Tips on driving in the snow?

[Emre]

Any quick tips?

Snow tires + smooth inputs + look ahead = success

[SamE30e]

Think of it as driving in the rain, but 100x more slippery. Give yourself lots of distance to brake, and leave a good gap between you and the cars ahead of you.

[e34john]

We live in San Diego! I get excited when I have to park in the gravel lot at the County fair so I can use 4wd hahah. I can drive in the snow/rain a lot better than people around here sometimes its just I like to overpower and I forget that the tires are frozen too.

[mrsleeve]

This is the truth, whenever we are up in the mountains for a long weekend someone always gets confident and switches off 4wd to drift a corner only to end up looking like they are trying to draw an Audi emblem on the street.

You kidding me, I almost never have my truck in 4x4 even in a foot of snow. If it looks like I will need then I will kick it in till I get past the bad area and back to 2wd. And the bed of my truck is empty save for a milk crate with my hitches and a couple of log chains in it, you non snow dwellers, should lay off the 4x4 crutch and learn to drive in the snow, some day you might get snagged some where with out it.

[e34john]

Everything goes well untill you think you manage it and start to fool around and drifting.

Trust me, I've driven RWD for 15 winters and every single snowfall I must do it and end offroad. :)

This is the truth, whenever we are up in the mountains for a long weekend someone always gets confident and switches off 4wd to drift a corner only to end up looking like they are trying to draw an Audi emblem on the street.

You should be ok on main interstates just stay alert and be careful.

[BobombETA]

Pack a shovel and a broken down cardboard box for when you're hung up on a snow bank.

[Holland]

I just recently had to drive snow in a RWD car for the first time. If you start to slide do not hit the brakes! and watch the clutch, engaging too fast caused me to slip a few times.

[Dave]

Or even better than the snow sliding down on your window, is when you have large sheets of snow/ice fly off your hood on to your windshield - cracking it in two.

Seriously, snow is no biggie. It is the ice that will get you.

[gwb72tii]

The only thing i have to add to charlies post is that you under no circumstances want to remove snow/ice from the top of your vehicle. This way, when your car warms up and you perform a panic stop, the sheet of snow slides down and covers your windshield, blinding you, and therefore creating a hilarious spectacle for others near by.

QFT #2

[wagonizzle]

Dude just mash it and hang on.

Seriously, these are all good tips but I will add that starting in second gear is your friend. If the car has LSD you will be fine, but watch it because it will come around real easy if you give it too much throttle. Finding a parking lot to practice in is a great idea (and a lot of fun depending on who's looking). Once you get comfortable with how the car reacts on a slick surface and where the point of over/understeer is you can drive on the road with confidence. Then you will only have to worry about the rest of the idiots who didn't take the time to ask anyone these questions before they went out driving in the white stuff.

Oh and watch out for 'black ice'. This is a situation where it has been raining or snow has melted and then frozen. It freezes clear and it will fuck you in the ass without any warning. It will appear to be wet pavement but is in fact an icy sheet and you can't accelerate, brake or turn so just don't do anything until you are over it. Just keep an eye on the outside temps.

Good luck and hopefully you won't even need this advice but I think with all the responses in this thread you should be fine. Enjoy the trip!

EDIT: yeah like that video. The guy in the 5 series did a pretty good job but you know he was shitting a brick

[gwb72tii]

If your windshield is covered in snow, be sure to only clear enough space so that your eyes can see out the windshield. We're talking a 2 inch "box" tops. Don't worry about the back window, what's behind you is in the past. Do not exceed 12 mph, ever. Likewise, stop signs don't count when snow is on the ground. If you see another vehicle coming down the ice and snow covered road, just pull out. Snow gives other cars super-physics and allows them to stop faster. If your car starts to understeer, crank the wheel more and slam on the brakes. When you're up on a curb, just put it in reverse and floor it.

I think we've got the "Ohio Snow driving" part of your trip covered.

-Charlie

QFT

[atomic]

[gazellebeigem3]

The only thing i have to add to charlies post is that you under no circumstances want to remove snow/ice from the top of your vehicle. This way, when your car warms up and you perform a panic stop, the sheet of snow slides down and covers your windshield, blinding you, and therefore creating a hilarious spectacle for others near by.

[moatilliatta]

Traction is key. Tires with tread, AS will be ok. put some sandbags or centerblocks in your trunk for some extra rear traction. Id go in a parking lot and learn some of your limits.

[Turf1600]

Thanks for the tips guys. Let's just pray that I don't have a r3v thread in a few hours.