Unprecedented Cold Weather

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deleted member 18243
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Is it just down to tyres?

Just over thirty years ago, I went to Canada in mid winter. Snow was piled up above head height, and we drove into the mountains. We'd hired a large, rear wheel drive Ford. But it went everywhere, without any problem, on deep compacted snow. We didn't really know how, because the tyres just looked like normal tyres. No studs or chains or anything like that. I'd never heard of winter tyres until quite recently, but I'm guessing that's what they must have been.
Winter tyres are good in snow and also the wet when cold.
But in ice you can't beat studded tyres.
Problem is when the ice isn't there the tyres rip up the road surface and cause particulate pollution!
 
snow and ice are no where near as slippy when it is really cold. Ice is at its absolute worst when it is just above freezing and water forms on its surface.
We rented a chalet up a steep hill one time skiing in Austria. There was no way I was walking back up that hill after a few scoops, as going down it was bad enough. I would pay a taxi driver (the chalet was clearly visible from the rank) to take me up the hill. The speed at which they drove up that windy, steep drop-off hill, still scares me to this day. "Fresh snow - no problem" says the laughing taxi driver. :oops:
 
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I have been amused by Nowegians, who sneer at Brits driving cautiously in British snow, coming unstuck when they try it themselves.
LOL I missed out often wet ice in our case.
 
The Swedes tend to fit studded tyres in winter. Sump heaters too,

My worst experiance was a longer drive so I could stand with a foot either side of the arctic circle. Not that wide a road. There was a car park there and I found I couldn't turn into it. Not enough steering lock. ;) Reason, on coming cars in the rut I was using so had to turn into snow.I had wondered why no one gave way. Wheel arch packed with snow on one side,
 
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