.
Of course I would not ever venture out in weather like that in something like a Prius, but that’s just me. That’s why I drive a 4x4 truck with Posi-Track and proper seasonal tires (and chains if needed). We have mountains here, not just slight hills and I get to work on time, every time, no matter what the weather. Then again I am not, and never have been, a FEDGOV employee.
Next ice storm let 10-12 lbs. of pressure out of your tires then air them back up after it melts off. You might be surprised.
Regards.
I’ve gone as low as 7 psi, and it does help some, but wet ice is just insanely slippery. A couple of years ago I ended up in a ditch. The recovery truck was sliding on its serrated-face stabilizers. It was hard to walk on the road, it was so slick.
I actually had forgotten about dropping tire pressure, thanks for the reminder. Every little bit helps. As many above have said, it’s best to stay in if you can avoid going anywhere when it’s really nasty outside.
Yep that’s why I don’t have salt on hand. What we eat tend to have more than enough sodium anyway.
Maryland “Freak State” PING!
I drove while eating a hamburger once.
Once.
Never did it again; felt not in control enough.
Of the hamburger or the car?
DC commute???
Its Saturday
This was the little bit of snow on Wednesday that became a disaster for that evening’s rush hour, as well as the next morning’s.
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