I will be flying to Denver at the end of November. I will be purchasing a sedan that is not set up to drive in the snow and ice and plan on driving it back to San Francisco.
What is the safest route to take? (is there such a thing?) Should I carry chains?
As always it depends on the weather when you are there, right now (11/10) there is a lot of snow on I70 but by the end of the week it will be gone. There is no way to tell what conditions will be for a given time in November. I70 is a nice drive from Denver west, much more scenic than I80, it will put you on US50 in Nevada which is also much nicer than I80 but is a two lane road subject to weather vagaries. I would say that if the weather is bad take I25/I80 else I70/US50/I80.
Anytime you travel the mountains out west, it's a good idea to carry chains... its just sort of an 'insurance policy'. If you do have the time and the money, a set of studded tires is definately a good investment... it beats trying to drive in snow and ice without them.
-Brad M.
Since he's taking the car to SF I doubt he will want studded tyres! Here's what can happen when you are caught out, this belongs to an aquaintance of mine in the Denver area who picked the wrong weekend to go over the Rockies to Moab (taken Sunday)Quote:
Originally Posted by Cascadia4-brad m
http://dontlr.smugmug.com/photos/39435655-M.jpg
Man, that's just wrong! :) I hate when that happens! Bob
Is that a main highway? So even if I took I25 to I80, I could still get stuck like that.
If there is a big storm, how long typically would I have to wait it out before I could get back on the road? Would chains work in a bad situation like that? How far can you drive on chains?
Obviously I have very little experience with driving in snow.
That was on I70 and I25 or I80 could certainly see conditions like that, of course that was on the shoulder which probably makes it look worse than the actual road was. Three other motorcycles made it back to Denver with only minimal excitement.Quote:
Originally Posted by jaydee
Even after a monster storm the roads are usually open within a day, very unlikely that they will be closed at all, the plows run all the time. Chains would help a lot, you can drive pretty much indefinitely over snow with well fitted chains as long as you don't go too fast (everybody does!) You don't want to drive further than you have to over clean pavement, not good for the tyres, chains or pavement.
I have seen weather like that this early too. I am not ready for winter to get here....Quote:
Originally Posted by killer
Thanks for the photo though!
Mark
Great photo! Gosh, I bet it was cooooold riding those bikes!!Quote:
Originally Posted by killer
Question: Does SF get a lot of ice? Where I live, snow is rare. However ice, especially black ice, is quite common in the winter. I have studs on all winter long. It makes a huge difference when you hit ice.
I doubt SF does get that but there are also winter tires that are designed to get better traction in snow and ice that don't have studs in them. That might be something to look into.
San Francisco gets no ice at all (maybe a freak occurance every 50 years) The whole of the Bay Area gets very little moist freezing weather, when it's cold it's dry and vice versa. I've travelled to and from the Sierras many times over the years and never had anything other than regular tyres, I bet I haven't used chains more than 5 or 6 times and I used to ski quite a lot at Tahoe.Quote:
Originally Posted by Judy
I wouldn't use studded tires in California, they are illegal, as they tear up the road reflectors on the asphalt. Too bad tho, I have heard that they make a great improvement when you hit some black ice.
Really? What if you live in a state where they're legal and travel to a state where they aren't? Will you get cited for that? Anyone know?Quote:
Originally Posted by edkahn
Yes, I have been in situations where other people are slip-slidding all over the road and I have been just fine. Just a few weeks back, there were lots of cars in the ditch, other that you could see going into slides, and I didn't have a problem. I still go quite slow in those conditions though.
Yep, you might get cited. Whether or not it happens depends upon many factors -- one certainly being what else you might have been pulled over for. A common one between Nevada and California is the degree of window tinting (darker tints are allowed in Nevada but not in California) and if you are pulled over for some other infraction (like speeding) the peace officer will almost certainly add that to the citation. Same thing for studded tires. Like the saying goes... Ignorance of the law is jot a valid defense...Quote:
Originally Posted by Judy
Mark
I can't imagine any sedan sold in the USA that is "not set up to drive in snow and ice" unless it has been customized. I drive a Q-45 that has been lowered, has low-profile tires and no reason on earth would ever compel me to drive it in the snow. That would not be fun. Is that similar to your situation?Quote:
Originally Posted by jaydee
If it is a stock car (no modifications) it will probably do fine in the snow. I used a front-wheel drive Fiat-128 as an off-road car for several years -- if you go slow you can often get through anything.
Mark
True...I just never even thought about studs being illegal in some states. Oy! Well, at least I can change those out, unlike those with dark window tint.Quote:
Originally Posted by Editor
This is incorrect, studded tires are permitted between Nov 1 and April 30 of each year - California Vehicle Code [Section 27454 (e)] There are some technical restrictions on the number and area of the studs. If you are concerned about this because some cops do not know the law send your enquiry toQuote:
Originally Posted by edkahn
California Highway Patrol
Office of Public Affairs
P. O. Box 942898
Sacramento, CA 94298-0001
you will receive an official response to prove it is legal to any cop that stops you.
Good to know! Thanks for the update!Quote:
Originally Posted by killer
Mark
Thanks for the info, Killer. Since Washington has the same dates, I'm a-OK as long as I can get through Oregon. LOL
Quote:
Originally Posted by killer