Odd Question about Northern Snow

[Orchid]

Quote:
One of my best friends lives by St. Louis and she said the same thing - plows are few and far between anywhere but the main roads. I can't imagine how you do it!

 

[sourland]

The further North you go, the less the snow problems. Many years ago we were visiting friends in New Hampshire. I had to get back to go to work and was all in a dither about that fact. My friend said to me "You won't have any problems until you reach NJ." He was correct. Pa and NJ are OK unless a really significant storm hits, and then you just sit at home.

Or at least us retired folk do.

 

[booker81]

Cars are fine in Northern winters - if it snows hard, the plows usually come out if you're in a fairly populated area. Some of the poorer counties don't have as good snow removal, but usually they get plowed out in a few days.

I'd rather drive a car on an icy or slick road...less weight to get throwing around and trying to stop. Driving a heavy vehicle, even 4x4 is like trying to stop a train sometimes. I love my Expedition, but it is touchy to drive on poor roads. Now, going through 12"+ of snow, it's a champ and an easy drive.

 

[Organics North]

Clearance is not the big issue it is traction. Decent tires are a MUST.!
People get around OK in small compact front wheel drive cars. Front wheel drive is way better than rear wheel drive (Like in a 2WD truck). Mostly it is technique, learning how to be gentle and slow with your actions, like stepping on the gas or the breaks.

It does not hurt to carry sand and a shovel..

With that said, my spouse has a Subaru.. (The worlds best winter car...

) Heated seats, heated wiper blades, heated mirrors and all wheel drive.. Best thing is the last forever, hundreds of thousands of miles.

Me I have an ole rusty 4x4 chevy pickup.

ON

 

[michickenwrangler]

People do have cars in the north.

The snow isn't any different, just more frequent and we learn to drive in it as teenagers. Once you're used to it, driving in a light snow isn't that big of a deal. Driving in blizzards is a different matter though.

 

[ChickyLaura]

My all-time favorite car to drive in the winter was my Chevy Cavalier. Unless you are driving on unplowed country dirt roads, your car should be fine. We have plenty of compact cars in Pennsylvania!

I agree with organics, traction is the issue. We have ice here right now, and 4 wheel drive or not, if you don't have traction you're up the creek. I live in the coal regions, and if you can find a neighbor that uses coal - the cinders/ashes are the best thing to use to get out if you're stuck somewhere!

I would definitely keep the car!!!! We had friends recently move up to Alaska, so in contrast Pennsylvania winters don't sound nearly as bad as Alaskan winters!

 

[mandelyn]

I was wondering the same thing, how do those little bitty Smart cars or others in that class handle snow. We have a RWD sissy SUV, but I've always had RWD and am the fishtail queen, rarely leaving my lane. I got stuck once because of an idgit in a mustang taking up 3 lanes to fishtail up a hill. We were in the middle of getting 18 inches, and only the two center lanes had been plowed, leaving about 4 inches. The sides had about 9 inches. I was in a Jeep RWD Cherokee (another worthless sissy SUV). I got out of his way but got my wheels stuck in the curb lane. Waited for an opening, fishtailed back out onto the "clear" road. Made it up the hill. He had buried himself just at the top and I guess didn't understand how to utilize a fishtail for escape. The 2nd hill, steeper but shorter, another idgit hit his brakes half way up and I lost my momentum, as slow as it was. Went sideways and ended up in some deeper stuff. So there I sat, in rush hour no less. Watched a city bus miss my front end by 4 inches in a fish tail. I could see the eyes of the passengers! A pickup fishtailed right across my front end and ended up stuck in front of me, after that near miss, I realized I had to pee. Hiked to the nearest house, where the woman was very sweet and said "It happens every year!".

Some college nuts showed up in a lifted 4x4 Wrangler and towed the stuck people out of the deep stuff. I had two more hills... luckily a plow had gone through the worse one. My street, I made it half way, had to hike to the house and get a shovel and make tracks.

Another storm, they just wouldn't shut down the mall where I was working as a hair stylist. I called the corporate office, they said we could only leave if the mall closed early. Dang. By the time they closed, I went outside, had flash backs to that last storm, and called my husband to come get me with his 4x4 POS Isuzu Trooper. That thing was a tank. In Columbus, another big storm. We were up there for some Nat. Guard stuff for my husband. I got way stuck, stucker than I've ever been. LOL But, luckily the Nat. Guard had some humvees at the hotel, so one of them came and towed me out of the ditch I slid into. Fishtails do nothing on ice. Ice under snow is not cool.

So, would a person in the north fair better with a compact tiny thing (what gets me is semis zooming by on the interstate in heavy rain!), or is it yet another vehicle that gives you the perfect reason to stay the heck home?

 

[woodmort]

We have plows and kids have to get to school on buses in rural areas so they clear the roads early. My youngest daughter has a Prius (sp?) and lives in rural Cayuga County on the top of a hill and never has a problem. They do have snow tires for it however. BTW, the funniest ad on TV right now is the Chrysler 4-wheel drive one where people start to panic at the first snowflake.

 

[HarlansHollowFarms]

I suppose your car would be ok for the roads....but sometimes it is not the road that is the problem....it is getting to the road

down the diveway...

A lot of 4X4s would not make it through packed 5 foot drifts.......

Keep the car, get a 4X4, and a John Deere!

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

I think your car will be fine! My small Honda Accord is better in the snow than my F150 was. Front wheel drive makes a HUGE difference. Typically the roads are plowed pretty good around here before commute time, so you should not have any issues at all.

What part of PA are you moving to?