Driving Cross Country In Winter

Has anyone had any experience driving across the northern part of North America in the winter?
My daughter, currently living in New Jersey, needs to be in Kelowna, British Columbia by January 4 2010. She will be attending school there, but will not be living on campus, so she will need a car.
We are trying to decide what the best option might be – drive her car there or sell her car in NJ / fly to BC and buy a car there. The thought of driving across the plains and the western states (North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington) in winter is scaring me. All I can think of is blizzards and white outs – we don’t get that kind of snow here on the NJ coast! We looked into having her car transported to Kelowna, but it would cost $3000. BTW, she drives a Mazda 6. Any thoughts on how that would car will perform in snowy, mountainous conditions?
Thanks in advance…any input is welcomed.
Maureen

madra dubh said:

Has anyone had any experience driving across the northern part of North America in the winter?
My daughter, currently living in New Jersey, needs to be in Kelowna, British Columbia by January 4 2010. She will be attending school there, but will not be living on campus, so she will need a car.
We are trying to decide what the best option might be – drive her car there or sell her car in NJ / fly to BC and buy a car there. The thought of driving across the plains and the western states (North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, and Washington) in winter is scaring me. All I can think of is blizzards and white outs – we don’t get that kind of snow here on the NJ coast! We looked into having her car transported to Kelowna, but it would cost $3000. BTW, she drives a Mazda 6. Any thoughts on how that would car will perform in snowy, mountainous conditions?
Thanks in advance…any input is welcomed.
Maureen

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Her car would be fine in the winter, but if she doesn't have winter driving experience I would definitely put snow tires on the car, or any car for that matter whatever you decide to do.
That time of year the weather can be anything from snow, blowing snow, sleet and even freezing rain.

Chrisky said:

Her car would be fine in the winter, but if she doesn't have winter driving experience I would definitely put snow tires on the car, or any car for that matter whatever you decide to do.
That time of year the weather can be anything from snow, blowing snow, sleet and even freezing rain.

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Ditto that. Snow tires. Take some lessons in how to drive in snow and ice. Even the best equipped vehicle won't keep you out of trouble if you don't know how to drive in those conditions.

Weather is always iffy. Major roadways are usually kept plowed but sometimes the snow can pile up faster than the crews can remove it.

Would she be driving alone? Tired, sleepy driving is as much a hazard as weather.

Cell phones with adapters for keeping them charged, water, blankets, flares, food and water should be kept onhand for emergencies.

When my daughter was driving to and from school, I always asked her to call me every hour to report her progress.

While I would prefer to not drive in snow and ice any longer (since I now live in Southern California and don't miss cold snowy winters), I used to live in the northwest and drove many times in snow and ice, when I lived in the northwest and on the prairies of Canada.

She just needs to be careful and maintain a steady speed and not step on the brakes too quickly if it's icy. I am sure I know they do have complete white outs and highways out on the plains do get closed, but I don't think that it an every year event.

Besides snow tires, she should have an emergency kit, shovel, candle, flashlight extra water and blankets etc just in case she would get stuck. The interstate highways are well maintained and they have lots of traffic, even in the winter.

By the way, which school is she going to in Kelowna? Kelowna is a very beautiful city, especially in the spring and summer when the fruit is in season.

ricoba said:

Besides snow tires, she should have an emergency kit, shovel, candle, flashlight extra water and blankets etc just in case she would get stuck. The interstate highways are well maintained and they have lots of traffic, even in the winter.

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What's the candle for?

I have driven across this country dozens if not hundreds of times- as a professional driver with over 4 million miles of accident-free driving. Assuming your DD is at least an average skilled driver, she will be perfectly safe doing this. Not to say that at the time of year you mention it could be challenging.

Make sure the vehicle is winter-prepared. If it's over 3 years old, replace the belts and hoses. Anti-freeze to the maximum. Install very good new winter tires. Get chains and she should practice installing them somewhere warm and dry. Carry warm clothes, a sleeping bag, some food, flashlight. Yellow tinted sunglasses will increase contrast in snow/fog.

