WTF?!111 Snow?!11

[Exterous]

So someone that might see adverse conditions like that once every 5 or so years should have the same level of experience driving in adverse conditions as someone that drives in it for 3-4 months of the year? You need to get out of northern Ontario a bit more

So I will say one thing I didn't completely understand until I bought a car with shitty 'southern' tires on it is how unbelievably terrible some of the tires are that people in the south buy. After a fun 'adventure' one day I looked up my tires and then the tire options in a few stores in southern states and there was a whole range of things we would never see at the more northernly lattitudes. The rain ratings were abysmal and the snow ratings were basically negative on a 1 through 10 scale. The worst tires I ever bought previously had nothing on the tires I now owned and there were still options worse than that although they were quite cheap. So I have a feeling a lot of people in warmer areas really cheap out on tires thinking 'it doesn't rain that often and almost never snows' but then they go out and drive when those things do happen.

Saw this pic of San Antonio snow and it made me laugh. So very southern.

Just seems like a normal Michigander out to enjoy the finally warm spring weather to me. (It must be warm since there are no 10+' tall snow piles from the plows anywhere around)

 

[Red Squirrel]

Hmm yeah super crap tires would definitely not help. I imagine even the summer tires here might actually be better than what is down south. I've driven winters on summer tires before and was fine, but winter tires do make it better, especially for driving in the really thick snow. People always think plows are magical things that just clear the streets overnight but reality is we sometimes have to drive in a foot of snow here because they can only do all the streets so fast after a big snow dump. So if you try that in summer tires it's not going to be fun. Doable, but high risk of getting stuck, and if it's morning nobody is going to stop for you because they are trying to make it to work on time. I got stuck going up hill once, some idiot decided to turn left so it broke my momentum and I got stuck. Had to back all the way down and take a second run at it. Actually, out of all stupid things drivers do, it's turning left in bad areas. If you put no left turn signs in all the spots where it's not smart to turn left it would solve like 80% of traffic problems.

 

[sdifox]

Hmm yeah super crap tires would definitely not help. I imagine even the summer tires here might actually be better than what is down south. I've driven winters on summer tires before and was fine, but winter tires do make it better, especially for driving in the really thick snow. People always think plows are magical things that just clear the streets overnight but reality is we sometimes have to drive in a foot of snow here because they can only do all the streets so fast after a big snow dump. So if you try that in summer tires it's not going to be fun. Doable, but high risk of getting stuck, and if it's morning nobody is going to stop for you because they are trying to make it to work on time. I got stuck going up hill once, some idiot decided to turn left so it broke my momentum and I got stuck. Had to back all the way down and take a second run at it. Actually, out of all stupid things drivers do, it's turning left in bad areas. If you put no left turn signs in all the spots where it's not smart to turn left it would solve like 80% of traffic problems.

Not many people run summer tires here, mostly all seasons.

 

[Meghan54]

So someone that might see adverse conditions like that once every 5 or so years should have the same level of experience driving in adverse conditions as someone that drives in it for 3-4 months of the year? You need to get out of northern Ontario a bit more

Don't forget that "once every 5 years or so" typically lasts only 2-3 days, unlike in northern climes that have snow on the ground for months.

Kinda hard to develop any sort of snow driving skill that way.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Not many people run summer tires here, mostly all seasons.

Those are half decent in the snow, not as good as winters though but winters are not really worth while down south. On my old car I only had all seasons, as I did not want to put much money into it.

 

[bruceb]

Post deleted .... Put it on wrong thread.

 

[Meghan54]

So I will say one thing I didn't completely understand until I bought a car with shitty 'southern' tires on it is how unbelievably terrible some of the tires are that people in the south buy. After a fun 'adventure' one day I looked up my tires and then the tire options in a few stores in southern states and there was a whole range of things we would never see at the more northernly lattitudes. The rain ratings were abysmal and the snow ratings were basically negative on a 1 through 10 scale. The worst tires I ever bought previously had nothing on the tires I now owned and there were still options worse than that although they were quite cheap. So I have a feeling a lot of people in warmer areas really cheap out on tires thinking 'it doesn't rain that often and almost never snows' but then they go out and drive when those things do happen.



