Moved to Washington, snow advice?

I live in the Seattle area but drive up into the mountains frequently for work - A couple of thoughts-
1- Western Washington and Eastern Washington State often have very different kinds of snow. Over here we have a lot of wet stuff (locals call it Cascade Concrete) it's very nasty stuff - Packs under your vehicle, gets slushy and very difficult to deal with. You are lucky being the Spokane area as the snow is a lot drier and more managIble.
2- Tires make a huge difference...Don't believe what they say about AT's. I run MT's in the winter at the first sign of snow in the hills.
3- If you have to deal with steep grades you will want to run chains- Where I go I ALWAYS chain up all 4.
4- Big fat tires may look cool on the street but they are not your friend in snow and ice.
5- I run 235/85/16's year around (AT's S, S & F....MT's W) for a couple of reasons - A) They are tall (Ground clearance is your friend) B) There is enough room to install chains on the front wheels (A necessity of you are in serious snow)
6- I buy my tires (Toyo's) and Chains at Les Schwab (they have stores there).
7- Be sure and run two sets of chain tighteners (big rubber bands) on each wheel to keep the chains tight and away from things made of metal.
8- Echoing what others have said - a 4WD will lets you get started faster than but it has not advantage in stopping. A lot of 4WD drivers prove how stupid they are all the time (you will find them in the ditch, frequently)
9- My truck is a MT - so I have full control of what's going on. (would not want an AT)
10- When going down hill, don't have it in 4WD....Don't be afraid to use your hand-break when descending a hill - Nice to keep the back of the truck behind you.
11- If you can 'cheat' the 4WD system so you can use Low Range with 2WD you will like it for going down hills.

My Short List -

Clay aka K7CR

 

Avoid steep overpasses that are iced up with snow on top. See the first picture on this link from last December.

http://www.wweek.com/news/city/2016...e-averaging-five-crashes-an-hour-in-the-snow/

Welcome to the northwest.

 

Welcome to the PNW. yes your Wildpeaks will be great mine have been amazing in the snow. basically everyone here has given great advice. the only thing I didn't see ( may have missed it) is engine braking with your gear selector. you do have to ease into the gear so you don't throw too much torque but basically just use common sense.

 

Global warming is supposed to be happening this year, so I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Oregon doesn't use the salt/chemical mixture, but Washington does. Sometimes the mixture just turns good dry snow into a mess though.

 

Oregon Dept of Transportation has OKed the use of salt if needed.

http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/08/state_oks_use_of_salt_on_orego.html

 

No over correcting a skid is important. I soon learned if you're going faster that 10-15 mph and start to skid turn the wheel an inch and wait. It's hard when it feels like you're going sideways but it works. If you correct too much you skid in the other direction much more violently. I've watched people do it and did it a time or two myself before I learned.

 

Get your tires siped.

 

Reading this thread with great interest, as I just moved to the Tahoe area in California. I've never really driven in the snow, so concerned as well. 1st dummy question: I've heard the phrase "turn into the skid" which seems like it would guarantee that you'll do a complete spin. I understand the part about not wanting to over correct which would send you spinning the other way. Fortunately, I currently work from home so can take the advice of some about just staying off the road

 

It would be more accurate to say turn the wheel in the direction you wish to go. For example, you are making a right hand turn and the back end starts to kick out to the left. You want to turn the wheel to the left to counteract the slide.
This diagram should give you an idea

 

Look and steer where you want to go. A lot of people will look at the front of their vehicle then end up oversteering trying to regain control.

 

I noticed a difference in Bend, Oregon on all my vehicles:

https://www.lesschwab.com/learn/article/performance-tire-siping

Best of luck with your findings.

 

Get snow tires

Snow tires (studded or studless) are a must that far north.

I run Blizzaks on my 2016 TRD Sport and they are great in the snow. I live just north of boston so I need snow seasonal tires. We get snow, but it's mostly standing slush that I worry about so I didn't go for studded tires.

Get snow tires.

But seriously, get snow tires.

Find a large parking lot without any islands and mess around with your truck.

2wd, 4wd, 4-lo, trac on, trac off, etc.

See what happens when you do different things. That's the way I learned and I have no fear of driving in the snow (slow and steady wins the race... or just keeps you out of a ditch)

 

Clay, your #10 advice line is interesting:
10- When going down hill, don't have it in 4WD....Don't be afraid to use your hand-break when descending a hill - Nice to keep the back of the truck behind you.

I will have to try this the next time we get some decent snow in mid-Mo. We live on a steep slope in a residential area, and some times it can be dicey coming down the hill and getting in our driveway (especially if others are parked on the street and not in their driveways). I usually use 4wd in lo-range and this works for my truck(s). The wife's 15 Subaru OB is a whole nother story -- the X-mode is fantastic in this situation --it will drive itself down --all one has to do is steer it -no braking required.
I will try your advice next snowfall with the truck.

 

Do not pull your handbrake going downhill.

 

I've never tried this and will not but I'd expect the back end to spin around and be in front.

 

Yup. Not really good advice to give someone new to driving on snow and ice.

 

Just keep her between the ditches bud....

 

Nuff said.

That is just flat wrong. Unless you are playing in, or pushing, deep snow, MTs are precisely the wrong tire. You couldn't have given shittier snow and ice tire advice. The tire compound and tread pattern of MTs are the exact opposite of what is ideal.

Chains in all four corners is a really good idea when going downhill off a mountain in really bad conditions,. But the OP probably isn't running 235s (good call BTW on your 235s) so running chains on the front probably isn't an option. Toyota has screwed us here. There are serious front end clearance issues on these Tacos and blindly chaining up without knowing better will beat the hell out of his rig and leave him stranded in the cold.

I thought your MT nonsense was as bad as your advice could get. There is nothing wrong with 4WD going downhill when it's slick. Use whatever gear and transfer case selection is appropriate to limit the need for brake application while preventing a compression slide. And NEVER EVER NEVER EVER NEVER use the fuking handbrake.

Knowing that thousands of poor ignorant drivers will read your drivel makes me weep. I don't have enough facepalms to express myself.

 

Darwin is waiting...

 

I appreciate your comments - However, what I said has served me well for the last 30 years going up and down West Tiger Mountain. I maintain a number of the radio transmitters up there. I had to learn, in many cases, the hard-way. Re. the MT's - I've run Toyo's, BFG's etc. Many times, they make the difference between putting chains on and not having to. Unfortunately no-one plows these roads ...You just have to deal with what nature provides. When you no longer have ground clearance - It's time to park the truck and use something with tracks. I did make it up there one time in a Suzuki with Modo Tires running just enough air to keep them off the rims - The secret was a very light vehicle and lots of square feet of flattened tire- We went over the snow.