Snow In Portland, WONDERFUL! :(

[BigSmooth]

There's 3" of snow in my backyard and it's still snowing lightly. It wouldn't have been that bad but I think in my area (Tigard/Beaverton) there was a very thin layer of ice under the snow, causing severe traction problems.

I tried to get to work this morning but there was a jackknifed truck on a nearby overpass, causing severe traffic jams. Even relatively small hills were causing problems. From the videos I've seen on the news, it's like this all over the city, with abandoned vehicles on highways and offramps. There was a video on KGW of a Volvo (?) SUV sliding all over the place on a hill in Goose Hollow, hitting 4-5 cars and a light pole as it went. Looked like a bumper car.

ETA: the conditions really aren't that bad (yet, might melt then refreeze tonight which would suck) but people just aren't careful enough when driving.

 

[NuAlphaMan]

Originally posted by: rsd
I have nothing to contribute to this thread other than LOL at 2" of snow.

That's hilarious!

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You put all seasons on, or do you have dedicated winter tires? I can't wait to do the same with the MS6, but all we have had is ice, and the stock Brudgestone's are useless in snow...

All-seasons. Toyo Proxes4.

There's 3-4 inches at my house. It's not much, but you have to take into account a few things. It doesn't happen very often, we're never prepared for it, very few people know how to drive in it, it's quite hilly here, and the snow we get here is the infamously wet and slick "Cascade Crud" (that's what skiers call it) not that dry powder you guys get back east. This stuff doesn't blow and drift. Under the slightest pressure it compacts straight into ice.

 

[Bryophyte]

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Places are shutting down for only 2 inches of snow???

It's the layer of ice underneath the snow that's the big problem. It's been cold here the past few days, but dry. When the precipitation came, it started with a nice layer of ice on the ground, then snow on top.

And like I said in bleeb's thread, those of us who *can* drive on snow and ice stay home in weather like this because of all those idiots who *can't* drive on snow and ice, but go out there and drive around and get in wrecks anyway.

 

[GregGreen]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You put all seasons on, or do you have dedicated winter tires? I can't wait to do the same with the MS6, but all we have had is ice, and the stock Brudgestone's are useless in snow...

All-seasons. Toyo Proxes4.

There's 3-4 inches at my house. It's not much, but you have to take into account a few things. It doesn't happen very often, we're never prepared for it, very few people know how to drive in it, it's quite hilly here, and the snow we get here is the infamously wet and slick "Cascade Crud" (that's what skiers call it) not that dry powder you guys get back east. This stuff doesn't blow and drift. Under the slightest pressure it compacts straight into ice.

I'm assuming it is just like our lake-effect snow -- seeing as it is probably ocean-effect snow that you are getting.

PLUS LOL

 

[skyking]

That vid was not just snow, that's for sure. We've had days of ice, park that wet crap on top if it and it is almost a perpetual motion situation
My wife put her cellphone on speaker on the way to work, she was very nervous about the drive.
At one point she was telling me to 'call somebody about this intersection, it is unbelievably slick"
There is about a 10 second pause.
" Forget that, the state patrol rolled up to his red light, my green, started sliding, and turned on his blues as he slid through the red. HE'll call somebody"
Down the road on a state highway, she does the right thing and looks both ways on HER green, and a loaded log truck blows through and makes a turn onto the road right past her. That would have ruined our day

 

[MidasKnight]

Took my German Shorthair Pointer out :


Gunner


Text

Text


He's 2 1/2years old ... Tigard area here ..

 

[NuroMancer]

So whats your saying is the city of Portland is woefully unprepared to deal with snow and ice..
Not just the drives, but the city's governing body as well.

Salt/sand/rocks..... ftw.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: NuroMancer
So whats your saying is the city of Portland is woefully unprepared to deal with snow and ice..
Not just the drives, but the city's governing body as well.

Salt/sand/rocks..... ftw.

Why should they be so prepared for something that happens a couple days each year on average? But trust me, they'll dump millions of tons of sand and rocks on the roads. More than should ever be considered necessary. I had to have my windshield replaced last week because they thought it was going to snow so they dumped tons of rocks on the roads, it didn't snow, and wham! one starfished my windshield.

The problems (once again) are that it's hilly here, the particular type of snow we get here is very slick, and most people can't drive in the snow here. The last part is by far the worst. Despite the proximity of the mountains and the fact that it snows here once or twice most every year, the drivers here are as bad as if it snowed in LA. If they can't stop, they lock up the brakes and slide right into everything below them. If they can't climb that hill, they gun it right into the ditch. It's unreal. You watch the news, see the disaster of the fools on the roads, and call into work. I don't want to be out there with those idiots.

 

[Insane3D]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Insane3D
You put all seasons on, or do you have dedicated winter tires? I can't wait to do the same with the MS6, but all we have had is ice, and the stock Brudgestone's are useless in snow...

All-seasons. Toyo Proxes4.