Just seems like a normal Michigander out to enjoy the finally warm spring weather to me. (It must be warm since there are no 10+' tall snow piles from the plows anywhere around)

Where in the *F* did you peruse those "shitty southern tires"? Just curious, because I always thought Michelins were fairly good tires, as are Continentals, Dunlops, etc. Sure, you can find el cheapo tires, but the same crap is up north.....I've lived up there and have seen some of the crap sold as tires up north. Michelins are a big seller around here.....guess having a Michelin plant nearby kinda helps with sales around here.

But, true, you can buy crap tires.....but they're everywhere, not exclusive to the south.

 

[sdifox]

Those are half decent in the snow, not as good as winters though but winters are not really worth while down south. On my old car I only had all seasons, as I did not want to put much money into it.

I used to have Yokohama z rated tires. Great while it lasted. All of one summer...

 

[bruceb]

Z rated tires are mainly for high performance cars, (vette, ferrari, etc) and are for very spirited, high speed driving. They were never intended for snow use (and those type of cars all try to avoid winter road conditions)

 

[sdifox]

Z rated tires are mainly for high performance cars, (vette, ferrari, etc) and are for very spirited, high speed driving. They were never intended for snow use (and those type of cars all try to avoid winter road conditions)

Shrug. I was driving spirited in an E350 4matic :awe:

I of course have proper winter tires on different rims.

 

[Exterous]

Where in the *F* did you peruse those "shitty southern tires"? Just curious, because I always thought Michelins were fairly good tires, as are Continentals, Dunlops, etc. Sure, you can find el cheapo tires, but the same crap is up north.....I've lived up there and have seen some of the crap sold as tires up north. Michelins are a big seller around here.....guess having a Michelin plant nearby kinda helps with sales around here.

But, true, you can buy crap tires.....but they're everywhere, not exclusive to the south.

I never said anything against Michelins or Continentals. You absolutely see different tire options in the south. I've found low end Nexen, Sunny and the like from well know retail chains down there that you will never see in a store of the same chain up here. Plus you can easily find tires from larger brands that do a shitty job in rain and snow in the south but not in my area. For example I found plenty of places that have the Solus KH25 in stock in Florida but couldn't find a single place that carried it in stock near me. Looking at a couple of tire stores near relatives in Texas I'm reasonably sure I've never seen Aplus, Multi Mile or Ironman passenger tires anywhere around here.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Mine are Eagle brand, it gives me a bit of extra freedom. No idea how good they are considered, but I got them for free so can't complain, they've served me well.

 

[Thebobo]

I live probably half mile from the nearest greenway in the middle of suburbia but these three deer been in my backyard a lot for the last month. Here is one of them right outside my backdoor.

 

[bruceb]

We see a deer now and then by my house. Last time was 1 doe on Thanksgiving day. Before that it was in late June 2017 .. so they do not come around frequently or I am not up to spot them when they do show up.

 

[lxskllr]

Never saw deer as a kid, but they've slowly and steadily made a thorough nuisance of themselves as their numbers have increased :^D

I see some in the yard every so often, and I see them a lot at work, and dead on the side of the road. Even though they're kind of a pita, it's still cool seeing a largish wild animal around. I wish large carnivorous dinosaurs would make a comeback. Humans could use a little day to day fear to keep things in perspective.

 

[shortylickens]

light dusting of snow on the bushes and trees today. Road are clear.
I hope we dont have a horrible blizzard before Christmas. After New Years I dont give a darn.

 

[Thebobo]

light dusting of snow on the bushes and trees today. Road are clear.
I hope we dont have a horrible blizzard before Christmas. After New Years I dont give a darn.

I hear of a good storm in this area for thursdayish?