A gross over-simplification.

WOW ... and where are you now? Does Calgary get that bad?

OK ...... we're starting to put me off moving to Calgary! How long do these bad conditions last usually?

Seen this mind blowing manoeuvre a few times in and around Toronto and usually for what seems nothing more that a driver missing or over-shooting as exit ramp. I suppose gas is quite expensive though.

This morning I saw three cars trying to overtake a snow plough, ( ffs , whats that about? we had enough snow in the night to need the ploughs)

I also saw one car completely fail to make it up the small ( and i mean infinitesimal) slope on spadina at front because they were wheel spinning like crazy, everyone else around them was OK , they must be a very special driver to manage that

I routinely did that when commuting. It's quite frightening, very much like passing long lorries in the rain, there are a few seconds when you just cannot see anything and have to trust your aim. In the case of the plough you suddenly have a clear view ahead (as best it gets with headlights covered in snow and ice) but then have to worry about moving into the lane ahead of the plough without skidding on the fresh snow. Three years of that and only one car destroyed with no trips off the road. I count myself lucky.

Ok , I don't drive so forgive the stupid question but why would you want to overtake the plough? I can maybe see if the traffic was light but when the traffic is solid you aint gonna gain much by banzai - ing in front of them.

The gritters/salters I can understand , nothing more unnerving than the ping of high velocity grit bouncing off your car

To be able to see more than 20 ft ahead?
Because the ploughs go slow and you have a long way to go?
Cos you are mental and have a history of poor driving decisions?


All are valid reasons in my book. I personally wouldnt do it without AWD/ winter rubber on my side and knowing the road well, but then Im a big chicken behind the wheel, thankfully with no accidents in my debit column.

Understand that I commuted over rural roads. Seeing another vehicle was a rarity. If I did see one it was either in the ditch or the plough/grader and it was going at 30 mph. My commute was timed to an average of 60 so waiting for the plough was not an option. I knew the roads well so, when I overtook, I knew that there was no bend ahead.

I took it is a given that a rural commute would eventually result in a crash, too many of the miles were covered with no visibility due to falling snow or fog (or on the wrong side of the road with no visibility because the other side of the road had a snow drift in it). Having to go to the office is one of the snags with living in the country, if you're in town you may be able to use the internet and work from home but that's not an option in the country. Each time it snows I smile because now I don't have to park in the street, at great danger of being hit by a passing vehicle, while I fetch the tractor to clear a way into the driveway.

That's difficult to say ... the 5 winters we've been here have all been different. The first couple of years we had massive Chinooks blew in and melted everything quite frequently, but this is the third year in a row when we have had more persistent snowy conditions.

I feel fairly safe driving my 4WD Jep with my winter tires, but you still have to know that on sheet ice nothing really grips. And you have to give all the idiots as much room as you can. There's a lot of really bad driving, and the city is busy .. but I don't see it as a good reason NOT to come to Calgary!

Cold though ... it's currently -23 at our house... -34 I think with wind chill, and the high today was -18 at 6:00 this morning!

Right now I am in Victoria BC. to be perfectly honest the pictures were taken in 2008, which was a bad year, and the pics show an accumulation of 3 snowstorms.( 2 009 - 2010 not quite so bad.) the pics were of a side street where I lived, but the main streets and the highway were well maintained. When you got out of the side streets and onto the main streets you could get onto the highway easily. I had a rear wheel drive for all but two of the 35 yrs. I was in Ontario. I only changed the 2 rear wheels and put on winter tires, the regular tires which were on the rims, I put in the trunk ( boot) , for added weight, and also put a large bag of 'Kitty Litter' there too, in case I did get stuck( it is great for traction).
Sorry if I freaked you out. If and old lady like me could manage, I'm sure you will do fine , if,you are careful and use common sense.

The cold doesn't bother me .... it's the car ice skating

I spoke to the Mrs earlier and she had to dig the car out - she then swore at me when I told her thats its 21c and sunny here in LA (25 tommorrow )

I have also seen no end of people reversing on the hwy - mostly in the GTA.... obviously because Torontonians are so important that silly little rules that the rest of us must follow simply do not apply to them - nealry collected a car like that just before xmas on the QEW near Oakville (btw Im a trucker)

My Grandad was a trucker since queen victoria was around till few years ago always said the further you are from anything the harder it is to hit something

be prepared and apply lashings of common sense and you should be ok

we've got light snow atm, I was going to the other end of town to see if the UFA had the lunge line I'm looking for - the dog's just broken his and Lammles no longer have the ones I like, well anyway the light snow has made the roads super slippy, I just tried the local (my end of town) Western stores, UFA is the other end of town, I'll go another day, Henry will be on a short lead for a few days.

My DD has just started Drivers Ed', her first in car (truck) lesson is on the 22nd, I am so hoping the snow lets off a bit so the roads are a bit friendlier for her

Yeah probably a silly thought to not go just because of Winter driving .... just worry about getting around!! Onwards and Upwards