Yet another snowpocalypse

[barbarienne]

The last three have all been wolf-crying, but this time even NOAA is saying a 100% chance of snow tomorrow

Comments

[dulcimeoww]

But you DO drive exactly the same way in snow as you do normally... assuming that you're a good driver to begin with. The only difference is you notice it more when there's snow (or sufficient water), and if conditions call for it you reduce your speed. NOTE: It actually has to get pretty damn bad before a substantial reduction in speed is advisable, especially when going uphill.

[barbarienne]

Remind me not to be on the road near you when there's snow on the ground... Or maybe when there's no snow on the ground... ;-)

You shouldn't just slow down. You should (a) slow down A LOT MORE than most people seem to think, and (b) slow down your reactions. Aside from all the inertia of a car moving too fast for the surface, many people get into trouble because they turn the wheel at "normal" speed, and step on their brakes or gas at "normal" force.

Driving in snow is radically different from driving normally. The physics completely change the way the driver has to interact with the car and the road.

People never seem to have an understanding of basic physics, most notably the difference between static friction and dynamic friction.

I don't mean to jump up and down on you, and perhaps you didn't mean your statements as simplistically as I am reading them, but too many people forget from year to year how different it is to drive in the snow.

[dulcimeoww]

When I say, "drive the same" I mean that you should consider your driving to be one long glide (kinda like ice skating) and make an effort to be very smooth in driving, and I've found you should pretty much always treat it that way whether it's icy or not. It is also advantageous to do this in dry conditions because it spares your brakes, gives you much better gas mileage, and improves the performance of your engine, not to mention it's a smoother ride. The reason you actually DON'T slow down going up a hill (and in fact should speed up: fly up, crawl down is a good rule) is because it reduces the risk of losing traction, which is the same reason that you should still gas gently through the corners rather than braking through them. Whether icy or dry, if you brake, it should be slow and gentle if at all possible (this being also an excellent way to remember to keep a safe following distance). Anything that tries to stop momentum instead of merely directing it is an invitation to a skid, and really just not very good driving

[barbarienne]

I mean that you should consider your driving to be one long glide (kinda like ice skating) and make an effort to be very smooth in driving, and I've found you should pretty much always treat it that way whether it's icy or not.

-->Ah, that makes more sense.

I've spent the past 24 hours watching idiots spin their tires in attempts to get their cars out of snowed-in parking spaces. It's extremely disheartening.

[secritcrush]

I mean, even Julia Roberts is mostly seen as a brunette

She's not a redhead. (She says her hair color is naturally dark blonde, so the internet tells me.)

[barbarienne]

I was wondering about that. Arguably her most famous role is in Pretty Woman, where she's a redhead, but most of the time she seems to have brown hair, and as you point out, even that's not her real hair color. I suspect she does the brunette thing because being blond may be a hindrance to getting serious roles.

[oracne]

I vote for Damian Lewis.

[malkatsheva]

DAMIEN LEWIS!!!! He is hot, hot, hot on fire, baby. I luuuurv him.