There's 3-4 inches at my house. It's not much, but you have to take into account a few things. It doesn't happen very often, we're never prepared for it, very few people know how to drive in it, it's quite hilly here, and the snow we get here is the infamously wet and slick "Cascade Crud" (that's what skiers call it) not that dry powder you guys get back east. This stuff doesn't blow and drift. Under the slightest pressure it compacts straight into ice.

Yeah, we actually get all kinds of snow here in New England...and I know that stuff well. I think, like you said, it's more that it's a rarity, so there is very little infrastructure to handle it. Here in NH..if we get two feet of snow, you can still get everywhere fine because they have fleets of plowers/salters. It's hilly here too, so you we have our share of retards driving.

How do you like the Toyo's? I was going to get a dedicated snow set for the MS6, but the fact I can only go down to a 17" rim because of the brakes makes it expensive. There are no steelies in 17", and even with the cheapest rims and the cheapest winter tires, it's almost $1k. I'd hate to spend that much on a set of rims/tires I'll only use a couple months a year. I'm debating getting a set of all seasons or snows for the stock rims, then using my tax refund to get a set of rims/tires for the rest of the year...probably 18 x 8 with some BFG KDW's. I don't see the Toyo's available in my size, but I have been looking at the Pirelli PZero Nero M+S's...

I figure with the AWD and decent all seasons, I should be fine for most storms. I only have about a 12 mile drive to work..all main roads/highways.

 

[Vic]

I like the Toyos. They're a good compromise if that's the kind of tire you're looking for. Good traction wet and dry, as good as most any high-performance summer only tire, and decent in the snow. I don't think they'd do well in deep snow or really low temps, and they're not good in the ice, but they handle the light stuff just fine. My GF rides on a set of the BFG KDW's in her Subie and they're almost as good as the Toyos traction-wise and have stiffer sidewalls (I actually drove those over the Siskiyous in heavy snow one time with not a single worrying moment), and I've heard nothing but good things about the Pirellis.

 

[Insane3D]

Thanks for the info. I thought the KDW's were summer only's? Are you talking about these?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp...Goodrich&tireModel=g-Force+T%2FA+KDW+2

See, I'd doubt I would ever need to drive in deep snow, or ice, so I'm leaning all seasons so I'd trade a bit of winter traction for better dry traction....

The Pzero M+S's are fairly cheap too in the stock 18" size...$125/ea.

Edit:

Are these the ones you meant on your GF's?

http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp...FGoodrich&tireModel=g-Force+T%2FA+KDWS

 

[RossMAN]

I made the mistake of going into work early, of course everyone else calls in "I can't make it to work ..." x14.

Ross was not a happy camper today then again when am I ever really happy?

 

[Insane3D]

I'd rather have snow...

This is what the Speed looked like this morning...

Ice Tomb

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: NuroMancer
So whats your saying is the city of Portland is woefully unprepared to deal with snow and ice..
Not just the drives, but the city's governing body as well.

Salt/sand/rocks..... ftw.

The city of Portland, with like 3 million people or something, owns all of TWELVE snow plows.

 

[Bryophyte]

Hillsboro schools are closed again tomorrow. Oh, joy, that makes 6 days out of 7 off of school for my kids (kept them home last thursday.)

 

[isekii]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Places are shutting down for only 2 inches of snow???

Yep, because people don't know how to farking drive in it.
Example.

Lmao all those idiots trying to navigate down the hill...

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: isekii

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Places are shutting down for only 2 inches of snow???

Yep, because people don't know how to farking drive in it.
Example.

Lmao all those idiots trying to navigate down the hill...

Nobody was prepared for this. They're not idiots, they just aren't prepared (and even you can understand that). I drove less than 10mph all the way to work, took me about 90 minutes to go almost 15 miles. I'm not stupid enough to lock up my brakes, but that didn't matter one bit. I almost hit someone on two different occasions, slid completely off the road on a hill once, and was almost hit probably a half dozen times. You just don't have control when you're driving on a sheet of ice.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Wow I finaly got home just now...
And to think I have to go back to work tomorrow at 6 am
I am just glad I didn't have to stay overnight at work. That would of truly sucked.

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Places are shutting down for only 2 inches of snow???

Yep, because people don't know how to farking drive in it.
Example.

"What the hell, this isn't the salter, this is the Zamboni! You moron!"

I gather that this isn't just snow, I don't think snow lets cars keep on sliding like that. Looks like that road got a nice glazing of ice.

 

[Nik]

Originally posted by: Jeff7

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: mcvickj
Places are shutting down for only 2 inches of snow???

Yep, because people don't know how to farking drive in it.
Example.

"What the hell, this isn't the salter, this is the Zamboni! You moron!"

I gather that this isn't just snow, I don't think snow lets cars keep on sliding like that. Looks like that road got a nice glazing of ice.

Correct.

We don't salt, either. Salt rusts and ruins the undercarriage of the vehicle. We use sand and pebbles.

 

[Bryophyte]

It's snowing at my house right now.

 

[GregGreen]

I'm still not sure what the problem is, besides people not knowing how to drive in it. This sort of thing happens multiple times a year in a usual winter in Upstate NY.

On another note, my studded snow tires like driving on ice...