Winter Driving Conditions

Warner
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Winter Driving Conditions

Post by Warner »

Some friends and I are driving to NYC this winter break (from Texas) and I need to know how the weather usually is around the Maryland/Pennsylvania/NYC area from late December through early January (probably around Dec 27 - Jan 3). Are snow tires absolutely necessary? I've heard the snow doesn't usually get too bad until mid to late January. Anyone want to give me some advice? Any help would be much appreciated.
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by DrNick »

This year, they're expecting a snowier, colder winter than last year, so conditions might be kind of messy; however, the major roads around the Northeast are usually well-plowed. Snow tires certainly couldn't hurt, but a good set of all-seasons would probably work fine.
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Prodigal Son
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by Prodigal Son »

Snow tires is something of a misnomer. They should really be called winter tires or cold weather tires. All season tires start to lose grip when the temperature drops below 7C. The colder it gets, the less grip they have.

Winter tires are made to handle three common winter driving conditions:

Cold: The compound is designed to remain flexible in cold temperatures.

Snow: The tread is designed to bite through snow and to shed snow from the tread so that it does not clog the tire the way it will with and all-season tire.

Ice: The tread has snipes to grip ice. Some also have abrasive additives or (where legal) studs to grip ice. Finally, they have tread designed to clear the water that is created by the weight of the car rolling over the ice. (In other words, a winter tire on ice is riding on ice; an all season on ice is riding on water on top of ice.)

So, you should have winter tires for any of these winter driving conditions. If you are on all seasons, and it is cold, drive like you were on ice even if the pavement is totally dry, because that's about how much traction you have when it gets cold enough.
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watkins
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by watkins »

Pennsylvania is one of the absolute worst places to drive when theres snow. Those morons cant handle it. They get snow every year, and yet they have yet to figure out how to plow. There will be six inches on the ground, and the plow trucks will drive around with the plow blades up and spread sand instead.

That and one highway you will need to be on will be closed due to snow emergency, even if its only an inch of snow.

To sum it up, check the forecast. If theres supposed to be snow, drive around PA.
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by PILL »

watkins wrote:Pennsylvania is one of the absolute worst places to drive when theres snow. Those morons cant handle it. They get snow every year, and yet they have yet to figure out how to plow. There will be six inches on the ground, and the plow trucks will drive around with the plow blades up and spread sand instead.

That and one highway you will need to be on will be closed due to snow emergency, even if its only an inch of snow.

To sum it up, check the forecast. If theres supposed to be snow, drive around PA.
You haven't seen Texas drivers. After school one day last year, there was maybe an inch of slush on the ground and everyone was driving 15MPH. Pissed me off. I was passing morons left and right that seem to think Ice=OMG!!!!11!!11!! wh47 5h0u1d w3 d0!!111!
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by watkins »

But theres a key difference. Pennsylvania gets several inches or more of snow every year. Texans are allowed to freak out.
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AHTOXA
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by AHTOXA »

I have concluded that every state sucks as much as the other when it comes to majority of drivers. Those dumb ones just have state or region-specific quirks.
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watkins
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by watkins »

People around my part of MA/southern NH are usually pretty good when it comes to snow. Living in and/or often traveling through the snow belt does that to you. Not saying people are perfect, but Id rather drive around home in winter weather than most other places Ive been in
Warner
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by Warner »

Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know of a hotel in NYC that doesn't require you to be 21 to check in (or maybe just one that never checks ID)? My friends and I are all 20 and nobody will turn 21 by that time. I am able to make reservations and everything online, but I assume they will check my ID when I check in, as the websites say you have to be 21. As you can imagine, this is a bit of a snag in our plans.
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by DrNick »

Where have you been looking at hotels? Most of the ones directly in Manhattan would probably check ID, but if you look elsewhere (Queens, Brooklyn, New Jersey), I don't think they'd care. Look for some hotels near the LaGuardia or Kennedy Airports.
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by watkins »

Look at hostels. I stayed at Jazz on the Park when I went two years ago when I was 18
Sad thing is, it was much nicer than many hotels Ive been in. And they still serve complimentary breakfast
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by theholycow »

You have to be 21 to get a room? You don't have to be 21 to vote and affect the future of the whole country. You don't even have to be 21 to be issued a gun and sent to another country to kill and possibly be killed. WTF...the only thing worse is needing to be 25 to rent a car. Stupid BS.

Granted it was ten years ago, but I rented hotel rooms a few times before I was 21 and never had a problem.
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watkins
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by watkins »

Two words: Open bar
DrNick
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by DrNick »

I can sort of see where they're coming from with the age restriction in hotels.

Case in point - someone I know from school. He'll be 20 at the end of the month and wants to have a massive party (ie., lots of alcohol) to celebrate his birthday/New Years'. He lives at home with his parents, so the first place he looked was a hotel. I told him that it was pretty much guaranteed that the room would be trashed at the end of the night with a lot of people and booze, but he just said "That's what they have maids for." Not saying everyone under 21 is going to completely destroy a hotel room, but this guy probably isn't the only one who thinks that way. They're just trying to cover their own asses here.

Like I said, look outside Manhattan. Watkins' suggestion for hostels would also be a good idea, but since you're coming by car, be mindful of parking - Manhattan garages are pricey.
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dieselboy77
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Re: Winter Driving Conditions

Post by dieselboy77 »

Defenetly snow tires. I drive on 8 inches of snow without getting stuck and i can drive 65 on the highway without sliding all over the place
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