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Depends on the time you're leaving vs time of the storm, how far west you are heading. If your heading toward mountains then the snow only will get heavier.
As mention the state does excellent job with pre-treatment with brine, and plows interstates when it can. If it rains or freezing rain the brine washes off the road so ineffective. The best bet is leave to before storm or wait til Sunday as it predicted to be in the 40's. Heading west on I40 is heading right in smack of it with heavier amounts.
I have driven on snow while living in IOWA for 8 years, everyone did. But Iowa was equipped for snow, and people were used to it. Even then, the first snow each year saw lots of wrecks.
A lot has to do with money. Up north and in the midwest towns and cities have massive snow removal equipment and they can keep the roads passable. That stuff is expensive and it would a huge tax burden for using it only once or twice a year, at most.
Additionally, the farther north you go, the more snow and less ice. Yeah, you can drive on snow, but not on ice.
Finally, we don't drive on snow/ice that much, so people realize their vulnerabilities and don't go all macho on each other. A school bus wreck on a patch of ice trumps a day of school anywhere.
I live in a small town in MO. The major highways here are usually well plowed and treated, but my little town does not plow or treat roads at all (we don't even have our own police department). They can be treacherous when the snow is more than a few inches deep. I don't find driving on 2" of snow in MO any different than driving on snow in NC.
But you're right, we don't get a lot of ice here like down south. I will not drive on ice, nor should anyone.
I think the biggest thing I noticed was that down south, people fear driving in snow. I guess it makes sense because they don't get a lot of snow. But most of it is just hype. Like I said earlier, my parents and grandparents find it crazy that I have to go to work with 5" of snow on the ground. Raleigh would be completely shut down with that amount of snow. I tell them that if we shut everything down for snow here, I'd never go to work in the winter because there is pretty much always snow on the ground.
Everyone enjoys comparing NC to the north so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon:
I lived outside Buffalo, NY prior to moving to Cary, NC. I drove through massive amounts of snowfall. We could get over 3 feet during the night and still be at work the next morning.
After moving to NC I laughed at everyone freaking out over a couple inches. Until I hit my first ice patch, I handled it well and made it through find, but it was clear message. The precipitation in NC is VERY different than the north east. The warmer temperatures seem to cause slush and ice, not wonderful powder. Each mile reacts differently and typically there is very little traction. Add to that the smaller budgets for equipment and it becomes a real danger. Yes the snow can be easy to drive in, but it's hard to determine that line between snow and icy mix.
I have years of experience driving through snow storms, but I hate going out on the roads during winter storms here in NC.
Hey guys.
I'm new to the Triangle. Wilmington before this, originally from NY. (so I am used to bad weather).
But with this storm I am curious, do they treat the roads at all down here?
I have to be on 40 tomorrow afternoon. I have a Jeep, but that won't help if it's ice.
Thanks.
Do you HAVE to be on 40?
Because, if you're meeting people who are from around here, they are likely not to expect you if we get enough ice to cause problems on 40.
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Depends on the time you're leaving vs time of the storm, how far west you are heading. If your heading toward mountains then the snow only will get heavier.
As mention the state does excellent job with pre-treatment with brine, and plows interstates when it can. If it rains or freezing rain the brine washes off the road so ineffective. The best bet is leave to before storm or wait til Sunday as it predicted to be in the 40's. Heading west on I40 is heading right in smack of it with heavier amounts.
I'll probably be leaving around 2 or 3. Only going from Durham to Raleigh and back.
And unfortunately, I pretty much do have to make the drive.
Everyone enjoys comparing NC to the north so I'm going to jump on the bandwagon:
I lived outside Buffalo, NY prior to moving to Cary, NC. I drove through massive amounts of snowfall. We could get over 3 feet during the night and still be at work the next morning.
After moving to NC I laughed at everyone freaking out over a couple inches. Until I hit my first ice patch, I handled it well and made it through find, but it was clear message. The precipitation in NC is VERY different than the north east. The warmer temperatures seem to cause slush and ice, not wonderful powder. Each mile reacts differently and typically there is very little traction. Add to that the smaller budgets for equipment and it becomes a real danger. Yes the snow can be easy to drive in, but it's hard to determine that line between snow and icy mix.
I have years of experience driving through snow storms, but I hate going out on the roads during winter storms here in NC.
I love this post and truly appreciate it. In my time here, I have heard more times than I can count how you get used to it, how it is nothing compared to further north and how locals just don't know how to drive in it. I agree completely with what you said. Driving in snow, with traction, is totally different than driving on ice where your tires just won't gain any.
If I recall, the main issue with 40 was with the ramps. People tend to slide of those or into other vehicles. If I recall we had one instance where a fuel truck overturned on an overpass.
Here's an example from last year where it wasn't even freezing rain. Just wet roads that froze overnight... January, 2015 Icy Roads
Avoid any cambered elevated ramp/road way. For instance, the ramp from I-40 east onto 540 north, and 15-501 North when it breaks away from business 15-501 near Target/South Square in Durham.
So in your guys' experience with storms like this around here, do you think i40 will be drivable tomorrow? Even if we do get ice?
You might want to google "snowmaggedon 2014 Raleigh" for some photos of what the roads looked like here 2 years ago with a bit of snow on top of some ice...
I haven't checked this entire thread, but I would find it hard to believe that this photo hasn't already been introduced...
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