Weather Delays- Snow days- Etc.

[bimmridder]

I'm a big fan of 4WD. Even with that, I got stuck last year. Minus 16 now with high at a balmy minus 9 today. Winds 20-35 mph making the wind chill #%*&ing cold! I'm glad I'm at work where it's 85 inside and the kids are home from school and safe. Please, if you're in this crap and see someone in need, help them. This is really a deadly cold. Offer a ride to someone walking (most criminals are inside today)

[Denis Kolar]

I am going to derail this thread but I am curious.  Is it better to have 4 wheel drive in the snow or 2 wheel drive?  Never really driven in snow and was just wondering.   

4X is much better if you know the limits, I never had a 4 wheel drive but I have noticed that most of the cars in the ditches are 4 wheel drive cars.
Just if you have a 4 X drive does not mean that you will not spin out.

[nobrainsd]

Well, Here in sunny San Diego we have had our shipments delayed by cold weather... elsewhere. Should hit 72 today and the water is a very reasonable 56. Since UPS isn't going to show with my order I'm going foiling! Here is a pic from New Years Eve. Yes, I do have some sympathy for the rest of you frozen printers, but can't help laughing a little

[Zelko-4-EVA]

I am going to derail this thread but I am curious.  Is it better to have 4 wheel drive in the snow or 2 wheel drive?  Never really driven in snow and was just wondering.   

4X is much better if you know the limits, I never had a 4 wheel drive but I have noticed that most of the cars in the ditches are 4 wheel drive cars.
Just if you have a 4 X drive does not mean that you will not spin out.

my friend has driven an audi for years.  he told me yesterday the important thing to remember if one is fishtailing (while driving an AWD)- use the gas (tap, not to the floor) to straighten out instead of using the brake...   

ive driven a cherokee for years and loved the 4WD. 

good tires are important.  i love the michelin tires...

[TCT]

nobrainsd- I hope you get rain! 

Seriously though guys this is kinda weird up here in MN. LOTS of things are closed today and on my way in the freeway was deserted. Saw probably a dozen semis/diesel trucks stalled out on the shoulder and about the same with normal cars that had just spun out. It isn't snowing here, but when it gets this cold black ice becomes a serious problem.

4 wheel drive makes a huge difference as long as you have weight over all 4 wheels. My truck with nothing in the bed has nowhere near the traction as our Tahoe does. After 4 wheel or AWD, I would take Front wheel drive on ice. Rear wheel drive is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay funner to spin out in and do donuts though!

Notrhland needs to chime in here and back me up!

[blue moon]

18 on the way to work, 16 now. Expected 3 this afternoon and -4 over night.
This is unusually cold even for us (Cleveland). Normal temps would be in the high 30's.

Snow all over the place and starting again. Roads are a sheet of ice, literally. Normally when it's dry and cold they manage to melt everything, but not this time. My car (with all wheel drive) was all over the road to the point I though I had a flat tire.

pierre

I am going to derail this thread but I am curious.  Is it better to have 4 wheel drive in the snow or 2 wheel drive?  Never really driven in snow and was just wondering.

4WD no question about it. Front will do OK and is totally fine for most days. RWD is just a pain. Any car will do 5 mph in the snow, but having AWD will give you better steering when the conditions are bad. As mentioned, stopping is a different story and is impacted by the tires and ABS performance.

pierre

[Frog]

nobrainsd- I hope you get rain! 

Thanks for your well wishes as our Golden State seems to be looking at a severe drought.
In the Bay Area, we have had only one day of rain since the "rainy season" began last year.

[inkman996]

I own a Cheerokee and a 4runner. Yes 4wd is best but let me tell you it does NOT make you immune to bad conditions on the roads. Hit ice and you will slide just like everyone else. Go to fast on a turn or banking road and you may slide out of control. Having good tires and weight balance really helps keep you from getting stuck and moving from a still position on ice and snow.

Every winter I see knuckle heads flying around in their designer 4WD's and occasionally see one in a ditch or most common rear ending someone from behind because they think they can stop like the roads are clear.

[GraphicDisorder]

We have some cold temps and some light snow but some pretty rough ice this AM.  I still drove my 2WD truck.  I was born/raised in Indiana.  We went to school with anything less than a foot on the ground, I was driving in 6-10 inches of snow many winters.  Just move slower. 

[Nick Bane]

I grew up in central Illinois winters so i can certainly sympathize with all those in the cold, i hope you all stay safe!

On the other hand cant help but smile as i walk outside in a tshirt to 74 degrees and think about snow hahaha.

[Northland]

nobrainsd- I hope you get rain! 

Seriously though guys this is kinda weird up here in MN. LOTS of things are closed today and on my way in the freeway was deserted. Saw probably a dozen semis/diesel trucks stalled out on the shoulder and about the same with normal cars that had just spun out. It isn't snowing here, but when it gets this cold black ice becomes a serious problem.

4 wheel drive makes a huge difference as long as you have weight over all 4 wheels. My truck with nothing in the bed has nowhere near the traction as our Tahoe does. After 4 wheel or AWD, I would take Front wheel drive on ice. Rear wheel drive is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay funner to spin out in and do donuts though!

Northland needs to chime in here and back me up!

Yep... my favorite donut machine was a '68 VW bug.
1600cc of engine sitting on top of a rear drive axel.
15" tires, so plenty of ground clearance.
It was pretty easy to master a CCW spin... but CW got tricky.

This weather is causing me lots of grief.... had to go into 3M at midnight and crank the building steam pressure up to 12lb's.
I couldn't get enough heat out of 9lb's.
We have a campus that houses about 12,000 workers.... there was about 40 of on-site today.

[Doug B]

  22 here in Jacksonville FLORIDA . It's been worse. I moved here in '85 when it
hit 7 degrees. Of course I had just moved from Indiana so that didn't faze me at all. It surely
would now.!

[tpitman]

A little warmer here in O-Town. Had to change out of my shorts to a pair of long pants to print last night. I think by Thursday I'll be back in shorts and sandals.

[GKitson]

A little warmer here today, 11 below but very little wind.

Oh Yeah, the cities main water supply line burst last night, draining all the water towers and we have no water for the next 2 days.

When we do get water back it will be erratic pressure with a boil advisory.

We are filling empty 5 gal ink buckets of snow to melt to flush the toilets.

Did you know you can wash out a screen with a hand spray bottle if you soak it long enough.

It works, tomorrow we hope to have a 55 gal emulsion barrel full of melted snow water to throw the pressure washer intake hose into.  3 gal per minutes we better be fast.

Smile,

~Kitson

Oh yeah and it is a good chance that most residential water pipes in town will freeze tonight with no line pressure to allow them to drip!  Yippee!

[Ron Pierson]

Sorry to hear all this weather issue. Low 40's at night and 65ish in the day here in Las Vegas. I ordered an exposure unit out of the area where it is cold - they can't even get to the warehouse to ship it for a few days. I never considered washing screens - that's gotta be a big issue!!!