Added: Be sure that the car's battery is the biggest that will fit in the car. It will be tested severely by darkness, cold, and heavy draws from heater, lights, starter. This is not the place to go cheap.

Allow plenty of extra time- say 7-8 days to cover the roughly 2800 miles. It can be driven in 4 or so in good weather. Her route will cross either Wyoming or Montana (her choice) at high elevation- over 7-8000 feet. It does storm, but they pass. She should plan on going to a motel until potential storms pass. The states across the northern tier realize that storms occur and they have plenty of equipment to maintain and clear the roads, but they can't do it in a major storm. They can and do close the roads.

Me, I'd do it, but I've done it many many times. I have no idea about your financial situation, but if it's unlimited, sell the Mazda. Fly to Canada, buy a small SUV- Subaru, Rav-4, or equivalent. She'd feel more secure having 4 wheel drive there anyway. Remember, cars are cheaper than daughters.

Jim Ricks

Passepartout said:

I have driven across this country dozens if not hundreds of times- as a professional driver with over 4 million miles of accident-free driving. Assuming your DD is at least an average skilled driver, she will be perfectly safe doing this. Not to say that at the time of year you mention it could be challenging.

Make sure the vehicle is winter-prepared. If it's over 3 years old, replace the belts and hoses. Anti-freeze to the maximum. Install very good new winter tires. Get chains and she should practice installing them somewhere warm and dry. Carry warm clothes, a sleeping bag, some food, flashlight. Yellow tinted sunglasses will increase contrast in snow/fog.

Allow plenty of extra time- say 7-8 days to cover the roughly 2800 miles. It can be driven in 4 or so in good weather. Her route will cross either Wyoming or Montana (her choice) at high elevation- over 7-8000 feet. It does storm, but they pass. She should plan on going to a motel until potential storms pass. The states across the northern tier realize that storms occur and they have plenty of equipment to maintain and clear the roads, but they can't do it in a major storm. They can and do close the roads.

Me, I'd do it, but I've done it many many times. I have no idea about your financial situation, but if it's unlimited, sell the Mazda. Fly to Canada, buy a small SUV- Subaru, Rav-4, or equivalent. She'd feel more secure having 4 wheel drive there anyway. Remember, cars are cheaper than daughters.

Jim Ricks

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Good advice! I'll just add that she should determine, in advance, where she will stop each night. The route through Montana (either I94 or RT2) is dark, lonely, and the exits for the larger towns are far apart. A weather radio would be handy, too.

Cheers!

You are driving with her, right?

I've driven from Great Falls Montana up to Calgary. I am not sure where in relation she is going, but you can travel many, many miles thru that part of the country and not encounter another human. It is very beautiful. I remember driving on a road lined with the most beautiful fir trees, heavily covered in snow. This was the end of August, and it was dusk. Out of nowhere came a huge doe. I missed her by inches. I was with 3 other people, but had we totalled that car, I don't know how long we would have waited in the cold for someone else to pass by (no cell phones then, not that I am sure it would have made a diff where we were at).

I'd side with "sell the car, fly there, and buy something when you get there"

Does the car have a thermostat? A lot of vehicles coming in from the US are not set up to be plugged in and they won't start if they aren't plugged in. They are also not always well insulated from the cold. You can get several weeks (usually February) of brutal cold. I am from the north and I won't drive anything smaller than a small SUV. Our roads are often to the the point that only 4x4s get to work. She will be quite a bit northwest of Calgary. There is a lot of wildlife on the road so look into a vehicle that takes a front end collision well. Once she gets into Kelowna, there won't be so much wildlife on the roads.
There's a very good reason why we become snowbirds.

While you can manage without a car here (and Kelowna is a similar sized city to where I live closer to the coast) it's difficult. Our cities (other than downtown Vancouver or Victoria) tend to be quite spread out.

