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Chains are a good idea to have should you need to get out of the ditch. If you have to have chains on the road, only use them to get to the nearest motel.
Chains are legal through your entire route, even if you venture into Iowa or South Dakota.
Chain laws
North Dakota - Tire chains may be used when necessary. Pneumatic tires with metal stubs projecting to 1/16 inch above the tread surface may be used between October 15 and April 15
Minnesota - Permitted when road conditions (ice and snow) require tire chains. Studded pneumatic tires are not allowed on Minnesota registered vehicles.
Ohio - Permissible when there is ice and/or snow on the roadway were you are driving or in the immediate vicinity, if you deem it necessary.
Indiana - When required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions, tire chains of reasonable proportions may be used on the highways. From October 1 to May 1, tires in which ice grips or tire studs of wear-resisting materials have been inserted may be used.
Illinois - Tire chains of reasonable proportion will be legal when required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions causing vehicles to skid.
Wisconsin - May be used when required for safety because of snow, ice or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid.
Pennsylvania - One set of chains or snow tires is required when vehicles are likely to encounter any adverse weather conditions which may require chains. They must consist of not less than five cross chains and must not project more than an inch on the outside surface of the wheel.
Iowa - Permissible upon any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to skid.
South Dakota - Permissible upon any vehicle when required for safety because of snow, ice, or other conditions tending to cause a vehicle to slide or skid. The secretary of transportation may restrict public travel upon any state trunk highway system to four-wheel drive vehicles or motor vehicles equipped with tire chains.
My husband got his military orders annnnnnnddddd *drum roll*I'm going to Minot! :-/ I really want to try and make the best of it!!! Oh yes, I'm on a tight, TIGHT budget, i.e. broke.
So, I'm driving to Minot from Pennsylvania. I have to leave during December -lucky me-! I need some suggestions. It will cost me about a grand (which I don't have) to fly out to Minot, -I checked-, without my clothes. I also checked with the Amtrak and it was looking good, but the connection train won't accept luggage, yay me! I know that I can have the military ship out majority of my ideas, but they take almost a month to get to me.
How bad is the winter time?
Do you think its something a Jeep 2010 Compass 4x4 could handle?
Do you even think it's a good idea?
I've been looking for Apartments online and apparently.... I can't seem to find anything. I signed up on the Ahrn site... but the listings shown are really depressing. Almost a grand for an apartment with nothing in it. Is it true?
Forgive me if there is already another thread similarly to this, but I appreciate any feedback.
Thank You,
~JenAqil
Lucky lucky you! My husband got his orders last September and we drove up the first week of October. Unfortunately, there is already snow on the groun here and will be more to come but if you drive slow, pack a winter survival kit, you will be fine. Leave plenty days ahead so you don't feel rushed. We took 4 days to get here from Dallas. Is your husband not driving with you? I followed my husband up here, we each drove our own cars. About 24 hours altogther but we never drove more than 6 hours. We made hotel reservations beforehand, too. Since you are doing a partial DTY move, the military should give you money for your trip or they will at least reimburse you so I wouldn't worry about the being broke part. We were broke too but they are quick to reimburse you. We got money about a week after being here that we didn't even know we were eligible for! really helps out a lot so I would check into that. Also, the hotel on base will pay for you to stay there for 10 days but you have to pay first, then you get reimbursed. Pain in the butt, I know.
As for housing, good luck! It only took us 3 days to find a house that allowed pets but we couldn't find anything until we got here. CALL CALL CALL CALL property management and real estate agents. Some real estate agents know of rental houses or have rental houses. Also, there should be apartments available. They probably won't be awesome, but they'll be good. Are you planning to move on base? Is you name on the housing list? If you decide to move on base (we were able to move on after 3 months), you will get dislocation allowance and they will pay for your move on base, so again, that will be taken care of. The AF takes good care of their people, you shouldn't really have to worry about anything except housing.
As for Minot......well...........if you need anyone to hang out with, you can contact me when you get here This forum is how I met my first friend in Minot!
PM if you want!
Survival kit: shovel, ice scraper, EXTRA blankets, gloves, socks, hats, jackets, food, water, car phone charger, sand/cat littler for traction in case you get stuck, and maybe a brightly color piece of cloth to tie to your antenna in case you get stuck. If you do get stuck, don't panic. Someone will help you! I gaurantee you won't be stuck for long.
Thanks for the replies! I feel a little bit more relieved, but I must say, the OP's handle perfectly describes how I feel about being assigned there. Here's hoping I will be wrong. I'm single and would rather rent an apartment. Looking around online, there don't seem to be any availabe...is it hard to find apartments there? One to two bedroom with cat okay. Hope some one can help...
