"I" have never even seen snow, can "I" drive in it

Ok, so here's the deal. I have some friends that live in Milwaukee, I generally visit them in the summer to escape the hell that Florida can be late in the summer. This year or next actually I want to make my visit in the winter, when there is snow around. I have never seen snow other than movies/TV (yes, really!) I would like to visit some breweries and do other things while I am there and it would be great if I had my own transportation.

Can someone who has done their share of sliding around in the rain, and autocrossing in the rain (10+ years) safely drive in snow? It would be a rental and I guess this would be an instance where you get the insurance but do you think I can do it?

honestly when it does snow it will be a some snow on the streets, but it will be cleaned up by noon. (i live in chicago) when it does snow just hide out in a bar for a few hours and you should be fine to drive home after it's all over.

if you are looking to do some drifting get some snow tires, it's a handful to mess around without them.

Yes

There's only one way to find out.

I managed, even with the WRX on unidirectional tires. Stopping was...interesting, though.

Yes, and you will love it :D

Seriously, in MN, I look forward to driving in the stuff every winter. And with 10 years autox experience, you'll pick it up very quickly. The first thing you should do is find an empty parking lot (with a covering of snow), and just hoon around a bit. Try slamming on the brakes, do a little skidpad test, etc. to get a feel for it. The biggest thing to remember is brake way earlier than you think you have to, especially on the all-season tires that will be equipped on a rental car - rather slow down too early than go sliding into another car or through an intersection.

All-season tires plus ABS can be a little scary.

Look forward to having you around--Milwaukee area is a winter wonderland.

You'll be fine. Chances are you will not actually see on the roads. If you do it will likely be manageable, like driving in the rain on cold Rcomps. If it is another Snowpacolypse, use good sense and don't drive.

Some basic things to remember:

• Going is not the problem, stopping is. Give yourself plenty of room to do it.
• You do not turn if your wheels are not moving. Hitting the brake in a turn and locking the wheels means you are going to go straight. Let the wheels move. I even prefer engine braking because of this.
• Make sure everything is super smooth. Just like autocross, smooth is better.
• Don't romp on the accelerator. Slow acceleration is usually faster, otherwise you will spin the tires.

No big deal. People who can't drive in the first place do it all the time.

Just don't drive like this away from the lights.I'm in the corolla wagon beating up on the gtx,tsi,audi quatro,subarus etc.

http://youtu.be/7cxH3bjqX6I

See in Chicago, people have a memory lapse and forget what snow is and it exists. So most everyone goes full idiot during the first month of snow.

But in all reality, follow mtn's advice.

Remember that you have no traction and you'll be fine.

Slow your inputs down as much as you can, jerkiness is what breaks traction.

The only thing that will help your stopping is proper snow tires.

If you have the option, keep all four wheels on the same level of traction. By that I mean if there's a single wheel path down to the pavement, and the rest of the road is snow-pack, you're better off keeping all four wheels on the snowpack than dropping two onto the tarmac.

I think you'll be fine.

Definitely find an empty parking lot and experience the glory that is hooning in snow. Donuts, reverse 180s, e-brake slides, figure 8s, and to top it off see if you can pee your name in the snow. (I recommend getting out of the car for this. And the use of cursive.)

May I also highly suggest the East Side Dark from Lakefront Brewery (in Milwaukee). It is delicious.

clutchsmoke wrote: I think you'll be fine. Definitely find an empty parking lot and experience the glory that is hooning in snow. Donuts, reverse 180s, e-brake slides, figure 8s, and to top it off see if you can pee your name in the snow. (I recommend getting out of the car for this. And the use of cursive.)

This deserves to be in the magazine.

Haha, clearly I'm in a different boat having grown up and learned to drive on the Canadian prairies, but driving in snow is AWESOME. I drove a whole winter on a lowered Mk3 Jetta with direction Nitto summer tires on it. You have to learn to anticipate stuff earlier, but it sure teaches you about the traction circle

About 5 years ago I went to college about 85km away. That winter the roads were unusually bad. 1-2 inches of solid ice, covered by a fresh dust of snow nearly every day. -20-30C every morning. Set the CC at 90kms and give er! Ok, no cruise, but really no big deal once you're accustomed to it.