My sister-in-law, who is Brazilian and spent some time in Miami, then a summer in Toronto, drove herself and her three-year-old from Toronto to southern Alberta. We were scared for her but she made it just fine.

I'm a "Prairie girl" and have snow driving experience. I'd be driving out and flying back with my 25-year-old daughter. Or my 24-year-old son, for that matter.

Be sure to leave some extra days to get there. If there's a really bad storm, roads can be closed, etc., and it's just not good to "have to" get somewhere.

Bev

Rose Pink said:

What's the candle for?

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I always heard it was to generate some heat and of course more light.

I don't know if it works, but I remember always hearing to have candles and of course matches.

Rose Pink said:

What's the candle for?

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It will provide a bit of warmth inside a car.

Edited to add: Rick's fingers are quicker than mine!!

I have been driving on snow and ice in the winter for most of my life.

IMHO, quality chains are indispensible for winter driving. Every vehicle I've ever owned I've made sure I have chains.

That includes 4-WD vehicles. When we lived in the San Bernardino Mountains in So Cal, we had one of the original Toyota Land Cruisers - the model that looked like a Jeep. Two passenger seats in the front, fold down seats facing each other in the cargo area in the back, and the spare tire mounted on the rear door. I chained up on the front tires, engaged the 4-WD, and could go where few other vehicles went.

Last winter when we had almost two feet of snow at Christmas time we were able to get out and around while most of our neighbors were stuck in their houses. Get a good set of chains - not cables - and make sure she knows how to put them on and which wheels to put them on.

******

A key thing to remember about 4-WD is that 4-WD only makes a difference when you are trying to get traction to accelerate. When you are braking there is no difference between 4-WD and any other vehicle. But a vehicle with chains on the tires gets better traction for acceleration, braking and turning.

Chains don't make it like driving on bare pavement. But they make a huge difference in all types of driving on snow and ice.

The other thing she needs to be aware of is to understand what the clearance is underneath the car and to never drive into an area of snow that is deeper than the clearance under the car. If the weight of the car starts being supported by snow packed under the chassis, the wheels quickly lose traction and the car will quickly end up stuck. When I help people get unstuck in the winter that is one of the most prevalent reason cars get stuck. This happens when someone tries to blast through an area of deep snow by getting up a good head of speed and trying to blast their way through the snow that is too deep for the car. (The most common cause of getting stuck is driving too fast and losing control in a spin out that put the car into the ditch or into a snowbank.)

The real reason for a candle

Rose Pink said:

What's the candle for?

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Grew up in northern Minnesota, and we always had a winter survival kit in our car (with a knife, I might add -- and I drove to high school ). The main purpose of a candle is to melt snow so you have water to drink if you are snowbound. Eating snow directly will lower your body temp too much. Our kits always had flares, first aid supplies, candles, matches, a tin cup (to melt the snow), hard candy, knife, duct tape, rope, flashlight, a "thermal" blanket, plus some more I can't remember right now. Of course, a shovel and jumper cables were always kept in the trunk as well. Blankets and extra winter clothes / boots were kept in a bag in the trunk.

As for driving across the northern plains in the winter, it is definitely feasible. (After all, all the people who live there drive every day!) The interstates have plenty of traffic and good cell phone coverage for emergencies. If the road plows will not be able to be out due to visibility, they will close a section of the interstate.

If you drive, the best plan is to allow a few extra days in your schedule in case you need to stay an extra night somewhere. Planning your stops out ahead of time would be foolish, IMO. The pressure of having to get to a certain city for the night might make you push forward when you really should call it a day and stop for the night.

Kurt

If the decision is for her to drive, you might also want to consider a GPS Tracking Device as part of the safety kit.

Here's some ideas from Brickhouse Security


Richard

Don't forget TP!

PigsDad gave a good summary of what goes into an emergency kit.

ADD an empty coffee can and a roll of toilet paper and extra flashlight batteries.
We carry Lifehammers in our cars which can be used to cut off a seat belt or break a window if you are upside down or underwater.

We try not to let our gas tanks get below 1/4 in case we get stranded on the side of the road. And if you slide into a ditch make sure your tailpipe isn't buried in snow or the carbon monoxide can back up into the car.

So, by now we have probably scared this poor girl to death, and she's going to fly and buy the new car!
Jolene

ricoba said:

I always heard it was to generate some heat and of course more light.

I don't know if it works, but I remember always hearing to have candles and of course matches.

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BevL said:

It will provide a bit of warmth inside a car.

Edited to add: Rick's fingers are quicker than mine!!

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PigsDad said:

Grew up in northern Minnesota, and we always had a winter survival kit in our car (with a knife, I might add -- and I drove to high school ). The main purpose of a candle is to melt snow so you have water to drink if you are snowbound. Eating snow directly will lower your body temp too much. Our kits always had flares, first aid supplies, candles, matches, a tin cup (to melt the snow), hard candy, knife, duct tape, rope, flashlight, a "thermal" blanket, plus some more I can't remember right now. Of course, a shovel and jumper cables were always kept in the trunk as well. Blankets and extra winter clothes / boots were kept in a bag in the trunk.

Kurt

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Well, now I see the light. Another source of warmth, and one that I try to remember, are those hand and toe warmer packets. You open them, expose them to air, and they heat up for several hours. My hands get so cold in the wintertime that I sometimes keep one in each pocket even when I am indoors. They aren't going to start a fire as an open-flame might. Then again, if a fire is what you want, you will need a flame. I will add candles to my supply.

Empty Nest said:

ADD an empty coffee can and a roll of toilet paper and extra flashlight batteries.
Jolene

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How did I forget that one?! Do not underestimate the need for toilet paper--especially for us women. I find wet wipes also a good idea.

With so many things going into an emergency kit, there may be little room for actual luggage.

The weather in Kelowna, British Columbia is nothing like the mild winters people may find in Vancouver. It is on the east side of the mountains in BC and therefore will have a cold and snowy winter.

Bill4728 said:

The weather in Kelowna, British Columbia is nothing like the mild winters people may find in Vancouver. It is on the east side of the mountains in BC and therefore will have a cold and snowy winter.

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I agree, but it will not be as extreme cold as say, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the winter.

Kelowna is as you know a four seasons climate and a beautiful city/area. If we were ever to move back to BC, I definitely consider a move to the area which in BC is spelled Okanagan or in WA State, Okonogon - funny, eh?

ricoba said:

I agree, but it will not be as extreme cold as say, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the winter.

Kelowna is as you know a four seasons climate and a beautiful city/area. If we were ever to move back to BC, I definitely consider a move to the area which in BC is spelled Okanagan or in WA State, Okonogon - funny, eh?

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In WA I believe it's spelled Okanogan.

T_R_Oglodyte said:

In WA I believe it's spelled Okanogan.

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I believe you are correct.

ricoba said:

I agree, but it will not be as extreme cold as say, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba in the winter.

Kelowna is as you know a four seasons climate and a beautiful city/area. If we were ever to move back to BC, I definitely consider a move to the area which in BC is spelled Okanagan or in WA State, Okonogon - funny, eh?

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Lots of transplanted Prairie people there, that's for sure. And lots of retired Coast people.

If you can't hack the rain here in Lotus Land (the coast) but want a more temperate climate, it's your best bet north of the 49th.

ScoopLV said:

Do you know the price of decent used cars in BC? I do not.

If it were me, I would fly there and buy a car. For the convenience, mostly.

Also, how badly does she need a car on campus? When I was at school, a bicycle did it for me. But I didn't go to school in British Columbia.

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If you tried to bike to school here in the winter
#1. You would freeze.
#2. I'd love to see the legs on the person who could pedal through snow drifts.
#3. At -40C it's difficult to bike very far because you have so much clothing on.
It's easier to ride a horse in snow than a bike.