Help Needed: How much travel risk is too much for a pow day?

[Tammy]

Hey there. Just debating whether or not to go up to my favorite hill which is an hour and a half drive on an interstate in conditions like this. I'm also thinking of lodging about 10 miles from the hill tonight to lessen the drive tomorrow.

(Text from National Weather Service in Missoula)
<quote>
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST SUNDAY... THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MISSOULA HAS ISSUED A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 AM MST SUNDAY.

* IMPACTS/TIMING: SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL BE PRESENT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING NEAR LOOKOUT PASS. LOW VISIBILITY...SNOW COVERED ROADS...AND WIND GUSTS EXCEEDING 40 MPH WILL CREATE HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. NEAR WHITEOUT CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT TIMES. SNOW WILL REACH LOWER ELEVATIONS ALONG INTERSTATE 90 TONIGHT...WITH WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH THIS MORNING THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY.

* SNOW ACCUMULATIONS: 1 TO 2 FEET OVER LOOKOUT PASS. 3 TO 6 INCHES AT LOWER ELEVATIONS MAINLY TONIGHT THROUGH MIDDAY SUNDAY.

* WINDS: SOUTHWEST WINDS 20 TO 30 MPH GUSTING OVER 40 MPH. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW... BLOWING SNOW...OR ICE ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.
</quote>

So my fellow Divas, would you risk it, or would you bag it?

 

[ski diva]

Near whiteout conditions?

No. For me, that's the kicker.

 

[abc]

Has the storm started yet? If it isn't and you still got a window of 2 hrs, throw everything in the car NOW and bed down 10 mile from the mountain (better yet, right AT the hill so there's no driving in the morning)

If the storm is already raging, I wouldn't. That sounds really serious condition you're expecting. I would guess Montana does a much better job of keeping the roads plowed. But I've never lived in an area that can keep the roads open when FEETS of snow are expected.

 

[NewEnglandSkier]

If it was me, I would bag it. Admittedly I am probably a wuss when it comes to driving in bad weather, but I always feel that I can only control how I drive--not how others choose to drive. So if someone drives too fast for the conditions and spins out into me, it just isn't worth it to me to risk wrecking my car just to drive to a leisure activity.
However, if I could stay maybe a 5 minute drive from where I was going then I "might" risk it in poor conditions, but not if I had to drive more than a few minutes.

 

[Tammy]

Yep, I'm gonna bag it :(. I'll just head up there on Monday since I'm still on vacation and hope that no one has poached my secret tree stashes too much.

I'm just gonna head to my local hill tomorrow where the weather won't be too terrible.

Thanks for the advice so far and for not totally declaring me crazy .

 

[geargrrl]

I'd watch conditions carefully. Even down here in the Cayman Islands, I'm checking local wax and snow reports. It's really warming up and I don't know if lookout if going to get part of the warming trend or not.

 

[Jilly]

I'll take that drive over the R word we had today!!

I have 4 w drive, but I'm more worried about the other drivers than me.

 

[Tammy]

Yeah. Looks like base of Lookout will get the warmer temps later next week. At least they have a decent base to play on now.

 

[Tammy]

I'll take that drive over the R word we had today!!

I have 4 w drive, but I'm more worried about the other drivers than me.

I don't have 4w drive, but I have snow tires. My concern is the same as yours: other ppl not taking the conditions seriously. I'm more worried that I'd get stranded while up there since the wind is supposed to be so bad. Here in the valley (3,200 ft) it's been raining sideways. Skiing wind-blown powder isn't worth the hassle either.

 

[mustski]

We drive. DH is a great snow driver and we have a Toyota Land Cruiser that is fantastic in any conditions. Without a 4WD - no way!

 

[ski diva]

We have a Subaru outfitted with snow tires, and it's really good in bad weather. But I'd be worried about seeing. I've been on the road when there is zero visibility. You don't know if you're on the road or in the opposite lane or in the trunk of the car in front of you, and it's no fun.

 

[mustski]

We have a Subaru outfitted with snow tires, and it's really good in bad weather. But I'd be worried about seeing. I've been on the road when there is zero visibility. You don't know if you're on the road or in the opposite lane or in the trunk of the car in front of you, and it's no fun.

Yup. That is definitely too extreme. Seeing is a must. I don't ski in total white out either.

 

[abc]

Whenever I go out AFTER a storm, the wrecks I saw in the ditch are always 4wd SUVs!

People who have 2wd cars knows enough not to go out in a blizzard. But apparently, many SUV drivers think the law of physics don't apply to them.

4wd let you get GOING when traction is iffy. But it doesn't help you much when it comes to time you need to STOP!

 

[mustski]

We have driven up the mountain on every Friday night that the road is open. We've been stuck in horrendous traffic behind wrecks and seen a lot of wrecks .... but every wreck I have ever seen on a mountain road has been a 2WD vehicle - no exceptions.

ETA I'm not saying that 4WD never wrecks. I'm just saying that the odds are hugely in your favor over a 2WD vehicle.

 

[ski diva]

I think abc has a good point, though. 4 wheel drive seems to give a lot of people false confidence. They see the car commercials where people are driving fast in the snow, and think they should be able to do that, too. Anyone here listen to Car Talk on NPR? This is one of their beefs, too.

 

[Pequenita]

I think abc has a good point, though. 4 wheel drive seems to give a lot of people false confidence. They see the car commercials where people are driving fast in the snow, and think they should be able to do that, too. Anyone here listen to Car Talk on NPR? This is one of their beefs, too.

This happens a lot down here. It's a confluence of infrequent winter storms and, uh, driver personality. I've concluded that the people who say, "I grew up in [insert northern town], so I know how to drive in the snow. It's the other people that I'm afraid of" are the ones that you hope stay off the roads.

Whiteout conditions are pretty nasty. I mean, I don't like skiing it in; why would driving in it be any better?

 

[Tvan]

I'd bag it. Driving in whiteout conditions is a no-win scenario any way you look at it.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

White-outs are the worst. Glad you didn't risk it. Got caught in one en route to Steamboat via Laramie, WY, once. Wow. Scariest drive I have EVER made. We were driving from reflector to reflector, couldn't see much beyond that.

 

[Jilly]

4WD just puts you into a 4WD drift. You need to learn how to drive in the stuff too. The cars/trucks I usually see in the ditch are the little ones - Honda Civics, Ford focus or 18 wheelers!

Snow tires are a must. I wish Ontario had the same rules as Quebec. Snow tires are mandatory after December 15th! I spent $1000 this year for 4.

 

[mustski]

^^^ Agreed. Most people who buy 4WD never take the time to learn to drive them and they new Hybrid 4WD are useless. Of course, in CA we have the advantage of plenty of dirt and desert to learn to drive in. The plan for DS this summer is hit the desert, slide, correct, slide, correct. The new Hybrids can't go offroad because the dirt jams up their engines. That means road salt and gravel will also jam up their engines. Sheesh, why bother.