December driving Portland -> Bend, All Season Snow rated tires OK? (2015)

[sketo]

I've been trying to research the crap out of this question and have come across pther forums pointing to the Oregon DOT site and videos proclaiming that Continental ExtremeContact DWS is great in snow, but none of them answer my questions.

For you experts out there, will I be required to have chains over my Continental ExtremeContact DWS (Dry, Wet, Snow) tires on Highway 26 at any point? Right now the only answer I can find is a definite maybe. The DOT site claims that as long as I have snow tires, I can drive along without chains required. However, my tires are only snow rated, albeit brand new with less than 900 miles. Would that be enough to keep me on the road? They're on an AWD Subaru if that matters.

Thanks in advance.

[Larry Caldwell]

If the tires have the mountain and snow logo in the rubber sidewall, they are snow rated. Generally they will get you by. Sometimes they require snow tires and 4wd or AWD, or tire chains on 2wd. If those won't get you through, they close the highway. In any case, carry tire chains. You never know how ugly it will get. If your tires don't have the logo, expect to chain up the front.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Carry a set of chains with you.

If you do the drive often, keep a set of chains in your car all the time. If you are doing the drive only once, carry chains and if you do not use them, you can return them to some of the tire sellers. Les Schwab will take theirs back and I heard that you can return unused chains to Walmart, also.

Your all wheel drive will help. Just keep in mind that 4WD and all wheel drive will not stop you on the ice.

I live in Central Oregon and I have studs on my winter wheels and really appreciate them. My son runs snow rated tires in the winter and so far they have worked well, but he only takes his car back and forth to work. If he goes anywhere else, he uses his 4WD.

I would not put studs on my car if I lived in Portland. But I would own a set of chains and they would be full time equipment in my car, just like my jumper cables.

[sketo]

Thanks Oregonwoodsmoke and Larry! It looks like I'm headed to WalMart, I'd rather have the chains and not need it than to need it and not have em.

[texasdiver]

Despite the name, those tires are not real snow tires, they are just all-season tires with a fancy name.

So yes, you are well advised to carry chains with you. The law and signs require it. Read this web site: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/Pag...erdriving.aspx and heed this sign when you get to it




Also test fit your chains and figure out how to put them on inside your garage or driveway so you aren't learning how to do it along the roadside. Also bring construction knee pads or a blue plastic tarp to kneel down on along the slushy roadside when you have to put on those chains.

During our most recent ice storm here in the Portland area I was actually forced to chain up all 4 wheels on my wife's AWD Highlander to even get the car out of our driveway and down our block. And we already had Blizzak snow tires on the car. I had to do it to get her to work as she is in the medical profession and was on call and the co-workers on shift couldn't go home until she got there to replace them. So in bad ice practically nothing but heavy chains on every wheel will get you going.

[Terryj]

Originally Posted by Larry Caldwell

If the tires have the mountain and snow logo in the rubber sidewall, they are snow rated. Generally they will get you by. Sometimes they require snow tires and 4wd or AWD, or tire chains on 2wd. If those won't get you through, they close the highway. In any case, carry tire chains. You never know how ugly it will get. If your tires don't have the logo, expect to chain up the front.

Most tires that are rated for snow will have a snowflake logo on the sidewall, if the tire doesn't have these logos then the State Police will require you to chain up.

[texasdiver]

Originally Posted by Terryj

Most tires that are rated for snow will have a snowflake logo on the sidewall, if the tire doesn't have these logos then the State Police will require you to chain up.

It's a little snowflake inside the outline of a mountain. Not super obvious. I had to look for it to find it on my blizzak tires

[NoMoreSnowForMe]

Originally Posted by texasdiver

Despite the name, those tires are not real snow tires, they are just all-season tires with a fancy name.

So yes, you are well advised to carry chains with you. The law and signs require it. Read this web site: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/COMM/Pag...erdriving.aspx and heed this sign when you get to it




Also test fit your chains and figure out how to put them on inside your garage or driveway so you aren't learning how to do it along the roadside. Also bring construction knee pads or a blue plastic tarp to kneel down on along the slushy roadside when you have to put on those chains.

During our most recent ice storm here in the Portland area I was actually forced to chain up all 4 wheels on my wife's AWD Highlander to even get the car out of our driveway and down our block. And we already had Blizzak snow tires on the car. I had to do it to get her to work as she is in the medical profession and was on call and the co-workers on shift couldn't go home until she got there to replace them. So in bad ice practically nothing but heavy chains on every wheel will get you going.

Great post. I used to live in WA, all over the western side from the bottom to the top. There's no such thing as a tire that will work in place of chains if the conditions require chains.

So, buy some at Walmart, and just return them if you didn't need them.

And yes, practice putting them on. Get the ones that are the easiest to clip on and off.

Been there, done it a lot. Hope to never have to do it again.

The only way around doing it yourself, is if you will be traveling where people offer chains and the service of putting them on for you - at a price.