Mastering Winter Mountain Road Trips: Essential Vehicle Preparation and Safety Tips
Preparing for Winter Mountain Road Trips: Learn the importance of vehicle preparation, understand different drive systems, the benefits of snow chains and snow tires, checking road closures and weather forecasts, essential packing, and hazards and safety measures for a safe and enjoyable winter road trip.
Importance of Preparing Your Vehicle for Winter Mountain Road Trips
When it comes to embarking on a winter mountain road trip, the importance of preparing your vehicle cannot be overstated. The unique challenges posed by snow, ice, and steep terrains make vehicle readiness crucial for ensuring safety and optimal performance.
Properly inflated tires with good tread depth are indispensable for maintaining traction, especially in wintry conditions. Without adequate traction, navigating through snow and ice becomes significantly more challenging, increasing the risk of accidents and loss of control.
Assuming your tires are properly inflated and the tread is not worn, most cars and SUVs will be fine with a little snow on the road, as long as the road is plowed before ice sets in. However, if the forecast calls for freezing rain, or if you are driving on a road that will not be plowed every hour or so, then you will need more than just well-inflated tires.
But wait, how would you know if there is freezing rain in the forecast, and how would you know how frequently the roads will be plowed? Especially when you’re on a winter driving adventure in unfamiliar mountains, it’s tough to know exactly what to expect. Most smartphone weather apps are fairly useful for forecasting freezing rain or snow. The icon that shows a rain/snow mix is your best indication that it could be harmless precipitation, or it could be freezing rain that turns the roads into a sheet of ice.
How will you know how frequently roads are plowed? Your guess is as good as anyone’s, especially if you are driving in an unfamiliar area. Interstates and state highways are usually plowed better than side roads, so traveling on the highway may be fine with regular tires, but even driving into a town to go to a restraint may bring more snow than you have encountered on the highway. Also keep in mind that snow usually falls for a period of time, which should be forecasted accurately in your phone’s weather app. Plows need a certain amount of time after the snow has stopped to get the roads cleared, so plan for roads to be in their best shape 2-6 hours after the heavy snowfall stops.
If you are planning to drive in the snow, then you should prepare by mounting snow tires on your car or carrying snow chains with you.
Snow tires are a season-long commitment for your car. If you plan on making multiple trips to snowy areas throughout the winter, snow tires can be your best friend. Plan for them to cost a few hundred dollars including installation, but they make driving in most weather much easier. Tire shops such as Discount Tire can set you up with snow tires at a reasonable price. You will also need to store your summer tires during the winter, and then swap them out in the summer. For these reasons, snow tires are not for everybody.
If you plan on driving in the snow, and you don’t have snow tires, then you should carry snow chains. Chains can only be used if the road is covered in snow. The best way to understand the time and place to install chains is if the snowfall is significantly more than you, or the snowplows were expecting. Without chains you’re simply not going anywhere, but with chains on your tires, you can slowly make your way to your destination. Some mountainous areas require that you have chains in your car, even though you will likely never use them.
In addition to proper tires, carrying a well-prepared winter car survival kit is essential for addressing unforeseen situations on mountain roads. This kit should include essentials such as a battery-powered jump starter or jumper cables, and an ice scraper and shovel.
Understanding the Differences in Drive Systems
When embarking on a winter mountain road trip, it’s essential to understand the differences in drive systems to understand how your vehicle will perform on the journey. Front-wheel drive (FWD) vehicles are known for their efficiency in snow and ice, thanks to the weight of the engine being positioned over the front wheels, which provides better traction, especially in slippery conditions. This feature makes FWD vehicles a popular choice for winter mountain road trips where snow and ice are prevalent. Front wheel drive vehicles can be the easiest to drive in the winter, because you simply point the front wheels in the direction you want the car to go, gently step on the gas, and the car should follow.
Conversely, rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicles can be the most difficult to drive in any slipper conditions because the front wheels turn in one direction, while the back wheels do not turn to match the direction of the front wheels, but the rear wheels are the drive wheels that push the vehicle. The effect of this is made worse in a vehicle with a long wheelbase, such as a rear-wheel drive pickup truck with a long bed. The effect of the front wheels steering one direction, while the rear wheels push in another direction creates a condition called as fishtailing. A little fishtailing feels like the back of the car is trying to pass the front of the car. This can quickly turn into severe fishtailing, where the back of the car passes the front of the car, turning the vehicle around in out-of-control circles. The key to preventing fishtailing is to be very careful with the gas pedal, only accelerating as much as you can control.
