Re: Coping with snow
 

I have a Hyundai Elantra. The first winter I bought a set of snow tires. I should actually have bought wheels as well because its much cheaper. Every spring and fall I have to go and spend $40 or so to get the tires changed over, whereas having the tires on wheels I could get my son to switch them for nothing.

It makes a thousand percent difference in the snow. The way the roads get around here, the next time I buy new winter tires I will get them studded. The snow tires aren't so successful on ice, which is what we have most of the time.

At the moment the side streets around here are like washboards. It thaws a bit - it freezes again. The city doesn't grade minor streets. If we are lucky they might come down here once in a few weeks after the melt gets going. One spring they didn't grade the side streets at all and people were stuck in two foot deep half frozen ruts. I couldn't get home. I live on a bay and the street the bay runs into had cars stuck all down it- up to their axles in frozen slush. I parked on the bus route and walked in.

There were such a lot of complaints that after that they usually come around once with the grader and you have to hope there aren't too many cars parked - if there are they just go round the cars and you get left with lots of ruts.

Re: Coping with snow
 

I have a 94 Plymouth Voyager which in fairness has been a good van despite it's age. It has all season tyres on and manages to get me around the Beach no problem as long as I don't try the steeper hills in higher temperatures cos I don't get much traction. I have been caught in two white outs in the day and one in the night where you cannot see the white/yellow lines or the car in front etc. But, my biggest frightener was driving home after the temperature hade been +5, thawed the snow, which turned to water and ponded then the temperatures dropped the wind picked up and blew the snow over the road causing it to be like a skating rink. I drove that for about 10k into Regina Beach at 40kph being overtaken by locals :eek: I couldn't see the road, the tyres wanted to call all ways and the wind was blowing me toward the ditch and it was dark :eek: a definate learning curve. :(:ohmy:

But on a positive the council in Regina Beach clears the roads more often and to a better standard than the city.

Re: Coping with snow
 

Yep, did that the other week. There i was thinking that some drivers were arses for driving almost in the middle of the road. No it is because they had no idea where the edge of the road was. I found out the hard way.

Re, snow days and school buses we use this website

http://www.schoolbusmonitor.com/

It certainly covers all of Ontario and think it has many others too.

Chris

Re: Coping with snow
 

Just to make a liar of me, the road past our place had eight inches of unploughed snow on it this morning, more where it had drifted. Luckily I had front wheel drive and momentum as it's three quarters of a mile to the junction with a ploughed street. I took the contingency route after that; bigger roads, more traffic, but most of the roads had been cleared. It's snowing hard now so there'll be digging tonight.

Re: Coping with snow
 

Well, for the first two years we had a Ford Focus four-door. It suited us while we lived in central Ottawa, as the roads we were using were always cleared and salted before we got out on them. This is with "four-season" tyres. Last Autumn though we decided to get a 2005 Ford Escape, which is a 4WD SUV. It's based on the Mazda Tribute - don't you get them in the UK? It cost us $19k before tax (you have to pay tax even on pre-owned cars) and this winter it's given us so much peace of mind. We still have the Focus, but that's enjoying winter in the garage, as since moving out to the country from the city we need something we can rely on when there is snow, ice and slush on the road.
I think a bigger problem than not having winter tyres is the way other drivers drive. They seem to have a feeling of invincibility about them, especially when they have winter tyres. Maybe these tyres give them a false sense of security? Today in Ottawa the weather is bad, really bad. They are forecasting 15-20 cm of snow compounded with ice pellets and a further 15-20 cm tonight. There is also a fear that they are running out of salt. So we left home to come to work 15-20 minutes early, and our commute is up the 416 until Kanata, dropping off Mrs Snave on the way. The 416 has not been poughed or salted, so you can't see the white lines dividing the lanes, and you are driving in the tracks of the cars in front of you. But many cars and vans passed us at around 100k/h - we (together with several other more cautious drivers) were doing 60k/h. I really think it's the fear of being hit by another driver rather than me going off the road that worries me most.

Re: Coping with snow
 

I took my brother up to Quebec City last week. We came back on Saturday. Blowing snow all the way. I didn't bother to ask him if he was glad he'd rented a Jeep Cherokee instead of a compact.

Re: Coping with snow
 

Did you get your parcel of goodies?