Remember to use the following information when operating a vehicle in icy or snowy conditions:

• Wide open throttle all the time.
• Quick and/or erratic steering input is necessary to go straight.
• Brake at the VERY last moment, or if possible use the brakes of the vehicle(s) in front of you.
• Do not attempt to clear the sno or ice from your vehicle while driving, it creates a snow luck barrier... like "It's snow luck I didn't die in that accident, my car was icy!"

If you follow these steps you will be as prepared as EVERY driver on Michigans highways this winter.

doc_speeder wrote: Haha, clearly I'm in a different boat having grown up and learned to drive on the Canadian prairies, but driving in snow is AWESOME. I drove a whole winter on a lowered Mk3 Jetta with direction Nitto summer tires on it. You have to learn to anticipate stuff earlier, but it sure teaches you about the traction circle About 5 years ago I went to college about 85km away. That winter the roads were unusually bad. 1-2 inches of solid ice, covered by a fresh dust of snow nearly every day. -20-30C every morning. Set the CC at 90kms and give er! Ok, no cruise, but really no big deal once you're accustomed to it.

85km... that's like 9 miles, right?

Just pretend your brakes dont work and you should be better off than most of those hooligans on the road in the winter.

The best way to experience snow is to visit it, not live someplace that actually has it.

Sure. It's not that bad. It's nothing like rain though...keep that in mind.

In a way, driving through standing snow, is kind of like hydroplaning everywhere. Except you can actually turn.

I actually find that I prefer to drive in 4"-8" of snow than freshly plowed roads.

I've been driving on snow since I started driving (40-odd years now. Geez, that makes me sound like a geezer!) and I still start the season with the parking lot routine. It 'sharpens the mind', as it were; gets the reflexes which have got a little slow through the summer back to usefullness. Also it gives onlookers something to wonder about...

And forgetting how the brakes work can be either a blessing or a curse, depending on how stupidly the folks around you are driving. Honestly, sometimes I think they have the memory of a goldfish. 'Way too fast and braking 'way too late and generally acting like they've grown up in some locale other than eastern Montana. Every winter the complaints are there about "Why isn't that street sanded/plowed/salted...blahblahblah" and warnings the first couple weeks about stupid drivers.

Bottom line: smooth is fast, fast is slow, and watch the other guy do the dumb stuff.

John Brown wrote: Remember to use the following information when operating a vehicle in icy or snowy conditions: - Wide open throttle all the time. - Quick and/or erratic steering input is necessary to go straight. - Brake at the VERY last moment, or if possible use the brakes of the vehicle(s) in front of you. - Do not attempt to clear the sno or ice from your vehicle while driving, it creates a snow luck barrier... like "It's snow luck I didn't die in that accident, my car was icy!" If you follow these steps you will be as prepared as EVERY driver on Michigans highways this winter.

Nice. eVil.

mtn wrote: You'll be fine. Chances are you will not actually see on the roads. If you do it will likely be manageable, like driving in the rain on cold Rcomps. If it is another Snowpacolypse, use good sense and don't drive. Some basic things to remember: + Going is not the problem, stopping is. Give yourself plenty of room to do it. + You do not turn if your wheels are not moving. Hitting the brake in a turn and locking the wheels means you are going to go straight. Let the wheels move. I even prefer engine braking because of this. + Make sure everything is super smooth. Just like autocross, smooth is better. + Don't romp on the accelerator. Slow acceleration is usually faster, otherwise you will spin the tires.

This guy has it. The tough part is this: The limits of adhesion are so low that you really can't do any weight transfer, which makes it hard to feel. Pay close attention to the car slipping, it will sooner than you think.

Be smooth, be careful. Everyone else is an idiot, be careful.