Nightmare winter commutes - got one?

[addyguy]

So, as I posted about a month ago, I got a much better position at the chain I work for in another small town 37 miles from mine.

The commute in nice weather, is very nice - not too long, and pleasant scenery, no traffic issues..etc. However, winter is approaching fast, and this commute on a 2 lane highway will turn very difficult on some days, with heavy snow, high winds and freezing rain all possible at any given time. Also, most of my commuting will be in the dark both ways.

Only good news is this is a well travelled, well maintained highway that should be in decent shape most of the time. Some mornings, though, I’m sure, after a night of heavy snow I’ll be thinking ‘why am I doing this!?’

Do any of you have a similar predicament in the winter?? Talk to me!

 

[Kestas]

Is working from home on such days an option?

 

[Skippy722]

Lake effect snow can be interesting. Leave work and not a single snowflake, get half way home and it’s like a blizzard!

 

[addyguy]

Is working from home on such days an option?

Nope, retail garage manager

 

[michaelluscher]

One winter (2 years back I believe) it took my 4+ hours to get home from work
This is normally a 45 minute - 2 hour commute
It's about a 25 mile drive along the B.Q.E and the Verrazano Bridge, then surface streets through the suburbs
What happened was a badly planned shift change at the Sanitation department mixed with some badly timed and unforeseen frozen rain, that ground everything to a halt
It was that day that I found new respect for the Continental WinterContact SI's that I had bought
I laughed in the face of every cracked up Forester, RAV4, and CR-V that I ran across
Maybe you don't NEED snow tires or heated washer fluid or remote start in NYC, but it sure made life so much easier that day

 

[JohnnyG]

Used to live in Pittsburgh PA and snow on the hills around there can be really bad for a commute. Mine was only a 25 mile commute. One guy I worked with had a 50 mile commute from Acme PA (no Wiley Coyote though). Our terminal was manned by 16 men & a Manager.
One morning we woke up to 27" of snow on the ground! Guess who made it to work? Yep, me in my Plymouth Fury 318 wagon with sawdust tires, and Tim in a 4wd Ford oickup with the 300 6 and the 50 mile commute.
Maybe that's why I live in Florida now, ya think?

 

[ollie]

Big Bear CA to downtown Los Angeles and back 5 days a week.

 

[Aredeeem]

I can’t help you except to tell you that eventually it mercifully ends. 50 years of white knuckle commutes and then pushing a bus into Manhattan is over for me. Dreaded getting up knowing the forecast was bad. Patience, anticipation and proper reactions got me thru it. Road rage is your worst enemy.

 

[JimPghPA]

Used to live in Pittsburgh PA and snow on the hills around there can be really bad for a commute. Mine was only a 25 mile commute. One guy I worked with had a 50 mile commute from Acme PA (no Wiley Coyote though). Our terminal was manned by 16 men & a Manager.
One morning we woke up to 27" of snow on the ground! Guess who made it to work? Yep, me in my Plymouth Fury 318 wagon with sawdust tires, and Tim in a 4wd Ford oickup with the 300 6 and the 50 mile commute.
Maybe that's why I live in Florida now, ya think?

I still live in the south hills of Pittsburgh. Those winter storms combined with the hills are why I kept a good set of Bridgestone Blizzaks (all 4) on both cars every winter. And also told family members about them. There were a handful of times over the years when other vehicles were bouncing off curbs and blowing out tires and bending rims, or side swiping highway divider guardrails, or cement walls, while the other members of my family or I were driving with Blizzaks and were able to maintain full control. They only have to save you from an accident once and then they have more than paid for themself. And over the years they save us several times.

It is nice to have the feeling of being glued to the road when others are slipping, sliding, and spinning there wheels.

Of course the down side of Blizzaks is that you can not run them in warm weather. If you do you will wear them out very fast.

 

[JimPghPA]

I remember one winter back in 1978 when I was working in Monroeville and the parkway east was packed snow the whole way. I did not know about Blizzaks back then, (not even sure if they existed back then) and the 1976 Volare rear wheel drive did not have posi-traction in the rear end. But I had chains and two sets of the rubber tensioners on them. I got to work and another worker was stuck with his 4 WD small jeep spinning his wheels and not able to get up the long road to work because it was covered with ice. I picked him up, and took him back to his Jeep after work.

 

[eljefino]

58 miles, but I ride a van-pool during non-covid times that cuts it to a reasonable 23 miles.

I've got snow tires on the prius, but the car is one of the worst FWD econoboxes I've ever had in snow. ABS and Traction control both over-react. Mornings aren't bad as I get on the road before everyone else, but afternoons are dreary with packed snow turned to ice. A 2nd gen prius on snow tires, which I have and worship, is about as good as your average FWD car on all-seasons.

Mid-winter has a permanent white sheen of salt on the roads and things work well, but spring and fall with rain rinsing this off are more treacherous.

What would make it a nightmare would be an 18 wheeler jacknifing on the Maine Turnpike, blocking all lanes without any detours. Or any of the hills and poorly crowned roads pushing cars into the ditch.

 

[JC1]

So, as I posted about a month ago, I got a much better position at the chain I work for in another small town 37 miles from mine.

The commute in nice weather, is very nice - not too long, and pleasant scenery, no traffic issues..etc. However, winter is approaching fast, and this commute on a 2 lane highway will turn very difficult on some days, with heavy snow, high winds and freezing rain all possible at any given time. Also, most of my commuting will be in the dark both ways.

Only good news is this is a well travelled, well maintained highway that should be in decent shape most of the time. Some mornings, though, I’m sure, after a night of heavy snow I’ll be thinking ‘why am I doing this!?’

Do any of you have a similar predicament in the winter?? Talk to me!

I used to drive from Oshawa Ontario to Hartford Connecticut for work, 800kms (over 500 miles one way). I didn't have snow tires on the accord, but if it was snowing bad, I would leave Monday morning and go into work late. If weather was really bad coming back on the weekend I would just stay in Connecticut.

For you, I would make sure you have good snow tires and check weather reports daily. If there are delays on the highway etc, make sure you leave earlier or plan and alternate route.

 

[JimPghPA]

58 miles, but I ride a van-pool during non-covid times that cuts it to a reasonable 23 miles.

I've got snow tires on the prius, but the car is one of the worst FWD econoboxes I've ever had in snow. ABS and Traction control both over-react. Mornings aren't bad as I get on the road before everyone else, but afternoons are dreary with packed snow turned to ice. A 2nd gen prius on snow tires, which I have and worship, is about as good as your average FWD car on all-seasons.

Mid-winter has a permanent white sheen of salt on the roads and things work well, but spring and fall with rain rinsing this off are more treacherous.

What would make it a nightmare would be an 18 wheeler jacknifing on the Maine Turnpike, blocking all lanes without any detours. Or any of the hills and poorly crowned roads pushing cars into the ditch.

At least a Prius is a vehicle you can leave the heat running for a very long time and consume very little gasoline. I heard stories of people evacuating an area in a Prius and using the heat for half a day and barely using any noticeable amount of gas.

 

[HoosierJeeper]

I got Jeeps and a Land Rover.... winter driving is never a problem. I look forward to driving past all the stuck and rolled over vehicles!

 

[JimPghPA]

A good winter sleeping bag, a pillow, and a fresh dry change of all your clothes including underwear and socks would be a really good idea to have in the vehicle. One thing now preached in winter camping is to change into all new dry clothes just before getting into the sleeping bag. The lack of moisture in the clothing greatly improves the warmth.

 

[Pew]

Normally It's fine here in the suburbs of Chicago but HOAs rule my local area so other than the main street you don't know what's plowed right after some snow.

I did once take 3 hours to get home from what should have been a normal 45minute commute in the Evo. It snowed that day about 4 inches of fresh powder and I didn't have my winter tires on. I had to plan out my trip home that had minimal hills.

 

[eljefino]

At least a Prius is a vehicle you can leave the heat running for a very long time and consume very little gasoline. I heard stories of people evacuating an area in a Prius and using the heat for half a day and barely using any noticeable amount of gas.

It also has an electric auxiliary heater/defroster so it comes on quickly. Starting a 1.5 liter engine with 230VDC is also a sure thing on those cold mornings.

 

[hemitom]

I remember one winter back in 1978 when I was working in Monroeville and the parkway east was packed snow the whole way. I did not know about Blizzaks back then, (not even sure if they existed back then) and the 1976 Volare rear wheel drive did not have posi-traction in the rear end. But I had chains and two sets of the rubber tensioners on them. I got to work and another worker was stuck with his 4 WD small jeep spinning his wheels and not able to get up the long road to work because it was covered with ice. I picked him up, and took him back to his Jeep after work.

Its amazing what chains can do for a car , when we were kids we had a 70 chev wagon that our grandfather left at our place out in the country when it was unfit for the road , we put a set of chains on it an ran around the fields ,when the ground froze over that thing would push snow like a plow you could bury it in drifts up to the doors and you could still reverse out .
Mud different story bottomed out and stuck all the time . Boy did my brother and i have a ton of fun with that car.

 

[SeaJay]

One winter (2 years back I believe) it took my 4+ hours to get home from work
This is normally a 45 minute - 2 hour commute
It's about a 25 mile drive along the B.Q.E and the Verrazano Bridge, then surface streets through the suburbs
What happened was a badly planned shift change at the Sanitation department mixed with some badly timed and unforeseen frozen rain, that ground everything to a halt
It was that day that I found new respect for the Continental WinterContact SI's that I had bought
I laughed in the face of every cracked up Forester, RAV4, and CR-V that I ran across
Maybe you don't NEED snow tires or heated washer fluid or remote start in NYC, but it sure made life so much easier that day

I believe I know the storm you got stuck in. My wife was 4-5 hours, I heard of a few people in the 7-8 hour range.

 

[Cujet]

wintertime operations are no fun for this Florida boy. I drive my AWD Jag from my Milford PA “crash pad” from time to time. Ugh, it’s always something to cause a massive delay when it snows.