Thanks for the replies! I feel a little bit more relieved, but I must say, the OP's handle perfectly describes how I feel about being assigned there. Here's hoping I will be wrong. I'm single and would rather rent an apartment. Looking around online, there don't seem to be any availabe...is it hard to find apartments there? One to two bedroom with cat okay. Hope some one can help...
It is not as hard to find apartments here as it is a house but it's still not easy. No apartments allow pets here. Why? I'm not sure. North Dakota is the only place I've ever lived that flat out doesn't allow pets anywhere but every apartment place I've ever looked at it pets are NOT allowed, not matter what. You could still look, though. Of course...and I'm not suggesting this at ALL....you could just hide it lol someone will probably find out, though. It is better to look once you get here because sometimes you think you have found something good and then you go look at it...and it's crap. Also, be prepared to wait a long time before you can move in. Every place we looked at had at least a 3-4 week waiting period until the other people moved out. You have to be really fast! Where we moved from, there were empty apartments everywhere. Here, you aren't going to have a whole lot of choices.
But once settled in and everything is taken care of, you can relax and enjoy being snowed in all winter
Thanks, etjaipleure. Good God almighty, 3-4 weeks and none of them take pets? This may be the most miserable assignment I'll ever have. Thanks a lot, Air Force, and I'm not even supposed to be assigned to cold weather places because of asthma, of course the AF don't F'n care. Sorry to rant. The OP's handle doesn't even come close to how I feel right now. But thanks so much for your input. Though I hope you will be a little incorrect in finding an apartment quickly...
You will find Minot to be all the you expected it to be I certainly did :P I hope that I am incorrect about you being able to find an apartment! Eventually, you will just get used to waking up everyday with snow on the ground and the gray sky blending in with the ground. Always take Vitamin D in the winter because if you didn't have seasonal affective disorder before...you will probably get it now. My husband put almost all overseas places on his dream sheet...and we got ND. Well...it's almost another country. Canada is only 45 minutes away. Anyway, when do you get here?
Chains are a good idea to have should you need to get out of the ditch. If you have to have chains on the road, only use them to get to the nearest motel.
Chains are legal through your entire route, even if you venture into Iowa or South Dakota.
Chain laws
North Dakota - Tire chains may be used when necessary. Pneumatic tires with metal stubs projecting to 1/16 inch above the tread surface may be used between October 15 and April 15
Thank the lord for that! I've been wondering about studded snow tires in North Dakota ever since someone mentioned the laws in ND last summer. There is my answer. Honestly, I wouldn't drive in the winter around here in Utah without them. They make a HUGE difference in packed snow and ice. My car is terrible without them during the winter. With studs, I wouldn't say it's like a four wheel drive or anything, but I can be driving along (slowly!) just fine when others are sliding all over the place.
Unless you have a 4WD with good, aggressive snow tires (I used to have one), studs on FWD cars are the only way to fly... er, drive
You will find Minot to be all the you expected it to be I certainly did :P I hope that I am incorrect about you being able to find an apartment! Eventually, you will just get used to waking up everyday with snow on the ground and the gray sky blending in with the ground. Always take Vitamin D in the winter because if you didn't have seasonal affective disorder before...you will probably get it now. My husband put almost all overseas places on his dream sheet...and we got ND. Well...it's almost another country. Canada is only 45 minutes away. Anyway, when do you get here?
Thanks again etjaipleure! That's a great idea about taking Vitamin D. Coming from a year tour in Bahrain (Middle East), this is going to be a complete 180 weatherwise. I've been trying to hold judgement about Minot until I get there, but it's really tough. I've set my expectations to just about zero. Thankfully, Ive been on leave enroute here in Seattle for the past month and a half and we got some snow recently...just a small preview for sure. I plan on heading out on Tuesday (Nov 30) and I'm quite worried about my drive from Seattle. I have a 2X4 raised Toyota Tacoma. Thinking about buying some snow tires today or tomorrow (I currently have somewhat new Goodyear Fortera's) and practiced putting on chains yesterday. Hopefully the trip won't last more than a couple of days...if I make it at all. Well, I hope things get better for you, etjaipleure.
Wow! The middle east to North Dakota, yeah I don't think you could get any better complete opposites. Well, we don't have a lot of snow on the ground so that's good! Maybe you will like it here
It is not as hard to find apartments here as it is a house but it's still not easy. No apartments allow pets here. Why? I'm not sure.
I suspect that it's just a consequence of having a huge housing shortage. As a general rule, landlords would prefer not to risk having their properties destroyed by pets. So, if there is a housing shortage you don't need to allow pets in order to rent out your apartments.
Hopefully places like Williston and Minot will allow more apartments and houses to be built, providing relief to lower income renters.
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This forum is how I met my first friend in Minot! 
