Coeur d'Alene Area-Winter Tires?

[StealthRabbit]

Originally Posted by volosong

I'm debating what to do in my situation. ... Tread is pretty good, so I don't want to dump them. Forecast is for snow on this upcoming Wednesday. Hmmm? What to do?

Depends on your winter driving needs, and if you only have one vehicle choice. (did you keep your old MB?)

I keep one econo car with no studs for long drives on rainy roads (most of our winter)

Then I have a $1200 Subie suited with 4x Nokian steel studs. for the 'other' days. Which were many last winter.

If light driving in winter... stay home on snowy days, or... get studs and drive less. Rent a car for long road trips.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

I lived up 4 miles of dirt road in the mountains near Sagle. In the winters those roads were plowed, but never to bare dirt. As such, they were nothing but hard-packed snow and ice much of the winter-with curves and some steep hills. For years I got by with conventional 4x4s and studded snow tires. They were OK, but still not great, I would slip and slide from time to time, even in 4x4. The last couple years I was there I had picked up a Grand Cherokee, put some good all-season Michelin Defenders on it, figured I'd buy studs when winter rolled around. First good snow and ice storm-ZERO issue. I never once had the car get loose or slip on me (unlike conventional 4x4s with studs), never spun out, never got close to stuck, even when leaving for work long before the snowplow came through. Not sure just how much of that was due to the Jeep 4x4 system and how much was the tires, but that combination was FAR better than the 4x4 trucks with studs I drove.

Coeur d'Alene doesn't see that much snow (typically). If you stay in CDA/Rathdrum Prairie/ Spokane, frankly dedicated snows are a waste, a good set of all seasons will be fine. Now-if you get out in rural areas regularly, on the hills, in the twisties, it's another story. If I were driving '97 every day coming from say Harrison to CDA, yes, I'd go a good set of snows with studs. Or maybe doing 4th of July Pass every day. But CDA or the Prairie, no need.

[volosong]

Originally Posted by StealthRabbit

Depends on your winter driving needs, and if you only have one vehicle choice. (did you keep your old MB?)...

Nah. Gave the Benz to a youngster who was without wheels. After a couple of months, he hit a moose and it was totaled. Dumb move on my part. Stick shifts are hard to find these days. My Highlander Hybrid is AWD, so does decent on snow and ice. Only other vehicle is the Vespa and it stays in the garage all winter.

Yesterday's "storm" was a non-event. Roads were actually dry most of the day and what fell wasn't sticking. Sure turned chilly though.

[Mister Torgue]

Originally Posted by volosong

Yesterday's "storm" was a non-event.

Same here in north bench. Just some snow ontop of the mountains is all. Had a few flakes up here stick for a couple of hours before melting. I'm taking a gamble waiting on getting my winter tires so wish me luck! At least I had my overlander winter prepped.