All-wheel drive (AWD) and four-wheel drive (4WD) vehicles are designed to deliver power to all wheels, thereby improving grip and traction on challenging terrains and in adverse weather conditions. This capability makes AWD and 4WD systems highly beneficial for navigating steep inclines, uneven surfaces, and unpredictable weather commonly encountered on winter mountain road trips, providing drivers with an added layer of confidence and safety. This is particularly helpful when pulling out of a parking spot in the snow, where a FWD or RWD vehicle may be stuck because the drive wheels are slipping, but a 4WD or AWD vehicle has a good chance of one or two of the 4 wheels gripping traction and moving you out of a parking spot.
Checking Road Closures and Weather Forecasts
When preparing for a winter mountain road trip, it’s crucial to stay informed about road closures and weather forecasts to ensure a safe and smooth journey. Reliable sources for real-time road closure information are essential, as they help travelers avoid potential travel disruptions and hazards on mountain roads. For example, websites like the Department of Transportation’s official site or specific mobile apps dedicated to road and weather updates provide valuable information about current road conditions, closures, and any ongoing maintenance or construction work along the chosen route.
In addition to road closures, verifying weather forecasts is equally important for planning a winter mountain road trip. Snowfall predictions and temperature fluctuations play a significant role in decision-making regarding the timing and route of the journey. For instance, understanding the expected snow accumulation and temperature changes along the planned route enables travelers to anticipate any potential challenges and make necessary adjustments to their travel plans. Moreover, by utilizing weather forecasting websites and apps, such as the National Weather Service or AccuWeather, travelers can access real-time updates and alerts about approaching storms, blizzards, or other weather events that may impact their trip.
To further enhance preparedness, utilizing mobile apps and websites that provide live updates on road closures and weather conditions is highly beneficial for winter road trips. These platforms offer convenience and accessibility, allowing travelers to stay ahead of potential challenges and make informed decisions during their journey. For instance, apps like Waze and The Weather Channel provide real-time traffic updates, road closure notifications, and weather forecasts, empowering travelers to adapt to changing conditions and ensure a safe and enjoyable winter mountain road trip.
Tips for Winter Driving
Once you understand how your car performs (FWD, RWD, 4WD, AWD) and you have checked the weather to ensure that you will not be on the road during a snow or ice storm, you are ready to hit the road with a few simple tips:
- Slow down. Every time you step on the gas, only give the car just as much gas as it needs, and always ask yourself if you can control the power that you’re adding to the car by stepping on the gas. Don’t add any more power than you can control. This may feel like you are driving painfully slow, but you will get to your destination much faster at a controlled 20 MPH than you will sitting in the ditch.
- Downshift instead of hitting the brakes. You can try downshifting on a clean, dry road to get comfortable with it before you hit the snow. Brakes create friction between your tires and the road. Even with anti-lock brakes, this friction can lead to loss of control in the blink of an eye. Downshifting, even with an automatic transmission, uses resistance from the engine to slow down the car while the tires are still firmly gripping the road without slipping. To downshift, simply pull the automatic transmission lever past D into the numbered positions until the RPM rises and the car slows down. In order to slow down, you want to downshift into lower-numbered gears until the RPM gets to about 4,000. As the car slows, the RPM will drop farther and you can downshift again. You will be amazed how much you can slow the car without hitting the brakes.
- In a front-wheel drive car, just point the tires (steering wheel) in the direction you want to go. If you feel the car losing directional control, point the tires in the direction you want to go and very gently step on the gas to accelerate out of the out-of-control situation. Accelerating out of a skid is tricky because you use a little gas to gain control, but then you need to back off of the gas pedal because you need to reduce your speed.
- Keep the defrosters and windshield wipers going. Use the rear window defroster and the windshield defroster. If the side windows start fogging up, use the windshield defroster on the highest speed fan setting with the temperature turned up.
- In a 4-wheel drive car, be very careful at highway speeds. There is a temptation to feel more confident with 4-wheel drive, but those overconfident 4WD drivers are usually the first in the ditch. 4WD gives little to no benefit at highway speeds, but 4WD is incredibly helpful at low speeds, in parking lots, and preventing getting stuck.
- Speaking of getting stuck, if you find yourself stuck in a parking spot, try establishing a little momentum by rocking the car back and forth from forward to reverse. Speed is not required, just a little momentum to slingshot the car forward or back and out of a stuck spot. You should carry tire traction mats if you plan to drive or park in the snow. If you find yourself stuck in a parking spot, simply place these mats on the path of your drive wheels in the direction you want to go. If you don’t have tire traction mats, you can try using your car’s floor mats, although you will probably need a new set of floor mats after you use them for this purpose.
Gear Up for Winter Adventures
Our outdoor experts have picked these products from trusted retailers to provide you the best value and safety on your winter adventures:
