Driving in Snow/Ice in Boston (Boylston: rental car, rental, how much)

[Jumpman023]

Hi all,

I'm from California and am going to be relocating to either Boston or DC in January. One thing that I'm concerned about is driving in snow/icy conditions, because we get little exposure to this out west. How much of a problem is this in Boston? I'd imagine that you all would be better equipped to handle it and the roads aren't as treacherous as other sunbelt cities, but I could be wrong. Is Boston a very dangerous place to drive during winter storms, is it not that big of a deal, or does the city shut down anyway making my interaction limited?

Thanks!

[flowbe202]

The city doesn't shut down because of snow - they encourage folks to stay home so the plows can clean the road without people from California spinning wheels going sideways down Beacon Hill.

I'm sure you'll be the person in front of me in a little Honda driving 5 mph in the middle of Boylston St and blocking my way...

Driving safely during a snowstorm is a SKILL that can only be developed by practice. Allwheel or 4 wheel helps, but you need to know how to use it to your advantage.

[Shadeauxe]

No one can drive on ice unless they have some sort of special tires. Snow isn't that much of a problem.

I try to work at home when there's snow because the traffic is bad and it's good to let the snow plows do their job.

Towns here have large budgets for snow removal, so you can get 8" of snow one day and be back down to black asphalt the next day.

[AbrasaxEos]

What has already been noted here is true. The city doesn't shut down for anything but bigger storms - a few inches and it will probably be a pretty normal day. However, due to snow budgets, and at least some general sense of how to plow and salt/coat the roads, things are rarely dangerous. I find that it actually doesn't ice over all that frequently here on the roads at least - the plowing and salt usually keep that from happening.

Despite these things, if you've never driven in snowy conditions it could indeed be both dangerous and difficult. You can't:
- Drive at full speed
- Slam on your brakes
- Follow other people too closely
- Crank the wheel in the opposite direction if you do start to skid
- Stop while driving up a hill (unless it is absolutely necessary)

So, if you are planning on having a car and are planning on driving around in the snow, I would consider reading up on driving in snowy conditions a bit, and also perhaps to see you can find a nice open parking lot once it does snow to practice some skids, braking, etc. All of the reading in the world can't prepare you in the way that having a feel for your car in the snow will. You don't want the first time you feel the brakes lock up (or rumble as the ABS prevents you from doing so) to be when you are going down Beacon Hill (as then you will indeed be the person spinning their wheels going sideways down the hill that flowbe mentions!). Alternately, you might consider letting the T do your driving for you on those days!

[BostonMike7]

Practice helps.

With me personally, it doesn't bother me. If anything it makes the drive a little more interesting. My commute is roughly 30 miles to work, and i've driven to work in snowstorms enough times that it's kinda peaceful and relaxing when I take the quiet backroads

[sharencare]

I have a cousin from California who likes to go snowboarding in the mountains. He had a business trip in New England during the winter time, and asked the rental car company if he needed chains on his tires. The rental agent laughed pretty hard.

Seriously, you'll be fine.

They treat the roads really well in the cities and suburbs. The only difference is you might drive a little slower and brake sooner. You also have to be aware that the roads look narrower because of unplowed snow near the sidewalks. You might switch to snow tires or buy a Suburu with all wheel drive but I know a lot of people who don't do either. Most New Englanders follow some basic common sense: If the schools are delayed or closed in the town/city you work or live, you just stay home until all the roads are plowed.

[n1ey]

Originally Posted by Jumpman023

Hi all,

I'm from California and am going to be relocating to either Boston or DC in January. One thing that I'm concerned about is driving in snow/icy conditions, because we get little exposure to this out west. How much of a problem is this in Boston? I'd imagine that you all would be better equipped to handle it and the roads aren't as treacherous as other sunbelt cities, but I could be wrong. Is Boston a very dangerous place to drive during winter storms, is it not that big of a deal, or does the city shut down anyway making my interaction limited?

Thanks!

I saw a post on a forum that indicated a driver needed 4x drive to handle ice. This is not true. An experienced driver in Massachusetts knows that 4x is not a picnic. We will have ice and snow. People still drive to work.

A lot of Mass drivers know when to respond to feedback and not. It seems as if southern drivers panic and oversteer. There is also the requirement of actually turning the vehicle in the proper way in response to a traction loss due to ice.

Front wheel drive is not even necessary in most parts of Massachusetts.

The biggest difference is that you can not use summer tires. You need to have good all season tires. I prefer Continental.

Bill

[Archan]

I moved from California to Boston quite a few years ago. I didn't have a whole lot of trouble driving in Boston. After snowstorms, the snowplows come out like a military operation. They put tons of salt on the roads for traction. That's why you don't see the older cars in Mass like you do in California. Cars tend to rust out fairly quickly.

Going to the snow to ski is very different than living in snow going to work everyday! Good luck! We in California really don't understand windchill that well. You will learn what windchill is very shortly. One of the first things that I did was take a trip up to the L.L. Bean store in Freeport, Maine and buy some winter clothing.

[snatale1]

Nothing dangerous about it, drive slower, increase your following distance and don't worry about it. If your bringing your cars with you (which I'd assume) you'll probably want to get some respectable tires put on them but aside from that no big deal.

[jambo101]

Around November you install winter snow tires on your car.